Hamilton: Mercedes were bold and risky in Hungary

Lewis Hamilton has once again admitted that he wasn’t sure whether Mercedes’ strategy for the Hungarian Grand Prix would work, but has praised the “bold and risky” tactics which ultimately saw him claim victory.

With around 20 laps remaining, Mercedes made the decision to call Hamilton in for a fresh set of medium tyres in an attempt to close the gap on Max Verstappen in first. When the Brit came out of the pit he was around 19 seconds adrift, but with Verstappen’s tyres disintegrating, he gradually bridged the gap before overtaking with a few laps remaining for the win.

Shortly after the pit, Hamilton said over team radio that he wasn’t sure it was the correct decision - something he has obviously now confessed he was wrong about.

"It felt like the steepest wall to climb when you come out that far behind," said Hamilton.

"We talked about strategy this morning and they said that a two-stopper was not going to happen. I was like, 'Jeez, I don't know how this is going to work out'.

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"The team are very calm when they talk about strategy, but for sure they were nervous as hell that it wasn't going to work.

"It felt like a big gamble for us. It was a bold, risky strategy call from them. From me, it was just about doing the job. I just had to do the laps. Collectively, it was exceptional by the team."

It was the five-time world champion’s eighth victory of the 2019 Formula 1 season, and with team-mate Valtteri Bottas only finishing in eighth, he extended his lead in the drivers’ championship to 62 points heading into the summer break.

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