Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton endured a "frustrating" Singapore Grand Prix having failed to build on their impressive showing in qualifying. (More Motorsport News)
Hamilton started one place ahead of his team-mate in third, but the Silver Arrows' split strategy proved costly during the gruelling 62-lap race.
The seven-time world champion gambled by starting on the soft tyres but was unable to get away with the runaway front two of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
Russell, however, elected to start on the favoured medium tyre, but Hamilton's decision arguably held up his Mercedes team-mate in the opening stint.
The pair finished fourth and sixth respectively, with Hamilton overtaking the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc late on to move to 174 points in the drivers' championship.
“After a very difficult Friday, we would have likely taken P4 in the Grand Prix,” Russell said.
“Our pace in qualifying, however, made us believe we could achieve more.
"Today was no doubt a difficult race for us, both challenging in terms of our pace but also physically.
“The McLarens were very impressive and in another league to us, whilst Max [Verstappen] had the legs on us.
We were able to hold off the Ferrari of Charles [Leclerc] in the closing stages, so it was very much an evening of damage limitation.
"Given the pace of the car, that was the very best we could have achieved.”
Hamilton further relayed his frustrations about the race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit but is confident the Silver Arrows can bounce back in Austin next month.
“It is hard to describe the range of emotions you feel when we have a difficult race like that,” Hamilton said.
“This year continues to be a testing one for everyone, but we are all pushing as hard as we can.
"We don’t always get things right and that was the case today with our strategy.
“We have lost some form to the leaders in the past few races and we’re working hard to figure out why that is.”
Mercedes had won three of the last four races before the summer break but have since managed just one podium since after Russell benefitted from Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez's crash on the penultimate lap of proceedings.
But up next is a track Hamilton has relished over the years, with the Briton winning the American Grand Prix in Austin more times than anyone else (five), though he has not prevailed around the Texas circuit since 2017.
