With team-mate George Russell crashing out on the final lap at Marina Bay last weekend, chasing team-mate Hamilton claimed the final spot on the podium after the duo's aggressive late switch to medium tyres in a bid to challenge for victory.
But as Hamilton took to the podium alongside race winner Carlos Sainz and runner-up Lando Norris, the TV cameras picked out the celebrating Ferrari and McLaren crews but no one from Mercedes.
Social media clips have also circulated featuring photographs of seven-time world champion Hamilton being greeted after the race by the rival mechanics rather than his own team.
But Mercedes has clarified that “as many of the team as it was practical” had in fact made their way down to the podium ceremony for Hamilton, but the narrative of Ferrari ending Red Bull’s perfect win streak in 2023 meant that directors were focusing the TV feed elsewhere.
Mercedes technical director James Allison said: “Of course, the team was there at the podium to celebrate with Lewis.
“As many of the team as it was practical to get to the podium were there because we enjoy it. We love standing there and clapping and cheering for our driver.”
Allison added that some personnel had been required to stay back to retrieve Russell’s crashed W14. Otherwise, the Mercedes crew had been present only to be lost among a “very significant number” of other teams’ representatives.
He continued: “Necessarily, a certain amount of the team had to stay in the garage during that event because we needed to receive George’s car back from the marshals who were bringing it back into the pit lane.
“But the rest of the team were all down at the podium and cheering along with everyone else.
“But the cameras do not show everything and the big story there was of course the first win this year for a non-Red Bull team.
“So, showing all of the overjoyed Ferrari faces was very high up the list of things that made for good TV and indeed the pleasure from the McLaren folk as well.
“There was a very significant number of all teams down there at the podium ceremony.
“We were a big part of it but not maybe where the camera lighted during the podium celebrations.”
