Allison explains Hamilton-Vettel undercut

James Allison has explained Mercedes' decision to pit Lewis Hamilton before Sebastian Vettel in order to achieve the undercut at last weekends Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Brit went on to win the race after Charles Leclerc’s engine short-circuited leaving him to finish third as Valtteri Bottas also past him. The Mercedes team brought Hamilton into the pits before Vettel as they attempted the undercut and put fresh tyres on ahead of the German.

The technology chief Allison explained how the tyres work differently in Bahrain compared to regular tracks saying: “Normally, the tires slow down over the course of a stint because they continuously degrade.

“That means, who turns to the pits sooner than his direct opponents, is then for one or two laps much faster than the competition on the way,” added Allison.