Mercedes “didn’t learn”, told “I don’t understand” F1 strategy calls

Mercedes have been told “I don’t understand” their attempted strategy at the F1 British Grand Prix.

George Russell experienced a home race at Silverstone to forget, beginning fourth but sinking to 10th.

Mercedes’ bold and risky strategy was designed to upset the odds and cause a headline-grabbing result but it backfired.

Russell was one of five drivers to pit after the formation lap for slick tyres. He moved back to a hard tyre as the track dried.

Struggling to heat his tyres, Russell spun into the gravel and was forced to settle for a disappointing P10.

Toto Wolff conceded their first decision was “terribly wrong”.

'I don't understand' Mercedes F1 British GP strategy

Jenson Button told Sky Sports: “They did jump to the slicks quite early. But you don’t jump to slicks quite early and put a hard tyre on…

“You are taking a risk moving to slicks early, anyway. So I don’t know why you’d put the hard tyre on.

“Obviously they are worried about the medium and the soft graining. But either they grain a bit and you lose a tiny bit of time, or you go spinning many times.

“So I don’t understand that.”

Naomi Schiff added: “They also took that risk twice. They didn’t learn from the first mistake, going early at the beginning.

“Take your hat off to George. He had a fantastic weekend. Despite all the odds, he made the lap to put himself in a great position.

“Then despite everything [in the race] with the decisions they made about when to pit him, and what tyres to put him on, he still drove an incredible race to come back several times.”

Button claimed about Russell: “As a driver I don’t think he would have chosen to put the hard tyres on.”

For Russell, the entire British Grand Prix played out amid rumours over his future.

His Mercedes contract expires this season and, ominously, has hasn’t yet signed a new one.

Max Verstappen’s supposed interest in leaving Red Bull is cited as the reason why Mercedes might not have yet committed to Russell.

Christian Horner’s exit as Red Bull boss adds more complexity to Verstappen’s future, which will impact what Russell does not.