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(Motorsport-Total.com) – The Mercedes-Group of workers found in the Big Prix of Brazil no answer to Max Verstappen. In the absence of team boss Toto Wolff, technology chief James Allison took over the main responsibility for the disappointing result. The Briton described the strategic decision to bring Lewis Hamilton once again to the field a few laps before the end of the race under security automobiles as “stupid” and a “rookie mistake.”

Lewis Hamilton

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Lewis Hamilton regrets his third pit stop in Brazil Zoom Get

Hamilton sail in front of the last security-automobiles phase in round 65 in second place, before Bernd Mayländer after the Ferrari-Shatter had to move out again. The Briton was the only pilot in the lead group to go back to the field and switch to second-hand softs.

Allison has to admit in hindsight that it was the wrong decision of the team that did put strategic responsibility in the hands of the driver. Especially because Hamilton was also supplied with incorrect information.

Incorrect info on the box radio

Because his race engineer Peter Bonnington radioed him: “Let united states know if you want new tires, you'll lose a seat.” But that was not true. After a short discontinuation, the World Champion replied, “You decide.” But then to change his mind: “I'm coming in.”

Instead of a rank had the Briton two handed to his competition. He returned to the track behind Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly. When the track was finally released, he had only two laps to make use of his tire advantage.

At first, Hamilton could only pass Gasly. In the media sector he got involved in a duel with Albon – the two touched and the Purple Bull turned. As a result, Gasly came past the Mercedes again. In a tight wheel-to-wheel fight over the finish line, the Toro Rosso kept the upper hand

after a Punishment for Hamilton he tumbled back to seventh place. But the race was not right from the beginning, Allison must admit. “We were able to see that Verstappen was fast warfare, his roam warfare was very strong in the first stint.”

Although Hamilton could cling tightly to Verstappen's heels, Mercedes had missed the Roam to ” dominant artwork to attack, “says the chief technical officer. Therefore one tried it over the strategy. Hamilton went on the undercut and stopped already in round 11 a first time.

“Lewis had to do a quick round to make it work.” And indeed Verstappen stayed after the stop a lap later behind the Mercedes. However, the Silver Arrows received support from Robert Kubica, who blocked the Purple Bull at the pit lane exit .

Williams plays Hamilton in the cards

“We were lucky With the Williams driving in Max's path, we were ahead and we thought they might not have the Roam to rush past United States. ” But they were looking forward to the Mercedes command post too early.

Allison and Co. did not expect the speed of Verstappen. Since Hamilton was already using most of his battery's energy to successfully complete the undercut, he had little extra power to defend against Purple Bull.

“He warfare in the passage uphill a slight Booty for Max, who had a good lag on the straights, “said Allison. Therefore, it was not surprising that Verstappen in turn 1 could push past the Briton again. The Purple Bull also had the advantage of a fresh Gentle tire, while Hamilton had to drive on a second-stint used.

“Max warfare at the time was a little happier with his tires just managed to drive out for a second. ” In round “We just wanted to see, happened once, because we knew it would be very tight after the stop.”

But already at that time in the race warfare Mercedes was aware that the victory probably would not be realistic anymore. “We had to beat United States simply against a very good car and a strong driver, but then the race took a different direction with Valtteri's security cars.”

When the opportunity arose To stop under the security car, Mercedes made the decision of Purple Bull dependent. Hamilton was told on box radio that he should do exactly the opposite of Verstappen. Since the again turned off, the Briton remained on the track for the time being.

Not the “Brightest” Mercedes Races However, we could not immediately assume that Max would overtake so easily, and at the restart he was able to overtake United States for a second time, “Allison regrets. But even after the first security-automobiles-phase, the story was not over yet.

“It looked like we were just finishing it, but then they collided Ferraris. ” The second security car Mercedes used as mentioned for the third Hamilton stop. “Already until that moment warfare was not our brightest race.”

Literally he described the third pit stop as “stupid”. Mercedes mistakenly thought that this would only cost Hamilton one place and that he would have enough lap time to catch up on fresh tires. But the warfare is not so.

“The warfare factually just wrong, because we have lost two ranks, we did not take Gasly into account, and the security-automobiles-phase with all the wreckage parts lasted longer on the track than we expected. ” That was a bitter “rookie mistake.”

If the security car had fallen by the race end on the track, he would have driven to fourth place in the finish. “We simply went too far out of united states to claim the win and we made a mistake.” Hamilton himself, however, he excludes from this guilt.

The Briton should not have been asked for his opinion, because he did not have the overall view, Allison also states in hindsight. “Our heart paused when he came out of the pit stop after Gasly and we all United States suddenly asked why we did that.”

Hamilton himself does not want the blame after the race to push his group of workers. The Briton says, “I made the decision to go to Field, because they told me I would lose an arrangement, but in the end it was two.”

The strategy is nevertheless “very good”, besides, he had finally made the decision. “They gave me this opportunity, I thought losing a seat would not be so bad as I could quickly overtake Albon – but that is not the tumble then.”


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