Mercedes: 'We couldn't take a chance because of Albon'

During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Mercedes more or less had no chance to follow Max Verstappen throughout the race. They used the same strategy as the Dutchman, because they could not afford a gamble.

Alexander Albon played an important role this time. By driving in fourth place and following the pace of the top three reasonably well, he made it impossible for Mercedes to opt for a different strategy. So he did exactly what is expected of the second driver at Red Bull Racing.

Hard tyre was the only option

"We might have gambled on another circuit, where overtaking is easier. But in Abu Dhabi, there is no guarantee that we would overtake Albon. We would probably have given Red Bull a podium," conclude the Mercedes strategists in their analysis of Auto Motor und Sport.

What's more, it turned out afterwards that the one-stopper was by far the fastest option. "All we had to do was decide whether or not to use the safety car for a pit stop. After that, everyone drove the same race. A two-stopper wouldn't have helped anyone. The hard tyre was the fastest that day and the most durable. Ricciardo showed everyone that."