Toto Wolff highlights “the right decision”

After having had the opportunity offered by Mercedes to play his card against the Ferrari in Hungary, Lewis Hamilton had returned his place to Valtteri Bottas in the last corner of the Grand Prix last Sunday. A class gesture from the three-time world champion, driven from the German stand.

«  We discussed the gaps and the ideal place for this exchange, comments Toto wolff, boss of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. The idea was the last corner on the last lap, as this would limit overtaking possibilities coming from behind... It was a very difficult choice for the team and of course very difficult for Lewis. »

A decision which also respects the values ​​set by Mercedes management to offer the best chances to its drivers, Hamilton and Bottas still remaining in the running for the world title against Sebastian Vettel.

« The truth is that if we miss the championship by three points, everyone will point the finger at Budapest, explains Wolff. However, in the long term, our principles and values ​​will allow us to win more championships, that's what I believe.

Yes, it was a difficult choice to make, and probably the hardest one we've had to make in the last five years, but it was the right decision with regard to our values. We want to do everything right. And this is sometimes very complicated. »

Mercedes evolved blindly for a while

If the communication for this final sequence of the race went well, it was different in the Mercedes clan during part of the Hungaroring event. The pit wall temporarily lost all contact with its environment after a fiber optic cable problem.

“Our system has broken down, Wolff says. We had no communication on our central console, in the garage and on the wall: no data, no TV images, nothing. We managed to get it back from time to time. »

Find the full report and analysis of the Hungarian Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondent in Budapest, in issue 2125 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version, and on newsstands this tomorrow.