With team-mate George Russell crashing out on the ultimate lap at Marina Bay final weekend, chasing team-mate Hamilton claimed the ultimate spot on the rostrum after the duo’s aggressive late change to medium tyres in a bid to problem for victory.
However as Hamilton took to the rostrum alongside race winner Carlos Sainz and runner-up Lando Norris, the TV cameras picked out the celebrating Ferrari and McLaren crews however nobody from Mercedes.
Social media clips have additionally circulated that includes pictures of seven-time world champion Hamilton being greeted after the race by the rival mechanics reasonably than his personal staff.
However Mercedes has clarified that “as most of the staff because it was sensible” had the truth is made their approach right down to the rostrum ceremony for Hamilton, however the narrative of Ferrari ending Purple Bull’s excellent win streak in 2023 meant that administrators had been focusing the TV feed elsewhere.
Mercedes technical director James Allison mentioned: “After all, the staff was there on the podium to have fun with Lewis.
“As most of the staff because it was sensible to get to the rostrum had been there as a result of we get pleasure from it. We love standing there and clapping and cheering for our driver.”
Allison added that some personnel had been required to remain again to retrieve Russell’s crashed W14. In any other case, the Mercedes crew had been current solely to be misplaced amongst a “very important quantity” of different groups’ representatives.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG, third place, Frederic Vasseur, Workforce Principal and Normal Supervisor, Scuderia Ferrari, speak after the race
Photograph by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
He continued: “Essentially, a certain quantity of the staff needed to keep within the storage throughout that occasion as a result of we wanted to obtain George’s automotive again from the marshals who had been bringing it again into the pit lane.
“However the remainder of the staff had been all down on the podium and cheering together with everybody else.
“However the cameras don’t present all the pieces and the large story there was after all the primary win this yr for a non-Purple Bull staff.
“So, exhibiting all the overjoyed Ferrari faces was very excessive up the record of issues that made for good TV and certainly the pleasure from the McLaren people as properly.
“There was a really important variety of all groups down there on the podium ceremony.
“We had been a giant a part of it however not perhaps the place the digital camera lighted in the course of the podium celebrations.”