[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

It was totally immaterial whether the race finished under that safety car as far as Mercedes and Hamilton were concerned. If they had stopped, whether that would have been before or after Verstappen pitted, Hamilton would have lost track position and would therefore have lost the race - it wasn't an option for the team.

Verstappen, and Red Bull, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. They would have still been behind Hamilton, but they would have the advantage of having fresh rubber and would therefore have an advantage over the Mercedes.

So, Hamilton couldn't pit without losing the race, while Verstappen could win the race by pitting. All made far, far easier by Masi letting the cars between the two of them get out of the way by unlapping themselves, but at the same time not letting the other lapped cars do the same because that would have resulted in the race finishing behind the safety car.

In effect he gave a massive advantage to Verstappen, and I believe that Mercedes and Hamilton have every right to feel aggrieved. Which seems to have been echoed along the pit garages, apart from the Red Bull's one of course. And Hamilton's actions immediately after the race are to be commended, going straight up to Verstappen to congratulate him - I think that if it had been me, I might well have just disappeared into the back of the garage and not even bothered to go up to the podium ceremony, regardless of whatever the consequences may have been.

This.

How anyone can try to spin it any other way is pretty unbelievable, but there are those that try, whether trying to be trolls or not