Strategic Masterstroke: How Mercedes’ Bold Tyre Call Fueled Lewis Hamilton’s British GP Triumph

Mercedes reveal the strategy behind Lewis Hamilton's British Grand Prix victory

Team principal Toto Wolff discusses the crucial decision that led to Lewis Hamilton's triumph at the British GP.

Mercedes elaborated on how the decision to change to soft tires during the final phase was crucial for Lewis Hamilton's win at the F1 British Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion secured his ninth British Grand Prix victory, extending his own record, in an exciting race at Silverstone that featured both wet and dry conditions. He managed to pass McLaren's Lando Norris and then successfully defended his position against current world championship leader Max Verstappen.

The turning point of the race occurred when Mercedes decided to bring Hamilton into the pits to change to slick tires after a period of rain. This strategic move allowed Hamilton to get ahead of Norris, who came into the pits a lap later and made a mistake by going past his designated spot in the McLaren pits.

Hamilton successfully defended against a late surge from his 2021 championship competitor, Verstappen, in the final four laps. By effectively managing his tyres, he maintained a sufficient lead to secure his first Formula 1 win in nearly three years.

"We had to take a different approach, which was quite straightforward," said Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes team, following Hamilton's first victory since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

"We thought the hard tire wasn't the best choice. Looking back, the ideal sequence would likely have been medium, hard, then soft. That would have been the fastest strategy."

“We managed to turn things around in the end. Our tire degradation seemed better than the McLarens', which ultimately clinched the win for us.”

When questioned about whether Hamilton had personally decided to switch to soft tires, Wolff responded, “The communication with the driver was excellent today, and we ensured the communication line remained open throughout.”

“We debated the advantages and disadvantages among ourselves and kept an eye on the gaps. Our strategy indicated that it was the right moment to switch, and it turned out to be the ideal time for a pit stop.”

Norris conceded that he and McLaren had missed out on another possible victory due to two bad strategic decisions.

"We're not making the best choices, and I also hold myself accountable for some of those poor decisions today. I really dislike finding ourselves in this situation and having to make excuses for not performing well enough."

"Everything was going great, but we lost it all in the last stretch. It was just one lap, but I don't believe the lap itself was the problem."

"I believe that even if I had executed the ideal lap, choosing to switch to soft tires was a mistake, and I think Lewis would have won regardless. Our team's two critical decisions today cost us dearly, which is particularly disheartening at this venue."

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