Toto Wolff admitted team orders were possible if the Spa-Francorchamps race was longer (Image: Icon Sport via Getty Images)
George Russell crossed the line first at the Belgian Grand Prix but was later disqualified, with Toto Wolff admitting Mercedes would have considered team orders had the race gone on for one more lap
Toto Wolff has conceded that, during the nail-biting finale at the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes pondered over implementing team orders if the race had stretched out for an additional lap.
George Russell finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton thanks to a strategic pivot to a one-stop strategy mid-race. Russell’s decision seemed prudent as tyre wear was surprisingly low, and he successfully warded off Hamilton’s challenge in the dying moments on worn rubber.
Nonetheless, it was Hamilton who triumphantly claimed the win due to a bizarre twist – Russell faced disqualification when post-race checks by the FIA revealed his car falling short of the weight limit by 1.5 kg, attributed to excessive tyre wear.
Amidst the on-track drama, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was closing in fast, his fresh tyres making him a burgeoning threat in the final laps. Mercedes chief Wolff, discussing the situation post-race, disclosed: “Probably if we had one more lap, [team orders] could have been a consideration because it would have protected P1, and George would have finished P3. But I’m happy that we didn’t have to make this call.”
Hamilton was left fuming on Sunday, expressing his frustration at Mercedes’ two-stop strategy which he believes cost him a potential podium finish. Having witnessed teammate George Russell’s success with a one-stop strategy, Hamilton made his feelings known to the team, arguing: “I was fully in control. I had plenty of pace and tyres, and it just didn’t end up as it planned. I think if you listen, you could have heard what I said to the team most of the time. But yeah, I think the tyres were pretty good. I still had plenty of tyres and I was going quicker. I didn’t want to stop.”
However, Mercedes boss Wolff defended the team’s decision, arguing it was the correct one given the information they had at the time.
He explained: “As a driver, you don’t have the full picture because he said his tyres are good. But at that stage, nobody had a one-stop on the radar. We had to cover the cars behind, I think it was Piastri and Leclerc. And you can see that everybody else went on the two-stop logically.”
Wolff insisted Mercedes had no choice but to cover the threat from behind, adding: “It just wasn’t on the radar. So, what we did with Lewis was absolutely the right thing to do. But in the end, George made them survive. It couldn’t have been anticipated because if it would have been, any of the other top teams would have done it.”
