© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says Mercedes’ attempt to undercut Pierre Gasly wasn’t a surprise to Lewis Hamilton, as he inquired with the team about this strategy before being called in.
Hamilton was running in P6, just behind Pierre Gasly, when Mercedes called him into the pits to attempt to undercut the French driver.
Unfortunately, not only did it not succeed, but Lewis lost two additional places to Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez.
When the Briton realized what had happened, he asked his race engineer: “What has happened, guys, I’ve just lost two places?”
Then he added: “I don’t understand, guys. I saved the tyres to go longer. You made me stop before everyone.”
Toto Wolff reveals, contrary to how it might have seemed to the viewers, that Lewis was aware of the strategy Mercedes was going to try.
“I think the strategy was very clear,” said the Austrian.
“He asked via the on-board radio ‘are we going for the undercut?’ In our view, that was also the best option to overtake Gasly.
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“His in-lap was good, the pit-stop was good and his out-lap was also good. Only Gasly apparently had a one-and-a-half second lead.
“That was not the case in our calculations.”
Ultimately, Hamilton finished the race in P7, while Valtteri Bottas had to retire due to Mercedes not being able to remove his front-right wheel.
“I had more fun when we won in 2013 and we partied until seven in the morning with you,” Wolff said after the race.
“Someone drank the water from the flowers. This time, there will be no party. I’m going home.
“I’m going to look at the data, watch the race again and eat a pizza,” concluded Mercedes’ team boss.
