P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes explains F1 Japan one-stop strategy attempt
Russell and Hamilton finished seventh and ninth, respectively, reversing their qualifying positions due to a poor qualifying session and challenging first stint on hard tyres. Mercedes attempted a bold one-stop strategy on the demanding Suzuka circuit but had to convert to a two-stopper due to poor pace, with both drivers switching to mediums for the final third of the race. Mercedes chose the one-stop strategy to differentiate themselves from the frontrunners and utilized their available fresh hard tyres. Andrew Shovlin from Mercedes explained that the one-stop strategy with two hard tyres seemed more achievable than using a medium-hard combination. Despite struggles in the first stint, Mercedes’ second stint on hard tyres and final run on mediums showed improved competitiveness. Mercedes is analyzing why their first stint went awry, as their later stints were more in line with Ferrari and McLaren’s performance.
