Lewis Hamilton didn’t ask Mercedes for either type of wet weather tyre at the pit stop which he described as the “turning point” in his race.

Hamilton, who led the early stages of the race but crashed after switching to slicks tyres as more rain fell, said his race started to go wrong “when they put slicks on when it was still wet”

However Mercedes trackside operations director Andrew Shovlin pointed out the team had only been discussing which type of slick tyre to fit, and not whether to take intermediates or full wets.

“The conversation we were having with him was actually about the medium,” said Shovlin. “We thought it was going to get drier, that’s what we were reading into the weather forecast and the medium was the only tyre we were comfortable taking to the end.

“Lewis was actually saying that tyre is too hard, and that was why we put him on the soft tyre. We know now that we should’ve been having the conversation about going to the intermediate tyre but at the time what we were discussing with Lewis was just medium or soft.”

Shovlin admitted Mercedes’ later decision not to pit Hamilton when Nico Hulkenberg crashed was a mistake.

Mercedes left Hamilton out because he had a five-second time penalty which they did not want to serve under a Safety Car. “We did talk about serving the penalty under the Safety Car, but we were concerned we’d drop behind some midfield cars, we weren’t sure how quickly we would clear them,” said Shovlin.

“But with hindsight it would’ve been better to do that. That would’ve been better than what we did.

“However, the really clever decision would’ve been to do something very similar to Stroll. We would’ve come in before the Safety Car had finished, serve the penalty, fitted the soft tyres, but we would’ve been one of the first cars on soft tyres and that would’ve actually given us the best result overall.”

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Hamilton’s radio messages from his pit stop

To Hamilton: OK Lewis so box, box. Hamilton: These tyres are worn anyway. To Hamilton: Copy. Verstappen dry, as is Valtteri. Hamilton: Which tyre? To Hamilton: So medium for both cars, Bottas and Verstappen. Hamilton: It doesn’t sound like the right tyre. To Hamilton: It’s the tyre that will get us to the end. Menu wet position one. To Hamilton: Stay out, stay out, stay out. Sector three very slippery. Hamilton: Sector three? It’s still wet. To Hamilton: VSC, VSC, keep the delta positive. So box, box, we are going to go to the soft tyre. Cars are faster on dry tyres. Hamilton: Yeah I don’t think it’s a medium, man. Way too ahrd a tyre. To Hamilton: We are going to go to the soft. Hamilton: And make sure you’re positive on the delta. To Hamilton: Hamilton approaches the Motodrom,

So still box, box. To Hamilton: Keep delta positive. To Hamilton: Box is slippy. To Hamilton: Hamilton leaves the pits.

So the VSC has ended. To Hamilton: So you’ve got Grosjean, Magnussen on exit. To Hamilton: Leclerc has gone off, yellow turn 16, 17. To Hamilton: Leclerc was on soft so slippy sector three. To Hamilton: Safety Car, Safety Car, keep the delta positive. Hamilton: It’s still slippery as hell, man. Hamilton: Hamilton approaches turn

This tyre feels risky. To Hamilton: OK copy. Hamilton: Hamilton goes off at turn 16 and hits the barrier.Box, box, I lost the fricking wing. To Hamilton: Yep. Inter? You want inter? Hamilton: Yes, man.

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2019 F1 season