© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin says Lewis Hamilton decided to switch to intermediate tyres after learning Max Verstappen had switched.
In the dramatic rainy final laps of the Russian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton was called in to switch to intermediate tyres, while race leader Lando Norris chose to stick it out on medium tyres.
Lewis didn’t want to come in immediately, but ultimately he did make the switch. Lando chose to try and stick it out on medium tyres, but he too had to come in eventually. Unfortunatley for the young Briton, Lewis was already on the way to his 100th win.
After the race Mercedes’ Andrew Shovlin revealed the choice to make the stop was made easier for Hamilton, after he learned that Max Verstappen, who was running in P6, also switched to intermediates.
“We just tried to get him in the next lap,” said Shovlin when asked what was Mercedes’ plan after Lewis ignored their first call to come in.
“And the key point that we were thinking to get across to him was that Max had stopped. With Max having stopped, then he’s certainly keen that we shadow what he’s doing. Even if it meant that we might leave the door open for Lando to take the win.
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“The other thing we just had to get across was that we thought the rain was going to get heavier. Therefore, jumping early was going to be better.
“With all these things, it’s very much a case of getting the right information to the driver, because we were quite clear what we wanted to do.
“They haven’t got the luxury of rain radars and things, and it’s just a case of making sure that they can understand why it is we’re trying to take that decision.
Mercedes first pitted Valtteri Bottas, and after they saw how he was doing on intermediates, it was easier to call Hamilton in.
“Our decision-making was helped by the fact that Valtteri was out of the points, [so] he had nothing to lose.
“We were the first to make the jump and then, seeing how the tyres worked on his car, we followed suit with Lewis soon after.
“But certainly not leading the race makes it a bit easier to take those decisions,” Shovlin concluded.
