Lando Norris questions Mercedes’ drivers Singapore GP media absence: ‘It’s tough for everyone’

Lando Norris has questioned why the Mercedes duo were allowed to skip media duties in Singapore.

Lando Norris has questioned Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell skipping media duties in Singapore and said it was tough for everyone.

The Silver Arrows duo took no part in the post-race media duties with the team explaining their absence was down to heatstroke but Norris believes the conditions are the same for everyone.

Lando Norris questions Mercedes Singapore media absence

Hamilton and Russell were the only two drivers to skip the media session after the race as all other 18 drivers who had competed in the same conditions did their part.

Mercedes explained their absence as “borderline heatstroke” although team boss Toto Wolff did say a short while later that both drivers were “fine now” after sitting in an ice bath.

But Norris, who as winner had to do more media than most, questioned the reasoning and wondered why they were allowed to excuse themselves.

“Toto Wolff issues health update on Hamilton and Russell? F**king hell, it’s tough for everyone!” Norris said on a stream. “Why do they think that they’ve…

“Everyone’s got heatstroke if they’ve got heatstroke.”

Singapore, along with Qatar, is the most brutal race on the schedule in terms of the extreme humidity but unlike the race in Qatar last year, all the drivers finished aside from Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon who retired due to car issues.

Wolff suggested the drivers were visiting the doctor at the time others were in the media pen.

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“They did not feel well, borderline heatstroke or something like that but they have had water,” he said.

“They would not have been able to go to the (television/print) pen. There were no bad feelings or any annoyance. It is just that we had the doctors with them. But they are all good.”

Norris himself admitted he felt “dizzy” but was able to fulfil his media commitments.

“It was similar to Qatar last year,” he said.

“I wasn’t taking it easy. I could have taken it a lot more easy. I’m a little dizzy at the minute but all good.

“I didn’t want to have a second lead. I wanted to have the biggest lead possible. So it was good fun.”

Read next: Shaky George Russell moment emerges in untelevised footage after ‘borderline heatstroke’ in Singapore