BREAKING NEWS: Mercedes reveal critical Lewis Hamilton error which destroyed… Read More
Mercedes reveal critical Lewis Hamilton error which destroyed… Read More
Mercedes’ technical director, James Allison, has revealed that a strategic error at the Dutch Grand Prix ultimately derailed Lewis Hamilton’s race. The team had initially planned for Hamilton to complete the race on a one-stop strategy, but a critical mistake forced them to change course, leaving Hamilton with a less competitive two-stop race plan.
Hamilton arrived at Zandvoort with momentum on his side, having won two of the last three races at Silverstone and Spa. However, the Dutch GP weekend quickly turned into a challenge. In a surprising twist, Hamilton was eliminated in Q2 during qualifying. The situation worsened when he received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Sergio Perez, pushing him further down the starting order.
Despite these setbacks, Hamilton started the race on soft tyres and quickly gained ground, moving into the top 10. Mercedes opted to pit him on Lap 24 for hard tyres, aiming for a one-stop strategy. The plan was for Hamilton to complete the race on this set of hard tyres after making a solid push early on.
However, things took a turn when Hamilton locked up, damaging his hard tyres. According to Allison, this lock-up altered the entire race strategy. The team had to abandon the original plan and bring Hamilton in for an additional pit stop, switching him to soft tyres for the final stint. This deviation from the one-stop strategy left Hamilton on a less competitive two-stop plan, compared to what Mercedes had initially intended.
Allison explained in Mercedes’ Dutch GP debrief that the one-stop strategy would have been the optimal approach. “If you’re going to do a one-stop, then starting where Lewis started, soft was an okay choice for the first stint because we managed to make a few places there,” he said. The goal was then to complete the race on the hard tyres. “Hard was definitely the right tyre to pick to go from there to the end of the race. However, we had to abandon that strategy due to the lock-up.”
This lock-up on the hard tyres compromised their performance, forcing Mercedes into a recovery mode. They opted to pit Hamilton for soft tyres, hoping to salvage as much as possible from the race. “And then we’re on a recovery strategy at that point, having to make it into a two-stop. And soft was our best option for completing the race,” Allison added.
But no matter how they adapted, Mercedes’ altered plan was not as competitive as the one-stop strategy could have been. “Soft/hard/soft, soft/medium/soft—neither is competitive compared with soft/hard, which was our intended strategy,” Allison explained. He noted that Hamilton had shown strong pace on the hard tyres before the lock-up and could have had a stronger finish had they stuck with the original plan.
Hamilton ultimately finished the race in P8, just behind his teammate George Russell. It was a disappointing outcome for the Brit, especially considering his strong pace in the races leading up to the Dutch Grand Prix.
Reflecting on the strategy, Allison emphasized that the lock-up was the turning point that derailed their original plan. Without that incident, Mercedes was confident that the one-stop strategy could have worked, allowing Hamilton to finish higher up the order. “The pace he had on the hard tyre prior to the lock-up was very competitive,” Allison said. “Once he got himself free of all those back markers, the car was running quite well, and he would have been doing good.”
Now, with the Dutch GP behind them, Hamilton and Mercedes are turning their focus to the next race at Monza. The iconic Italian circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Hamilton in the past. He shares the record for most wins at Monza with Michael Schumacher, both having claimed five victories at the historic track.
Mercedes will be hoping that a return to a more familiar and successful venue can help them bounce back from their difficulties at Zandvoort. As the championship battle continues, Hamilton will be eager to put the Dutch GP disappointment behind him and get back on track in the fight for victories and podiums.
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