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Tyre strategy was the key to
Lewis Hamilton’s victory at the British Grand Prix, when the Mercedes driver
stopped earlier than his rivals at Williams to overhaul them and lead the
race. Mercedes made exactly the right strategy call twice: bringing Hamilton
in for his second stop (for intermediates) just as proper rain hit the end
of the grand prix.
Hamilton qualified on pole but lost the lead following an electrifying start
from Williams drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. However, he stopped
one lap before the race leader and some rapid pit work from the Mercedes
mechanics helped Hamilton take the lead after the stops were completed.
The rain at the end of the race added an extra variable to the action, with
both Manors and the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen being first to switch to the
Cinturato Green intermediate. However, these stops were slightly too early,
leading to increased wear at the end of the race that necessitated a further
stop close to the chequered flag.
As the rain fell harder with nine laps to go, Hamilton pitted from the lead
for the intermediates, followed by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. The rain then
obliged the entire field to switch to intermediate tyres, with Vettel’s
early stop helping him seal a podium by jumping both Williams drivers, who
ran in first and second for the first 20 laps.
Once the final pit stops were complete, Hamilton regained the lead to
eventually win the race by more than 10 seconds from his team mate Nico
Rosberg. By finishing 10th after three pit stops, Fernando Alonso claimed
with McLaren his first point of the season.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “That was certainly one of
the most exciting races of the year, during which the timing of the pit
stops was absolutely crucial – not just once, but twice, when the rain began
to fall properly right at the end. Strategy was key to the race, with big
gains and losses at stake depending on which tyres were chosen and when.
Once more the crowd at the British Grand Prix was absolutely fantastic this
year: the scenes of celebration at the end were of the sort that you rarely
experience anywhere else in the world."
Truth-O-Meter
The rain as well as two safety car periods (one at the beginning of the race
followed by a virtual safety car at the end) had a profound effect on race
strategy. We predicted a one-stopper as the most likely strategy, changing
from medium to hard on lap 23. Hamilton stopped on lap 19, then made his
second perfectly-timed stop (for intermediates) on lap 43. |
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