Toto Wolff shared that Mercedes utilized data to anticipate their drivers finishing in the first and second positions during the Singapore Grand Prix after executing their second pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car.
Both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, positioned in second and fourth, opted for a late second pit stop as they struggled to overtake competitors on the track.
With fresh medium tires, Russell and Hamilton swiftly passed Charles Leclerc and closed in on Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris.
Carlos Sainz’s strategic driving tactics thwarted Mercedes’ attempts to pass Norris, resulting in the Mercedes pair securing third and fourth positions as they approached the last lap. Hamilton ultimately claimed the third spot after Russell’s crash on the final lap.
“Super that Lewis is on the podium. He had a brilliant race and had pace at the end. Just a shame for George because he worked hard for that,” said the Mercedes team principal.
“It could have been a good third and fourth, lots of points, but now we lost 22 [points] against Ferrari.”
“It was so difficult to win the race if we were just static,” he added. “So we said let’s go for it and we just went for it and in the end it’s a podium for Lewis and that’s great.
“I don’t think we would have been able to win [by staying out] that’s why we took the risk. We knew worst case it was third and fifth, best case the win.
“When we came out with several laps, it [the data] showed first and second.”
