Mercedes have justified their strategy call at the F1 Japanese Grand 𒁏Prix.

The tyre strategy failed to pay off, with 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton finishing ninth and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell seventh.

The first-lap crash for Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon present𝔍ed an op𒆙portunity for every team to find an advantage with the strategy at Suzuka.

• 2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix - Race Results from Round 4

Mercedes switched their drivers to hard compounds aft🐼er the restart which resulted in Hamilton asking to “change the strategy” via team radio.

Hamilton’s lack of pace even💎 saw him allow teammate Russell to pass himꦓ.

Mercedes changed their drivers to 🐻another set of hards🍸, then switched to mediums at the end.

A Mercedes spokesman explained their decision-making afterwards: “With our tyre allocation (2 Hard, ﷺ1 Medium), we were able to give ourselves the possibilit𝕴y 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 thꦑe two-stop was going to be the quickest wℱay to the flag.

“Our second aꦡnd 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.”

Ferrari, notably, had greater success by committing💟 early to a two-stop strategy.

Carlos Sainz finished third, and Charles 𒉰Leclerc fouℱrth.

Red Bull secured a 1-2 finish (t𝐆heir third in four grands prix this year) with Max Verstappen beating Sergio Perez.

🦹Verstappen told Sainz afterwards in the cooldown room that committing toꦐ a two-stop strategy was optimal for Red Bull.

Mercedes, however, were left scratching thei꧅r heads after a disappointing ಞdisplay in Japan.