Mercedes have admitted that their massive tactical error in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix was because none of their complex computerised race simulations had other cars in them.

‘Unfortunately, other cars on track was an in-app purchase and Toto said he wasn’t forking out for it,’ admitted a team insider. ‘So when the virtual and then actual safety cars came out, we told Lewis it was fine to make a completely inexplicable and unnecessary pit stop because there was no one else in the race.’

‘It’s just a bloody good job Lewis didn’t listen to our other suggestion,’ our insider admitted. ‘Which was telling him he had plenty of time during the stop to get out, stretch his legs and maybe go to the cinema.’

However, while Mercedes sources admit that their race simulation failed on account of not expecting any other cars on the track, they insist their computer models were absolutely accurate in predicting how much of a prick Nico Rosberg would be about everything afterwards.

Additional reporting: pauljm