Wolff: Mercedes hopes dashed with Hamilton Miami strategy

Toto Wolff has explained how Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton's Formula 1 strategy hopes were dashed in the Miami Grand Prix.

Hamilton was a lowly 13th on the grid with George Russell up in sixth, with the two cars deploying different tyre strategies as Hamilton took the Hards and Russell the Mediums.

Ultimately, Hamilton recovered to sixth, including a stunning late pass on Charles Leclerc at Turn 11, but Wolff has revealed how their gamble did not pay off as hoped.

Wolff on Hamilton's strategy

"From P13, it's pretty difficult if you start on the same strategy than everybody else to pass and therefore [we took] the Hard [with Lewis]," he explained to Sky Sports F1.

"Then we saw others had thought the same and it was difficult considering the strategy hope that nobody would start on the Hards, so it was a bit diminished, but then at the end, he drove a superb race and got them in the end.

"Two years ago, a fourth and sixth, I don't think we would have been delighted as we are today, but we just have a difficult car, and qualifying was difficult but fourth and six was solid as the car was good today."

Hamilton also waved Russell by as their two strategies played out, with Wolff praising Hamilton's playing of the team "in such a difficult moment" for Mercedes.