Mat Coch writes:

Mercedes was left scratching its head after the Singapore Grand Prix having been beaten to the podium by both Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

After qualifying second Nico Rosberg momentarily took the lead at the first turn only to run wide and allow race winner Sebastian Vettel to pass. Lacking the pace of the Red Bull Rosberg's subsequent focus was on running his own race.

"I wasn't trying to go for him because if I try I destroy my tyres and then my race is finished," he explained. "I just accepted that he was really quick."

It was working well until Daniel Ricciardo crashed his Toro Rosso on the twenty-fourth lap, bringing out the safety car. While a welcome respite during a draining two-hour race it strategically compromised Rosberg, who had stopped for new tyres on lap fifteen.

Too far out to reach the finish without another stop it left the German vulnerable to both Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso when he did eventually pit for a second time. Although he emerged faster that those ahead he simply ran out of time.

"Alonso and Raikkonen just did a great job," he said. "It was a lot of laps to do."

Hamilton was similarly caught out by the safety car, pitting immediately after Rosberg on lap fifteen and ending up being caught in the same strategic no man's land at the end. "It was interesting that I stayed out and then everyone pitted," he reflected after the race.

"At the end, I didn't know what position I was in; I thought I was third," he admitted. "Then they told me and I was seriously gutted. I don't know how Kimi came from where he did. That was incredible."

The result leaves Hamilton 96-points adrift of Vettel in the championship. With a maximum of 150-points available in the next six races the 2008 world champion has accepted the title is now a bridge too far. "Now it's just about having fun for the rest of the year and trying to see if we get ahead of the Ferrari's," he sighed.

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