P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has admitted the team made a strategic blunder with the pitstop timing that cost George Russell a podium in F1’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Russell started in pole position but dropped back to fourth place as Mercedes did not fulfill their promise from earlier in the weekend. He lost positions to Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at Turn 1 and struggled to keep up with the leaders. Mercedes pitted him on Lap 23 to prevent an undercut threat, but a slow pit stop put him behind other cars. The car suffered from understeer issues, affecting performance. Team boss Wolff admitted the race was challenging and that they lacked pace to challenge for the win. Overall, it was a disappointing outcome for Russell in Qatar.
