Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, has conceded that his team had a car capable of beating Max Verstappen in the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, but lost the race due to suboptimal strategy and slow pitstops. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, pushed Verstappen hard in the final laps of the race at the Circuit of the Americas, but could not find a way past the Red Bull driver, who secured his 50th career victory.
Wolff said that Mercedes had made a significant improvement with their latest floor upgrade, which gave Hamilton more confidence and downforce in the fast corners. He also praised Hamilton’s performance, saying he was “in a league of his own” and “extracted every bit of performance” from the car.
However, Wolff also acknowledged that Mercedes had made some mistakes that cost them time and track position. He said that they had tried to extend Hamilton’s first stint on medium tyres to switch to a one-stop strategy, but lost too much time to Verstappen, who had pitted earlier. He also said that their pitstops were not fast enough, especially the second one, which took 3.9 seconds and allowed Verstappen to stay ahead.
Verstappen: Mercedes could have won with better strategy
Verstappen, who extended his lead over Hamilton in the drivers’ championship to 12 points, said that he was surprised by Mercedes’ strategy and thought they could have won if they had pitted Hamilton earlier or later. He said that he expected Hamilton to undercut him on the first stop or overcut him on the second stop, but neither happened.
Verstappen said that he was confident in his pace and tyre management, and was able to fend off Hamilton’s attacks in the closing stages. He said that he enjoyed the battle with Hamilton and was happy to win at a track where Mercedes had been dominant in the past.
Hamilton: We gave it everything we had
Hamilton, who missed out on his 100th career win by 2.2 seconds, said that he was proud of his team and himself for giving it everything they had. He said that he had a great start and a good first stint, but struggled with tyre degradation and traffic in the second stint. He said that he tried to close the gap to Verstappen in the final stint, but could not get close enough to make a move.
Hamilton said that he was not disappointed with the result, as he had expected Red Bull to be stronger at this track. He said that he was optimistic for the remaining five races of the season, as he believed Mercedes had made a step forward with their upgrade. He also said that he was looking forward to more battles with Verstappen, who he called a “fantastic driver”.
