Are Mercedes having problems with strategy? "We don't have a 2nd set of the hards"

Although Mercedes will start on the front row in Bahrain, team principal Toto Wolff does not expect it to be that easy in the race. Wolff recognises that Red Bull Racing have good speed in the desert and that there may be a danger from the second-row with Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon.

“I would say that the entire top three have a chance to win tomorrow,” the Mercedes team principal explains to Sky Sports. "If we can stay at the front, then we can certainly take the race towards us".

Do Red Bull have a strategic advantage?

With Albon as an extra asset for Red Bull, the Austrian team can be more adventurous with their strategy. According to Wolff, Red Bull have an advantage because the Verstappen team have tyres that could be crucial to the win. "The best strategy for tomorrow is unfortunately from the mediums to the hard tyre and unfortunately we cannot do that."

Wolff explains Mercedes have already used the hardest tyre in the free practice sessions. “We don't have a second set of the hardest tyre”. It remains to be seen whether the one-stopper turns out to be the fastest strategy because due to the high tyre wear, many teams will also look at the option for two stops.

This article was written and originally published by Bram on the Dutch edition of GPblog.com.