Sam Hall & Ewan Gale
Tuesday 29 March 2022 17:15
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explained the “confusion” of Daniel Ricciardo and Fernando Alonso’s failures that led to Lewis Hamilton facing “game over” at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion was knocked out in Q1 during qualifying but made amends through strategy early on at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, using a safety car period to continue on his hard tires and make his way into the top 10.
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It looked like a late switch to mediums would consolidate much-welcomed points given the struggles experienced in the W13 over the weekend, before Hamilton was unable to make his stop when the pit lane closed as the McLaren and Alpine both stopped at pit entry.
With Haas electing to pit Kevin Magnussen before the pits closed, the Dane moved ahead of Hamilton on track.
Hamilton finished only 10th to score a solitary point but Wolff found positivity amongst the hurt.
“I think on an encouraging side is that his stint on the hard was positive. I wouldn’t say that it was fast but it was positive,” Wolff explained.
“And then obviously, Alonso slowed down during the lap, Ricciardo broke down in the [pit] entry and we told him to come in but there was a double yellow with a car that was slowing down and one that was stationary.
“So that was just an overall confusing situation and he drove past and with slowing down because of the confusion that made us come out behind Magnussen and obviously, then it is game over.”
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