Toto Wolff Explains Mercedes Blunder That Cost Lewis Hamilton Austrian GP Win

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted that the team’s failure to react in time to the virtual safety car deployed in the opening stages of the race cost Lewis Hamilton a chance to win the Austrian Grand Prix despite the British driver later retiring from the race.

It was a disappointing day for Mercedes at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on Sunday as they suffered a double retirement after starting on the front row of the grid, while being touted as the overwhelming favorites to win the race. Red Bull benefited from their misfortune as Max Verstappen won their home race.

And it looked like it will be a cruise until Lap 15 when Mercedes’ race unraveled. It began with Valtteri Bottas suffering a gear box failure and pulling to the side of the track, which required a virtual safety car to be deployed in order for the marshals to clear the car.

The Red Bull Racing Team and Ferrari decided to pit both their drivers, who were in second and fourth and third and fifth respectively, while Mercedes chose to keep Hamilton out and in the lead. But due to the reduced time, it meant that Verstappen, who was in second place, came out just 13 seconds behind the British driver, who was yet to make his first stop.

Merdeces’ mistake meant Hamilton came out in fourth position after his first stop, which clearly annoyed him. The Silver Arrows team manager James Vowles immediately came on the radio to acknowledge his mistake and it took a tremendous effort from the British driver not to lose his cool.

The four-time F1 Drivers’ world champion’s afternoon would go from bad to worse after he suffered a fuel pressure failure and retired from the race allowing Verstappen to take the win at the Red Bull Ring ahead of Ferrari’s of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel.

"We made a mistake," Mercedes boss Wolff told reporters after the race in Austria, as quoted on Sky Sports. "What I think happened is that we were running one and two and controlling the race and then suddenly you see your second car, Valtteri, stopping with a hydraulic leak.”

"The VSC came out, we had half a lap to react, and we didn't. Fact. This is where we lost the race,” he added while admitting that they were too caught up in the moment and failed to react. "At that stage of the race with the VSC, pitting is probably the 80 per cent thing you need to do. But with one car out there against two others, the thinking process was: What would happen if the others would split the cars? If we pit Lewis, we would come out behind Kimi if they leave Kimi out, and behind Max. What would that mean for the race?"

"That whole thinking loop, I wouldn't say distracted us, but we spent too much time on that,” Wolff said.

Mercedes double retirement in Austria saw Hamilton lose his lead in the Drivers’ championship with Vettel now ahead by one point, courtesy of his third place finish. The Silver Arrows team also lost their lead in the Constructors’ race with Ferrari now 10 points ahead.

The teams will now head to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix on July 8, the third race in the sport’s first triple-header. The Mercedes will be favorite yet again, and they will be keen to wipe out the memory of Austria as quickly as possible.