The Mercedes Formula One team has offered further details of the miscalculation that cost Lewis Hamilton victory at the Australian Grand Prix.
Hamilton appeared to be cruising towards an easy win in the opening stages of Sunday's race but was leapfrogged by Sebastian Vettel when the Ferrari driver made his pit stop under Virtual Safety Car (VSC) conditions. Hamilton had stopped several laps earlier under full race conditions and Vettel benefited from making his tyre change while the rest of the cars were running at a reduced speed under the VSC.
Mercedes was aware of the danger Vettel could pose under a VSC period, but according to its calculations Hamilton would be safe if he kept within 15 seconds of the Ferrari.