© Sulay Kelly for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Toto Wolff explains why Mercedes pitted George Russell and declined his request to ask Lewis Hamilton to let him take back his position.
After spending the first half of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton, George Russell was called in by the team to pit for fresh tyres in the second half of the race, which ultimately put him behind his team-mate.
George ultimately got a point for fastest lap, but he finished the race in P7, behind Lewis. Obviously believing that he was called in just so the team can get the fastest lap point, George asked the team to let him get P6 back, but they did not ask Lewis to let him by.
Afterwards, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff explained why.
“I think taking the point for the fastest lap was a little goodie,” the Austrian told Sky Sports F1.
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“But the lap times were dropping off because we beat the team early, and there was the risk of losing the position a few laps later to Perez.
“Beating one of the Red Bulls in these circumstances was advantageous. And our tyre life at that moment, on lap 57, the tyres had gone and melted, and that’s why we made the call.
“Lewis would’ve probably taken him anyway. We are racing for P6 and P7 and wanted to keep Red Bull behind.
“It was a safety call,” Wolff concluded.
