Turkish Grand Prix: 'Should Lewis Hamilton have stayed out?'
On the other hand, if he did not change his tyres, they might dramatically lose grip and he could tumble down the order to sixth or even seventh spot. Or a tyre might explode and force his retirement - the worst possible scenario.
Who was right? Should Hamilton have stayed out to the end, gambled that his tyres would stay together and he could hold on to third? Or should he have listened to the team and stopped when they first asked him to, 10 laps before he actually did?To give some context to Hamilton's desire to stay out, no driver has completed a grand prix without changing tyres since Mika Salo took fifth place for Tyrrell at Monaco in 1997. A year previously, Gerhard Berger won in a Benetton in Mexico.
Suddenly, Leclerc's tyres were beginning to fade badly, and Bottas was reeling him in hand over fist. The Mercedes re-took the lead with 10 laps to go, prompting Ferrari to pit. Still Hamilton stayed out, but by now Mercedes believed the game was up. Had Hamilton stayed out, he would have been defending a lead of around 10 or 11 seconds for eight laps against a car lapping two seconds faster, and Leclerc was not far behind Perez either.
Even after he had talked to his engineers, Hamilton still did not seem sure whether they had made the right call. Chief engineer Andrew Shovlin said: "Lewis is always looking at what's ahead and what's the best he can get and we wouldn't expect anything else other than frustration at P5. "We lost eight points with a grid penalty and Red Bull last time were happy with a seven-point loss. It is going to be very tight to the end. DNFs will make a big difference, and that was also a consideration today, and not three or four or five-point swings."Wolff described the result as "damage limitation", adding: "Thank God Valtteri was out there and won the race and scored an extra point and walked away with an extra point for fastest lap.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Emma Raducanu falls to defeat in first outing since US Open triumphThe 18-year-old’s return to the court after her sensational US Open triumph ended in defeat as she was beaten in the second round in Indian Wells
Read more »
Emmerdale's Charley Webb brands Matthew Wolfenden a 'fool’ after 'inappropriate' admissionEMMERDALE star Charley Webb has branded her husband and fellow soap actor Matthew Wolfenden a 'fool', as she gave a cheeky insight into their marriage during an outing today.
Read more »
Lewis Hamilton row: F1 star's bitter row with Max Verstappen built on 'tremendous respect'LEWIS HAMILTON's bitter feud with F1 rival Max Verstappen is built on 'tremendous respect', the drivers' association chairman, Alex Wurz, once claimed, as the pair ready themselves for battle today.
Read more »
Hamilton fastest but Bottas on poleLewis Hamilton qualifies fastest for the Turkish Grand Prix but will start the race 11th after a 10-place grid penalty for breaking engine rules.
Read more »
Lewis Hamilton hoping for rain to aid his fight through the field in TurkeyHamilton will start the grand prix 11th due to a grid penalty after he finished fastest in qualifying at Istanbul Park.
Read more »