Mercedes’ strategy at Suzuka came under scrutiny but they have been reminded t🍃hat they m🎶ust face even bigger problems.

Merce꧅des’ decision to equip Lewis Hamilton and George Russell with hard tyres at the restart after a 🉐red flag at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix failed to yield results.

Hamilton finished ninth, Russell seventh, behind a Red Bull 1-2 and both Ferrꦛaris among othe൩rs.

Red Bull and Ferrari opted for a different s𒁏trategy ꦓto Mercedes.

Hamilton questioned♏ the strategy via team radio during the race before later insisting his team couldn’t have done anything differently.

But Mark Web𓂃ber has reminded them that tyre strategy is the least of their concerns.

“They rolled the dice,” Webber saಞid to🅘 Channel 4 after the Japanese Grand Prix.

“They restarted on the hards. They were looking at m𒁏aking a one-stop work.

“Failed. Too optimistic.

“Then, track position.ജ They had to come back through.

“Then both of them put the m💎ediums on, at the end. So they converted to a [two-stop]♊ there.

“They tried, ꦦand they we🧔nt all-in with both cars too, off the line with that hard tyre.

“🍎They haven’t got t𝓀he speed at the moment. They just haven’t got the speed.

“You can do whatever strategy you want. But if you haven’t got a quick car? Good l♛uck.”

The W15 gave Hamilton a rare good feeling at the start of the weekend in Japan yet Mercedes are still no closer to significantly challenging the Red Bullౠs.

Hamilton ♛insisted he wouldn’t have fought gained anything with an alternate tyre strategy.

“Nothing, I don’t think,” he said. “I don’t know what the different st🐻rategy would have been.

“Whether it was൲ the mediums to start with? But we still had two terrible hard tyres to run thrജough. It was a real challenge.”

Red Bull’s Christian Horner insisted that tyꦏre strategy was not crucial in Japan.

“I don’t think there was much in it,” he said.

“The track was warmer today, that brought the cars into a differ♑ent operating window.

“The circuit just gets faster and faster throughout the ♎race.”