The Japanese GP made the inevitable a reality as Mercedes‘s chief rivals wrapped up the contractor’s title in record speed. However, the events of the race made the outing on Suzuka worse for the Brackley outfit. The team saw constant battles between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell during the race. This scenario put the team, already at a disadvantage, further down the hole. In fact, the team’s both one and two-stop strategies did not pay off with Russell coming worse off. Even Ferrari man Charles Leclerc mocked this scenario which sparked outrage among fans stemming from frustration thanks to the team’s blunders.

The Ferrari man chased down Russell on his old hard tires and overtook him with a slightly risky but amazing move. Mercedes’s idea of making it a one-stopper for George was already failing miserably. However, the way Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz overtook Russell highlighted the massive blunder by Mercedes.

The team could not maximize their points total, which is extremely important for their position in the constructor’s table, using Sainz’s move from Singapore on him which kept them at bay in Marina Bay. In fact, the team-play attempt was an absolute fail and Leclerc highlighted the same in a post-race interview.

Leclerc admitted, “Hamilton was going fast and pushing hard. I expected the Mercedes to play as a team, so I knew I had little time and I had to risk a bit to pass Russell and in the end, it was a good overtaking.”

Leclerc saw through Mercedes’s strategy through his limited field of vision and through his visor. The race could’ve gone from bad to worse for the Silver Arrows if Sainz had a few more laps behind Hamilton.

Read More: “I Would Go for Charles”: Despite Disturbing “Issues” in His Head, Leclerc Picked as the Perfect Replacement for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

Safe to say, the Japanese GP was a brutal reality check for the entire Brackley-based team, including the fans.

Fans lash out at Lewis Hamilton and Co. for an abysmal outing in Japan

Despite getting on a new developmental curve and making mega promises to raise the hopes of the Mercedes faithful, the German team has failed to deliver. In Japan, the W14 was considerably slower than both McLaren and Ferrari. This aspect has made the fans furious, especially after Leclerc’s not-so-subtle dig at the team. The fans were ashamed of Mercedes’s poor tactics that Leclerc easily overcame.

Charles Leclerc who often gets the short straw in Ferrari’s strategic errors, is certainly the perfect person to comment on such mishaps.

On the contrary, Mercedes is known for their strategic brilliance. So, one wonders how they missed a mark in Japan.

Or perhaps they overcooked it. Stretching Russell for a one stopper in Suzuka (a track that is so demanding on tires) doesn’t make sense.

Yes, George asked for it himself which is great to see from a driver. Though as this fan pointed out, Mercedes is an 8-time champion team. They should know when to go by the driver’s instincts.

Hopefully this is a one-off for the betterment of the Silver Arrows & not a sign of things to come.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. From being celebrated every year as the standard in Formula 1 to being bashed by their own fans for not being able to execute simple race strategy.

Will Mercedes ever recover from this never-ending misery?

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