Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • Formula 1 Calendar
    • Championship Standings
    • Team/Driver Line-Up
    • Session Results
  • Formula E
    • Championship Standings
    • Formula E Calendar
    • Session Results
  • WRC
    • WRC Calendar
    • Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • MotoGP Calendar
    • Team/Rider Line-Up
    • Championship Standings
  • IndyCar
    • IndyCar Calendar
    • Championship Standings
  • WEC
    • WEC Calendar
  • More
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • NASCAR
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Extreme E
    • Dakar
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
  • Formula 1
    • Formula 1 Calendar
    • Championship Standings
    • Team/Driver Line-Up
    • Session Results
  • Formula E
    • Championship Standings
    • Formula E Calendar
    • Session Results
  • WRC
    • WRC Calendar
    • Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • MotoGP Calendar
    • Team/Rider Line-Up
    • Championship Standings
  • IndyCar
    • IndyCar Calendar
    • Championship Standings
  • WEC
    • WEC Calendar
  • More
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • NASCAR
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Extreme E
    • Dakar
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

Mercedes explains why it didn’t pit Hamilton during Hungary restart

by Fergal Walsh
11 months ago
0
Mercedes explains why it didn’t pit Hamilton during Hungary restart
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Mercedes has provided an in-depth explanation as to why it didn’t pit Lewis Hamilton for slick tyres during the race restart at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton was the only driver on the grid at the end of the formation lap for the standing restart, with all remaining drivers in the race pitting for dry weather tyres after taking the original start on intermediates.

The seven-time world champion pitted on the following lap but dropped to the rear of the field before recovering to third by the chequered flag.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff expressed to Sky Sports F1 after the grand prix that the team made the right call under the circumstances.

However, Mercedes now admits that it got the call wrong, explaining that making judgements while leading the pack is much more difficult than doing so when you’re behind several cars.

“Clearly in hindsight we made the wrong choice, but you have to bear in mind those decisions are really, really tricky,” said Mercedes Technical Director Mike Elliot in the team’s post-race debrief video.  

“We agonised over what tyre to fit at the very start of the race, as it turned out the inter was definitely the right choice because it started raining on the lap to the grid.

“We agonised over what tyre to fit after the red flag and clearly all of the cars fitted inters. And on that lap to the grid, even though all the drivers had fitted inters, clearly others decided to change their mind and we should have too.

“But the reality is, it’s actually more difficult for us as a team than it is for the other teams. When you are the front car, you can’t see what everybody else is doing.

“You are the lead car. When you are further back in the chain, you can see what others have done and you can change your mind accordingly. You can use that new evidence to your advantage.”

Elliot added that had Hamilton come into the pits, Mercedes would’ve been forced to hold him in his box while his competitors drove past, ensuring that he was always going to lose positions.

“The second problem for us is that we have the first pit box in the pit lane,” Elliot said.

“So, as we’d have come into the pit lane and we’d boxed, all the cars would have been pouring past and it would have been very difficult for Lewis to get out and that would have delayed us.

“The second problem with that or same problem, but another way of looking at it, is if we had tried to force our way out into the pit lane we could have collided with another car and we actually saw that happen in that sequence of pit stops.”

Tags: F1HamiltonHungarianGPMercedes
Share1456Tweet910Share364

Related Posts

Merhi back in F2, seven years after brief F1 stint
Formula 1

Merhi back in F2, seven years after brief F1 stint

50 mins ago
Red Bull keeps Vips in junior team after losing F1 role
Formula 1

Red Bull keeps Vips in junior team after losing F1 role

21 hours ago
Williams must be ‘bold’ in Austria to utilise Silverstone upgrades
Formula 1

Williams must be ‘bold’ in Austria to utilise Silverstone upgrades

21 hours ago
Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Articles

Russell asked marshals to leave car alone after start clash
Formula 1

Russell asked marshals to leave car alone after start clash

July 3, 2022
Hamilton: Silverstone fans not right to boo Verstappen
Formula 1

Hamilton: Silverstone fans not right to boo Verstappen

July 2, 2022

Upcoming Races

# EventLocationDate
11Austrian GPSpielberg10 July
12French GPPaul Ricard24 July
13Hungarian GPBudapest31 July
14Belgian GPSpa-Francorchamps28 August
15Dutch GPZandvoort4 September

Click here for the full 2022 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

# DriverPts
Max Verstappen181
Sergio Perez141
Charles Leclerc138
Carlos Sainz127
George Russell111
Lewis Hamilton93
Lando Norris58
Valtteri Bottas46
Esteban Ocon39
Fernando Alonso28

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Motorsport Week

© 2021 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
    • Team/Driver Line-Up
    • Session Results
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
    • Session Results
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
    • Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
  • Other
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • WSeries
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • NASCAR
    • Extreme E
    • Dakar
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2021 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In