Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has hinted its superior degradation prevented Lewis Hamilton from falling into Max Verstappen’s clutches in Formula 1’s British Grand Prix.
Hamilton capitalised on an undercut with a late crossover to slicks when the track dried to overhaul McLaren’s Lando Norris to achieve a record ninth Silverstone win.
The Briton was placed on the new Softs that Mercedes saved heading into the race, but McLaren’s call to replicate that saw Norris slip behind a charging Verstappen.
Verstappen late crusade on the Hard compound saw him dispatch Norris and then close on Hamilton at a rapid rate in the closing laps to come up 1.4 seconds short.
Wolff has conceded that the red-walled rubber was the worst option among the three to complete the race, but Mercedes’ selection meant that it didn’t have a choice.
The Austrian expressed surprise with how competitive the Hard was on Verstappen’s Red Bull as Mercedes’ pre-race simulations suggested it wouldn’t be favourable.
“We didn’t have the Medium, that was very simple for us,” Wolff said. “We didn’t believe the Hard was the right tyre to go.
“In hindsight, probably the right order of priority would be Medium, Hard and Soft. That’s what would have been the quickest.
“But today, we saved it at the end. I think our tyre deg was good compared to the McLarens. And that secured the victory.”
Wolff commended the communication between the pit wall and Hamilton to execute the vital stop on Lap 38 that opened the door to end his protracted win drought.
“I think the communication with the driver today was very good, and we kept the channel open over time,” he explained.
“And then, among ourselves, we kept discussing the pros and cons, we were monitoring the gaps, and at a certain stage, the strategist said, we believe the crossover is now.
“And they were spot on. That was the perfect time to do it.”
However, Wolff was disappointed with the water leak issue that curtailed polesitter George Russell’s involvement as his wait to log a podium on home soil continued.
“It’s just a shame that we didn’t have, with George, he had the pace, and letting him down, here with a, with a water leak, it’s just not great,” he added.
“But I think George is going to win more [races in the future].”
