When a full safety car period was called for Valtteri Bottas to stop at Turn 1 with an engine failure, Red Bull pitted Max Verstappen to go softs while Mercedes initially prevented Hamilton and team-mate Russell from switch to a 1-2.
One lap into the safety car period, Russell was then pitted for softs by Mercedes, with Hamilton held off his older mediums to lead Verstappen’s restart.
But the call meant Hamilton was powerless to stop those on softer, younger tires from overtaking him, with the British driver dropping from first to fourth and Verstappen winning the race.
During the race, on team radio, Hamilton expressed his frustration at Mercedes’ strategic call: “I can’t believe you fucked me like that, I can’t tell you how much I’m pissed off right now.”
After the race, Hamilton apologized to Mercedes and admitted his emotions had taken over after battling for the win ahead of the final safety car period.
“I was just at the breaking point with my emotions and my apologies to the team because I can’t even remember what I said, I just lost it for a second,” said Hamilton.
“But I think they know there’s so much passion and I want to see it as a glass half full, we’ve come here struggling since the last race, we were fighting Red Bulls today, we were faster than most at many points.
“Without the safety car, I think we would have challenged them for the win at the end on the one-stop, which I don’t think the others could do.
“So many great things to take from it, the car was finally working. If it can be the same in the races to come, we will continue to breathe down their necks and we will achieve this victory.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, who spoke to Hamilton on the recovery lap to tell him he would explain the strategic call during the team debrief, said his team made the strategic bet to try and fight for the win by splitting his strategy between Hamilton and Russell. opting instead for a safer outcome.
“It’s very emotional for the driver, you’re about to race for the win and then you’ve been eaten alive, so it’s clear that every emotion comes through,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1.
“You, as a pilot in the cockpit, you are alone and you don’t see what is happening. We have been discussing in the moment, are we taking risks for the victory of the race? Yes, we are taking risks.
“He had a five lap old tire, the middle hold position was the right thing to do. In the end it didn’t work out for him, but I’d rather risk winning the race with Lewis than finish second and third.
