Lewis Hamilton’s difficulties in qualifying “scared” him, it has bee൩n claimed.

Hamilton has been on th🍃e back foot on Saturdays compared to Mercedes teammate George Russell for m🎐ost of this season.

Bu☂t in Singapore, Hamilton out-qualified Russell for just th𒆙e fifth time this year to line up third on the starting grid.

“He has stru𓆏ggled - and been open with his stru🐼ggles - in qualifying with this generation of car,” Tom Clarkson said on the F1 Nation podcast.

Lawrence Barretto, who spoke to Hamilton post-qualifying, replied: “He gaඣve the longest answers he’s given in a long tim𒉰e!

“He wanted to explain why it was so 🎃good, 💧how they turned it around, to give credit to the team.

“He’s been tough on himself from a qualifying perspective. Not really understanding, I think that scared him a little bit, not🔯 unde♐rstanding why he couldn’t do the thing that has made him so famous all these years. Which is nailing down qualifying and putting himself in great shape.

“He said that he felt connected📖 with the car, which was int𒁃eresting. And pumped for the race. Which made me think, even if he didn’t say it publically, he thought he could take the fight forward.

“To then essentially fall backwards, or not fend off Ferrari, would🌜 have been tough🍸 to take.”

Hamilton’s Singapore🐈 Grand Prix largely fell apart due to a decision to start with soft tyres, in contrast to the rivals aroun🅘d him who ran mediums.

Mercedes have since admitted that his decision - w🌸hich Hamilton complained about during the race via team radio - was a mistake.

Clarkson said:𒉰 “When weꦇ saw the tyre blankets come off… he used soft tyres!

“He was the only one of the top 10 to run the soft tyre. I couldn’t w♏ork it out.”

Barretto replied: “Lewis was confident of his own ability to make the most of a great starting slot. He’s been in the top five for the p🍎ast 15 Singཧapore Grands Prix.”

Journalist Sam Power from Australia’s Channel 10 suggested: “He was on the clean side, w🥀ith the soft tyre. Max Verstappen waღs on the dirty side. Do you give yourself more chance? Track position is usually more critical here.”

But Clarks🌼on said: “It’s only 1🌌70m to Turn 1! It’s a really short run.

“If he started on the medium, he wouldn’t have been beaten by Cha♊rles Leclerc.

“But 🃏is it all-o🤡r-nothing? Whether he finishes fifth or sixth he doesn’t care, it’s all about getting on the podium.”

Hamilton ultimately finished sixth♚, with Russell fourth, failing to take advantage of his hugely positive qualifying.