Hungary: Why Mercedes did not try to undercut Verstappen

(Motorsport-Total.com) – Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian race on Sunday thanks to a two-stroke strategy. The Mercedes driver stuck long behind Max Verstappen, sat down at the end but because he an additional stop inserted. Responsible for the decision was Mercedes Chief Strategist James Vowles. He has now revealed why one has set exactly on this strategy.

“In the first stint of the race, it was clear that we either got an undercut or had to try an overcut to beat Verstappen “, Vowles explains. Ultimately, they decided on an overcut, so stayed out longer compared to Verstappen in the first stint. Vowles reveals that one has also seriously considered an undercut, so to stop earlier than Verstappen.

“The problem is that we had two Ferraris in the pit stop window” he explains. To 25. Lap, when Verstappen made his first stop, Hamilton was less than (**********************************************************) Seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc in third place. If he had come there for the service, there would have been a risk that at least behind a Ferrari on the track would have come back.

That's why the undercut was not a real option

“There were two problems,” Vowles says. On the one hand there was the said risk that one would have come back behind a “very fast” Ferrari again on the track. Point two: the hard tire needs some time to get up to temperature. He would therefore not have had the full performance in the first corners. “It would have been difficult to have the pace of Verstappen directly,” Vowles said.

“The reality is, […] that you can not just stop this time an outlap will catch up, “he explains. If in doubt, Verstappen would have stopped even in the following round – and you would have been in the same situation as before. Therefore, they decided against an undercut. “Verstappen stopped at the first opportunity he got, which was followed by a clear track,” explains Vowles.

Hamilton, however, completed his first stop only six laps later. “Everyone went into the race with the plan to make a stop – we too,” reveals Vowles, explaining, “We went into the race with less data than usual because it was wet on Friday, nobody had the hard tire for long and with [viel] gasoline to understand the degradation and the wear. “

” In Budapest it is incredibly difficult to overtake, “he recalls. Therefore, one had initially considered a two-stop strategy not realistic. “When Verstappen and Lewis moved away from the rest of the field, it became clear that there were other options [als einen Stopp], in our case, that was two stops,” Vowles said. But the calculations were difficult.

Vowles praises: calculations “to the point” Nevertheless, the calculations were ultimately “to the point” been praised Vowles. So it has been recognized that Verstappens tires will go towards the end of the race, “if we put enough pressure on him.” So it finally came about.

Hamilton himself initially expressed doubt on the radio, as it was in round again. “We had to catch up with Race still overtake, “shows Vowle's understanding of Hamilton's skepticism. But then he implemented the strategy perfectly. He drove one lap after the other