Race is not over yet: Merc boss

Singapore, Sept. 17: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said it was special to conquer “bogey track” Singapore but cautioned the F1 title race wasn’t over yet after Lewis Hamilton’s “stardust” propelled him to a potentially decisive lead of 40 points over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton raced to a stunning pole position which he converted into a dominant victory — his fourth in five races — to leave Ferrari, who seem to have the faster car, again scratching their heads with just six grands prix to go.

Team principal Wolff said there was no mystery to Mercedes’ form, it was all down to sheer hard work back at the factory and the track.

“Singapore has been our bogey track for several years, so it is a special feeling to come here and win this race on pace,” Wolf told reporters after Hamilton’s pole- to- flag win and also teammate Valtteri Bottas’s fourth place gave them a 25- point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship.

“The entire team has worked so hard to understand the car and take steps forward, especially since our defeat in Spa, and this result is an indication that our work is paying off.”

It was a weekend of many parts: a stardust lap from Lewis in qualifying, a chess game of tyre management this evening, and some nervous moments with traffic and backmarkers during the race,” Wolff added further.