Windsor does not understand Mercedes strategy: 'They saw what Max did'

Max Verstappen winning his home race at the Zandvoort circuit was the highlight, but another remarkable moment of the Dutch Grand Prix was Lewis Hamilton losing the lead in the race after the safety car. F1 expert Peter Windsor understands the anger of his fellow countryman and blames Mercedes.

Windsor does not understand Mercedes tactics

Windsor does not understand what Mercedes' tactics were. The team led by Toto Wolff seemed to have a good chance for their first victory of the season at Zandvoort with the one-stop strategy the Mercedes men had in mind. The virtual safety car and subsequent safety car threw the strategy overboard and Mercedes had to act tactically to keep an onrushing Verstappen behind them.

The F1 expert understands little of the team's decision during the final safety car. There were only twelve laps to go and Verstappen was leading the race, so the team could see what the Dutchman would do for his final stint. Verstappen took the red soft tyre and George Russell did the same (partly on his own initiative). Hamilton was left out on the medium tyre, giving him track position but no speed to match Verstappen's Red Bull.

Anger from Hamilton understandable'

Windsor says in his afterthought at YouTube: "Suddenly the dynamics of the race had changed completely. Hamilton was the big threat. Now it was like the situation in Abu Dhabi and like the situation of Charles Leclerc in the British GP, Hamilton was left out to dry. You can imagine how annoyed he was." According to Windsor, the team held the cards to take victory in the Netherlands. Mercedes should have tried to put Hamilton on the red line as well, according to the Briton.

"He went ballistic," Windsor continues, "I don't blame him. It's not the first time it's happened to him. He had a good opportunity to take it Max. It wasn't wrong to let George stop, but it was wrong not to let Lewis stop for the soft tyre. I don't understand why they didn't, because they saw Verstappen had gone to the softs." Windsor thinks Mercedes should not have stuck to the preconceived plan and should have reacted better at the time: "What was the point of keeping your two cars on the track on those old mediums?"