A debate - involving Christian Horner - has proven how difficult it was for Mercedes ꩲto select the optimum strategy in the F1 Japanese Grand Prix.

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton’s P9 and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell’😼s P7 - behind both Ferraris and both Red Bulls among others - suggests that Mercedes got their decision wrong in Suzuka.

A🌸fter a first-lap red f♒lag, they restarted by switching to hard compounds.

Hamilton ca﷽lled to “change the strategy” on his team radio after battling to find any pac💧e.

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Mercedes changed their driv෴ers onto new hard tyres, then f💜inished on mediums, but faced scrutiny for their decision-making.

Hamilton afterwards defended his team’s strategy but ins🍌isted that he preferred the medium tyre.

“A topsy-turvy weekend,” Sky Sports’ Be▨rnie Collins assessed. “They will be disappointed by what has happened in t🦹he race.

“Lewis is maybe a litt♚le bit skewed by the first stint on the hards. He was overtaken by George on the same tyre, likely on the ꦓsame fuel load.

“That never feels great from a driver🌞’s poin🌜t of view because he was ahead at the red flag.

“Then he says 💯the ‘medium at the end felt the best’. Of course it does! It’s the lightest the car has been, the best the track💫 has been…

“All of those things mean that the medium - or whatever tyre you fit 🐷for the final stint - will feel the best."

Collins insisted that the medium tyre is 🐭not always preferable: “Not neces꧃sarily. That is a bit subjective.

“If he𒀰 had a medium at the start that he could compare with? Then may🦋be. But we don’t have that.”

Christian Horner's verdict on Mercedes' strategy call

But Damon Hill had a di🍌fferಞent view about Mercedes’ strategy.

Both R𝓰ed Bull and Ferrari opted for a ༺different tyre strategy to Mercedes.

“I disagree with Bernie,” Hill said. “As a driver, I would have l🌠iked both mediums, please!”

Red Bull team principal Horner then weighed into the deb🍸ate with his verdict.

“I was speaking with Checo,” Horner said. “He was saying with hindsight he would have preferred two hard tyres, rather than two med🐻iums, to go into the race.

“It seems like Checo is on Team Bernie.

“I don’t think there was much in it. The ꦐtrack was warmer today, that brought the cars into a different operating window.

ಞ“The circuit just gets faster and faster throughout the r🦩ace.”

Red Bull secured a 1-2 finish - their third of 2024 - with Max༒ Verstappen leading Sergio Perez hღome.

Verstappen told Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz (who completed the podium) that Red Bull preferred a two-stop strategy after the r💜estart.