Mercedes have admitted the potential of a pink flag wasn’t a part of their pondering after they determined to pit George Russell from the lead on the F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Russell and Lando Norris determined to cease for brand new intermediates simply because the Digital Security Automotive interval for Nico Hulkenberg’s stricken Haas was ending.
This dropped them behind Esteban Ocon, Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly.
With the rain coming down closely, the Security Automotive was deployed earlier than that was modified to a pink flag when Franco Colapinto crashed.
The pink flag permits drivers to vary their tyres with out making a pit cease, giving the aforementioned trio monitor place over Russell and Norris.
Russell had wished to remain out – however was overruled by Mercedes.
Explaining that technique name, trackside engineering chief Andrew Shovlin stated: “I believe with hindsight, you’ll handle most races in another way.
“However definitely, on this case, we might have performed. One of many key issues is as soon as they introduced that the VSC was ending, we had a really, very quick window, solely a second or two, the place we might have gotten George to remain out on monitor.
“The explanation you’ll have performed that’s by that time, you’ll undergo a full pit loss anyway.
“You could as nicely keep out and simply gamble on the truth that it was fairly doubtless somebody would have a crash, as occurred, and that they’re pressured to pink flag it.”
Shovlin believes pitting Russell made sense as a result of Norris, who was simply behind him within the battle for the lead, was additionally coming in.
“Previous to that, stopping to us made sense, as a result of on condition that Lando was coming in, George was in a position to try this,” he added.
“He would have nonetheless been forward of all these automobiles that stayed out. However you get the good thing about contemporary rubber in case they don’t name it as a pink flag.
“Usually, we strive to not assume that there’s going to be a pink flag, as a result of generally you get it proper, generally you get it unsuitable.
“If there’s a security automobile and also you resolve to remain out, assuming a pink flag, if you don’t get it, you might be in bother.
“However clearly, the automobiles that did keep out, that gamble labored for them, they usually ended up in prime place.”
