104 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019
PICTURES:STEVEN TEE;MARK SUTTON;STEVE ETHERINGTONTHE MEXICAN GP
FINISHING STRAIGHT F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPROUND^18 IN 3 KEY MOMENTS
RACE DEBRIEF
1 Mercedes victorious with brave and risky strategy
Lewis Hamilton’stenthgrand prix win of the
season might not have been his most spectacular,
but it was a tactical masterstroke from theA strategic masterclass from Mercedes
helpedHamilton claim histenth win of 2019Mercedes pitwall and a brilliant driveto preserve
tyre life in a damaged car.
At an altitude ofover 7,000feet, the thin air ofMexico City presents a difficult challengefor the
engineers. Downforce levels are at their maximum,
cooling is also at a premium – particularlyfor
brakes – and thefl uctuating ambienttemperatures
during the weekend meant strategists hadto
improvise during the race.
Priorto Sunday, high degradation in practice had
suggested two stops was the wayto go, but as
tracktemperatures rose it altered the wear rates
of the tyres. Suddenly a hard Pirelli could be used
much longer thanexpected – butfor how long?
WhenRed Bull stopped Alex Albon early on
lap 14for a nailed-on two-stopper,Ferrari decided
to bring race leader CharlesLeclerc in on thevery
next lapto cover theRed Bull. But Sebastian
Vettel in the secondFerrari was discovering the
degradation on his mediums was not as high as
he wasexpecting, so the Scuderia split its strategy.
“We were surprised when we saw theRed
Bull pull the triggerfor a two-stop and we were
surprised whenLeclercfollowed him in, because
for us, the race was swinging conclusivelyto a
one-stop,” said Mercedestechnical director James
Allison. “Now the question was how we were going
to beatVettel, who was on the same one-stop
strategy as us.”
The question was how long could either
Hamilton orVettel run on the hard tyre, and could
theyget to the end of the race without stopping
again?Ferrari believed 41 laps was do-able, so
stoppedVettel on lap 30. But Mercedes gambled
on bringing Hamilton in eight laps before then.
From the cockpit, the Mercedes driver was
uncertain of the risky call.
“You brought me intoo early,” said Hamiltonto
his race engineer Marcus Dudley (standing infor
regularPete Bonnington, who missed this race due
to a medical procedure). “That’s waytoo many laps
for this set of tyres.”
It required chief strategist JamesVowlesto
come on the radio and reassure Hamilton it was
the correct decision. WhenFerrari pittedVettel,
they hoped the Mercedes rubber would drop off in
the closing stages, allowingVettelto pounce with
his fresher Pirellis.
Through a combination of Hamilton’s driving –
despite losing a piece of hisfl oor in an opening
lap clash with MaxVerstappen – and the fact the
hards stayed competitiveto the end, Hamilton
hung onfor victory.104 F1 RACING DECEMBER 2019
PICTURES:STEVEN TEE;MARK SUTTON;STEVE ETHERINGTONTHE MEXICAN GP
FINISHING STRAIGHT F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPROUND^18 IN 3 KEY MOMENTS
RACE DEBRIEF
1 Mercedes victorious with brave and risky strategy
Lewis Hamilton’stenthgrand prix win of the
season might not have been his most spectacular,
but it was a tactical masterstroke from the
A strategic masterclass from Mercedes
helpedHamilton claim histenth win of 2019Mercedes pitwall and a brilliant driveto preserve
tyre life in a damaged car.
At an altitude ofover 7,000feet, the thin air ofMexico City presents a difficult challengefor the
engineers. Downforce levels are at their maximum,
cooling is also at a premium – particularlyfor
brakes – and thefl uctuating ambienttemperatures
during the weekend meant strategists hadto
improvise during the race.
Priorto Sunday, high degradation in practice had
suggested two stops was the wayto go, but as
tracktemperatures rose it altered the wear rates
of the tyres. Suddenly a hard Pirelli could be used
much longer thanexpected – butfor how long?
WhenRed Bull stopped Alex Albon early on
lap 14for a nailed-on two-stopper,Ferrari decided
to bring race leader CharlesLeclerc in on thevery
next lapto cover theRed Bull. But Sebastian
Vettel in the secondFerrari was discovering the
degradation on his mediums was not as high as
he wasexpecting, so the Scuderia split its strategy.
“We were surprised when we saw theRed
Bull pull the triggerfor a two-stop and we were
surprised whenLeclercfollowed him in, because
for us, the race was swinging conclusivelyto a
one-stop,” said Mercedestechnical director James
Allison. “Now the question was how we were going
to beatVettel, who was on the same one-stop
strategy as us.”
The question was how long could either
Hamilton orVettel run on the hard tyre, and could
theyget to the end of the race without stopping
again?Ferrari believed 41 laps was do-able, so
stoppedVettel on lap 30. But Mercedes gambled
on bringing Hamilton in eight laps before then.
From the cockpit, the Mercedes driver was
uncertain of the risky call.
“You brought me intoo early,” said Hamiltonto
his race engineer Marcus Dudley (standing infor
regularPete Bonnington, who missed this race due
to a medical procedure). “That’s waytoo many laps
for this set of tyres.”
It required chief strategist JamesVowlesto
come on the radio and reassure Hamilton it was
the correct decision. WhenFerrari pittedVettel,
they hoped the Mercedes rubber would drop off in
the closing stages, allowingVettelto pounce with
his fresher Pirellis.
Through a combination of Hamilton’s driving –
despite losing a piece of hisfl oor in an opening
lap clash with MaxVerstappen – and the fact the
hards stayed competitiveto the end, Hamilton
hung onfor victory.