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Mercedes reflects on ‘battle’ after Hamilton’s first-lap contact
Mercedes opted for a one-stop strategy with George Russell in the Japanese Grand Prix, which they believed maximized their points. They switched Russell to this strategy midway through the race after Lewis Hamilton had a collision with Sergio Perez on the first lap. Hamilton and Perez had to avoid Carlos Sainz, damaging both their cars. Head of Communications Bradley Lord, standing in for Team Principal Toto Wolff, commented on the race after the incident. Hamilton fought back on a two-stop strategy, while Russell took a gamble with the one-stop. Overall, fifth and seventh places were better than sixth and seventh, minimizing point loss to Ferrari. The decision to gamble with Russell was made because he was ahead of Alonso and the cars behind, presenting an opportunity for Sainz to move up. The stewards investigated Hamilton’s actions on track against Russell but decided no further action was needed. Lord acknowledged that drivers race hard on track, and post-race debriefs allow for clearer discussions.
Source: RacingNews 365
