Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff said Lewis Hamilton had a chance to win the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix had it not been interrupted by Yuki Tsunoda’s virtual safety car (VSC), the team’s strategy simulations show. He says he was.
Lewis Hamilton was chasing Max Verstappen when Yuki Tsunoda stopped on track and triggered the VSC.
At the time, Max Verstappen, who was pursuing a two-stop strategy, had to make another pit stop, effectively falling behind one-stop Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes F1 teammate George Russell. .
Thanks to the VSC, however, Max Verstappen spent less time pitstopping and Lewis Hamilton was able to maintain his previous position. Mercedes F1 believes the driver had a chance to win if the race had gone uninterrupted and Verstappen had fallen behind Hamilton in his usual pit stop.
“According to the simulation, Max was eight seconds behind with 20 laps to go, but he would have pitted for a hard change at that time and I think we were going for the win. Said it was getting closer, tight but still going.”
Toto Worg said Max Verstappen “might have caught him in the last six laps”.
The circumstances leading up to VSC were anomalous. Yuki Tsunoda stopped on track following complaining that his wheels were not fully installed during his pit stop. He then returned to the pits to gain attention, but returned to the track once more and stopped, triggering the VSC.
As Yuki Tsunoda is Red Bull’s junior team driver, there has been some speculation that Tsunoda was involved in a scenario that would benefit Max Verstappen.
“If we were fighting for the championship, we would have been watching closely,” admits Toto Wolff.
“What needs to be investigated for the safety of the driver and everyone there is that the driver stopped, unbuckled his seat belt and did a full lap. The problem was not resolved. They put the seat belt on. Then he drove off and stopped once more.”
“It changed the outcome of a race that might have probably been won. But the word ‘probably’ doesn’t matter to me. I don’t think regarding it anymore. It’s over.”
Category: F1 / mercedes / Lewis Hamilton / F1 Dutch GP
