F1 News
Mercedes: "We were waiting for the first pit stop of Verstappen"
- GPblog.com
This season Max Verstappen seems to be the only driver who can attack Mercedes. So for Mercedes there is only one real competitor this season to take into account. In the review of the Spanish Grand Prix, on the YouTube channel of Mercedes, James Vowles looks back on the race and through which Mercedes was able to put down the winning strategy.
"Everyone in the top ten started on the softest tyre of course and that was clearly also the fastest tyre. Around the twentieth lap the wear and tear was increasing. We were waiting for Verstappen to make his first stop to see which tyres he was going to use again". So Mercedes let their own strategy depend on the choice of Red Bull Racing.
Hamilton right after Verstappen
"We had a comfortable lead with Lewis (Hamilton, ed.) and it made sense to first see where Verstappen would go". So Mercedes clearly looks to Verstappen for their own strategy. Vowles says that after the stop of Verstappen, Hamilton's strategy became pretty clear.
The Dutchman made his stop for the medium tyre, after which the two Mercedes drivers made their first stop one lap later. "When Verstappen made his stop it was clear to Lewis what the plan was. He went in one lap later to protect the gap with Verstappen", said Vowles.