Former Ferrari boss, Peter Windsor, dissected the qualifying round of the Singapore Grand Prix 2023 with a meticulous eye, questioning Lewis Hamilton‘s performance against the seemingly unstoppable force, George Russell. Seated in the Rolex box while offering commentary, Windsor watched as George Russell showcased a mesmerizing mastery over his Mercedes, which found its sweet spot this weekend.

Windsor didn’t hold back when it came to Hamilton’s showing, observing a notable gap that seemed to echo throughout the qualifying session. He pinpointed critical data; a big margin separating Hamilton from Russell. “Lewis never, ever looked like he was going to get anywhere near George,” he expressed, emphasizing the fractions of seconds that when in the grand scheme of things, stretched further to spotlight Hamilton’s lesser performance in comparison to Russell’s exhilarating drive.

Drawing a detailed comparison, Windsor noted, “It was the same margin, actually. The difference between George and Carlos, 0.07, was exactly the same as the difference between George and Charles Leclerc, 0.07. And Lewis was not in the game, really, in terms of potentially splitting or even beating the Ferraris.”

Lewis Hamilton, who qualified in the P5 position, faced critical remarks from Windsor, who flagged that Russell, being 0.4 seconds quicker around Singapore, might have dealt a significant blow to Hamilton. Despite the critical evaluation, Windsor acknowledged Hamilton’s potential to recover in the upcoming race, appreciating the veteran’s form and readiness for the competition.

Windsor’s commentary has set a backdrop of high expectations from both Russell and Hamilton, where strategy, speed, and skill will be the determining factors for victory. The recent qualifying round has evidently intensified the competitive atmosphere. It has set a high bar for Hamilton to meet, following Russell’s remarkable performance.

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Despite the harsh criticisms echoing from former Ferrari boss Peter Windsor, who did not shy away from highlighting the glaring gap in performance between Hamilton and the seemingly indomitable George Russell during the Singapore Grand Prix 2023 qualifying round, Hamilton chose to shine a hopeful light on the road ahead.

Lewis Hamilton pins hopes on George Russell for Mercedes’ first F1 2023 victory in Singapore

In the aftermath of a disheartening personal performance during the qualifying at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton has expressed high hopes for his Mercedes teammate George Russell to clinch the first victory for Mercedes in F1 2023 at the Singapore Grand Prix.

“I think today, we had a really great package here, the car was feeling incredible yesterday,” shared a hopeful Hamilton during his interview with Sky F1. Hamilton concluded with a rallying call for Russell, projecting his hopes and the team’s onto the younger driver. “Tomorrow’s a new day, so I really hope George gets a great start tomorrow and puts some pressure on those Ferraris. It would be great for him to get a win,” he asserted. Thus foregrounding the emerging star’s potential to upset the established order and bring home a much-anticipated victory for Mercedes.

Hamilton conceded that his attempts to challenge the Ferraris took a hit following overnight adjustments that didn’t pan out as expected. “Made big changes overnight and just went away from me again,” he recounted. The Brit echoed the palpable disappointment, but not without leaving a window of opportunity open for his teammate Russell.

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As the Red Bull team finds itself uncharacteristically out of sync this weekend — with neither Max Verstappen nor Sergio Perez advancing to Q3 — Hamilton eyes an advantageous position for the Mercedes team to finally stamp their mark in F1 2023, where Red Bull has been dominantly winning every race so far.