© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff explains what would have been the best course of action at the Turkish Grand Prix, regarding Lewis Hamilton’s pit stop.
Lewis Hamilton was called in for his first pit stop while he was running in P3 on his first set of intermediate tyres. He refused to go in as he believed the tyres would probably last until the end of the race.
After a bit more back and forth between Lewis and the team, he ultimately went in on Lap 50, with eight laps remaining. This pushed him down to P5, where he would finish.
Lewis was not happy on the radio when he realised he had lost two positions, and now Toto Wolff explains what would have been the best course of action.
“The correct call would have probably been taking it very conservative and pitting when everybody pitted for the Intermediates, coming out behind [Sergio] Perez, probably behind [Charles] Leclerc, and then fighting with them on track for P3,” the Austrian told Sky Sports.
“That would have probably been the correct [decision], but this is all in hindsight after the race. The Intermediate obviously looked really scary, but we thought that we could maybe hang out there, and finish third without stopping.
If you like SilverArrows.Net, consider supporting us by buying us a coffee!
“Or, if a dry line appears, maybe even going on to a Soft tyre until the end. We balanced between pitting, taking it very conservative and fighting with Leclerc and Paris on the track for P3, or taking a little bit of a gamble and either winning or finishing third.
“Then we saw the Leclerc dropping off, and then Lewis started dropping off, so it was clear we wouldn’t make it to the end.”
Mercedes’ first call for Hamilton to pit came later than Wolff now thinks would have been the correct, but even that would have been better than pitting as late as he did. However, he understands why Lewis ingnored the first call.
“It would have been better than where we have ended up at the end, but I think, again, it was measured.
“Obviously, if you’re in the car, he didn’t see how much he was dropping off in that time. He also didn’t see Leclerc dropping off.
“And it was clear that if we stayed out, we would have lost out to [Pierre] Gasly,” concluded Mercedes’ team boss.
