P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes: Team orders all about protecting Hamilton despite “no sense” criticism
In the closing stages of the Suzuka race, George Russell was running in fifth place, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, as Carlos Sainz closed in on them from behind. Hamilton expressed frustrations over the radio, but eventually, Mercedes asked Russell to move aside for Hamilton. They then instructed Hamilton to back off and keep Russell within DRS range to defend against Sainz. Hamilton disagreed with this strategy and believed it would have been better to build a bigger lead. Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, explained that the main focus was to ensure Hamilton wasn’t passed by Sainz. The team split strategies to protect against Ferrari and minimize the risk of further battles between Hamilton and Russell. Mercedes downplayed any talk of extra friction between the two drivers as they were both racing hard in a challenging car.
Source: motorsport
