Mercedes still sees opportunity for progress: 'Car has potential'

Mercedes saw the first day of the Singapore Grand Prix go extremely well. While Ferrari and Red Bull Racing were both searching for their ideal set-up, the German formation soon felt it was right. Andrew Shovlin therefore maintains a good feeling, according to Mercedes' press release.

"We've had a pretty clean couple of sessions, especially comparing to Red Bull and Ferrari who looked to have a few issues," Mercedes' top man began. "We have managed to get through the majority of the planned work. The car was a bit better balanced in the first session and seemed easier to put the times in."

Shovlin expects strong Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton convinced in the first session by recording the fastest lap on the board with a time of 1:43:033. In doing so, he dipped just below Max Verstappen's time, who was only eight hundredths slower. George Russell took fifth place.

"In the second session we picked up a bit more locking and neither driver got a particularly clean lap in, so hopefully we'll be able to make a bit of a step there overnight. Overall, though, it's been a decent start to the weekend and it looks like the car has potential for a decent result here."