A debate - involving Christian Horner - 💛has pro💦ven how difficult it was for Mercedes to select the optimum strategy in the F1 Japanese Grand Prix.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton’s P9 and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell’s P7 - b𒅌ehind both Ferraris and both Red Bulls among others - suggests that Mercedes got their decဣision wrong in Suzuka.

After a first-lap red flag, they restarted by switch🌼ing to𝄹 hard compounds.

Hamilton called to “change the strategy” on his team radio after battling to 💟find any pace.

• 2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix - Race Results from Round 4
• Mercedes justify F1 Japanese GP strategy after Lewis Hamilton radio query

Mercedes changed their drivers onto new hard tyres, then finished on mediums, but faced scrutiny fo♒r their decision-making.

Hamilton afterwards defend꧑ed his team’s strategy but insisted that he preferreಞd the medium tyre.

“A topsy-turvy weekend,” Sky Sports’ Bernie Collins a🐻ssessed. “They will be disappointed 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, like🤪ly onﷺ the same fuel load.

“That neverꩲ feels great from a driver’s point of view because he was ahead at the rꦏed flag.

“Then he says the ‘medium at the end felt the best’.ꦗ Of course it does! It’s the lightest the car has been, the best the track has been…

“Aꩵll 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 necessa✅rily. That is a bit subjective.

♕“If he had a medium at the star🌱t that he could compare with? Then maybe. But we don’t have that.”

Christian Horner's verdict on Mercedes' strategy call

But Damon Hill had ♕a different view about Mercedes’ str𓆏ategy.

Both Red Bull a💧nd Ferrari opted for a different tyre strategy to Mercedes.

“I disagree with Bernie,” Hill said. “ꦆAs a driver, I would have liked both mediums, please!”

Red Bull team principa♒l Horner then weighed into the debate with🌜 his verdict.

“I was speaking with Checo,” Horner said. “He was saying with hindsi🌞ght 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 today, thatꦐ brought the cars into a different operating window.

“The cir🌼cuit just gets faster and faster throughout the race.”

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

Verstappen told Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz (who completed the podium) that Red Bull preferred a two-st𓄧op strategy after the restart.