Mercedes’ Strategy Backfires at Japanese Grand Prix
In a dramatic turn of events at the Japanese Grand Prix, Mercedes’ strategy call failed to pay off as Lewis Hamilton struggled to make an impact on the track. An early red flag, triggered by a collision involving Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon on the opening lap, presented teams with a strategic dilemma.
The opportunity to change tires amid the chaos tempted teams with the prospect of a single additional pit stop if they could stretch the durability of hard tires. Mercedes, opting for a gamble, committed to this strategy, while Ferrari chose a more conservative path, opting for a two-stop strategy.
However, it quickly became evident that Ferrari’s decision was the wiser one. Charles Leclerc demonstrated impressive pace on medium tires, advancing from eighth to secure a net third place. Ultimately, teammate Carlos Sainz capitalized on fresher tires to overtake and secure a podium position.
Meanwhile, Mercedes faced challenges as their drivers struggled on the harder compound. Hamilton and George Russell both requested pit stops to change tires mid-race. Despite Russell’s climb to seventh, Hamilton could only manage ninth, earning a mere two points.
Following the race, Mercedes addressed the unsuccessful strategy gamble. A spokesperson highlighted the difficulty of Suzuka as a track for their team and acknowledged the limitations of their chosen strategy.
After the race, Mercedes discussed the strategy gamble which had not paid off. A spokesperson said: “With our tyre allocation, we were able to give ourselves the possibility of looking at either a one or a two stop after the red flag – hence the hard tyre restart.
“Ultimately, as the race progressed, the tyre degradation showed that the two-stop was going to be the quickest way to the flag. Our second and third stints showed solid pace compared to those around us, including the McLarens and the Ferraris.
“We knew that Suzuka would not be our strongest track though and, with time lost being overtaken on the offset strategy (one of the downsides of this strategy), we couldn’t make it back to P6 which was likely the maximum today.”
The race saw Max Verstappen reclaim victory, leading from start to finish after a setback in Melbourne, with teammate Sergio Perez securing second place. Sainz’s podium finish marked his third consecutive top-three result of the season.
