A debate 🅘- involving Christian Horner - has proven how difficult it was for Mercedes to 𓆉select 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 Merceඣdes got their decision wrong in Suzuka.

After a first🦄-lap red flag, they restarted by swi🎃tching to hard compounds.

Hamilton calle🔴d to “change the strategy” on his team radio after battling📖 to find any pace.

• 2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix - Race Results from Round 4
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Mercedes changed their drivers🌟 onto new hard tyres, then finished on mediums, but faced scrutiny for their decision-maki🍬ng.

Hamilton afterwards defended hi🦹s team’s strategy but insisted that he preferred the medium tyre.

“A topsy-turv🃏y weekend,” Sky Sports’ Bernie Collins assessed. “They will be disappo🌌inted by what has happened in the race.

“Lewis is maybe a little bit skewed by the first stint🤪 on the hards. He was overtaken by George on the same tyre, likely o෴n the same fuel load.

“That never feels great from a driver’s point⛎ of view because he was ahead at the red 🐽flag.

“Then he says the ‘m🌳edium 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 necessarily. Th💯at is a bit subjective.

“If he had a medium at the start t🐭hat he could compare with? Then mayཧbe. But we don’t have that.”

Christian Horner's verdict on Mercedes' strategy call

But Damon Hill had a different view about Merc🌌edes’ strategy.

Both Red Bull and Ferrari opted for a different tyre strategy to M🧜ercedes.

“I disagree with Bernie,” Hill said. “As a driver, I wo🐽uld have liked 𒁏both mediums, please!”

Red Bull team principal Horner then weighed into the debate with his verꦏdict.

“𝓡I was speaking with Checo,” Horner said. “He was🔯 saying with hindsight he would have preferred two hard tyres, rather than two mediums, to go into the race.

“It seems like Checo is on Team Bernie.

“I don’t think there was much in it. The track was warmer t♛oday, that brought the cars into a different opera꧃ting window.

“The circuit just g꧑ets faster and faster throughout the race.”

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

Verstappen told Ferrari’s C🌟arlos Sainz (who completed the podium) that Red Bull preferred a two꧃-stop strategy after the restart.