Mercedes: Williams F1 team was wrong-footed in British GP strategy
Mercedes believes the Williams Formula 1 team "probably got caught on the wrong foot" strategically in the battle for victory in the British Grand Prix on Sunday

Williams held a surprise one-two with Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas in the first stint at Silverstone, but it was unable to fend off eventual winner Lewis Hamilton around the pitstops to hold onto the lead.
The team also stuck to its guns and allowed its drivers to race each other, rather than considering letting Bottas past when he appeared to be getting held up by Massa.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said he sympathised with the Williams dilemma and recalled what it was like when the current world champion team was unfamiliar with competing for victories.
"Sometimes I had a bit of deja vu like us in 2013 when you find yourself in P1 and P2 and you're surprised," said Wolff.
"You don't want to risk the team result because it's so amazing.
"It's so easy to say what someone should have done, but I'm not in there and I think they probably got caught on the wrong foot."
Bottas claimed after the race that he felt he could have built a gap if he was in front of Massa, which Wolff agreed with.
The Mercedes chief also explained his team's attempt to trick Williams into making an early pitstop by sending mechanics out into the pitlane with no intention of bringing Hamilton or Nico Rosberg in.
"Probably Valtteri could have built a gap if they let him go," said Wolff.
"It was a bit of a game [in the pits] - we know Williams have more difficulty in making the tyres last.
"We knew that triggering an early stop would make them think we were able to [make the tyres last] and could have caused them problems at the end.
"But they knew they needed more time. For them it was too early, too marginal.
"It would have been too difficult on the prime tyre to finish the race [with an earlier stop]."

Previous article
Lotus F1 team dealing with creditors after facing winding-up order
Next article
Formula 1 legend Adrian Newey designing road car with Aston Martin

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Teams | Williams , Mercedes |
Author | Ben Anderson |
Mercedes: Williams F1 team was wrong-footed in British GP strategy
Trending
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
The themes to watch in F1’s Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone