What if Hamilton was on a 2 stop strategy, would he clinched the 1st place from Massa?

Question

What a nice slipstream overtake by Hamilton!

Answer 1

Hamilton was too hard on his tyres, also worried about last years punctre. 3 stop was obvious.

Answer 2

It's possible, he believes his race was compromised by the need to do three stops.

Massa and Raikkonen have admitted to making the wrong tire choice although it was never that clear cut before the race.

A three stopper was not the best strategy for Turkey so even though he wouldn't have been able to go as quick he might have  had an even better if less exciting race.

I think he'd still have beaten Raikkonen, and by a bigger margin, Kimi lost a lot of time at the first part of the race.

But Massa, no, he'd still have got it, but I think it would have been even tighter.

So even though Ferrari are stronger at the moment McLaren did a better job with their tire choice and Hamilton drove a very good race.

Answer 3

The two McLarens would have qualified behind the Ferrari one-two, possibly even behind Kubica. they wouldn't have been able to keep up with the Ferraris in the first stint, or, even if they could with their prime tyres, as soon as they went on their softs, they would have faded.

In the post-race interview Felipe alluded to the fact that the Ferrari drivers thought the team had made a mistake with their tyre choice. So it was a bad weekend for Ferrari - wrong tyre choice strategy - but they still came away with 1st and 3rd. Had the McLarens been on a 2 stopper, it would have been another 1-2 for the Scuderia.

Answer 4

i doubt it

Answer 5

That was strange strategy for me. He could have stayed 4 seconds more during his second stop and he would have won.

Answer 6

I agree with Rosbif...

The three stopper seemed to be a desperate attempt. A heavier McLaren would have fared badly, maybe even attacked by the BMWs

Answer 7

No, I can't see it.  The Ferrari's were still slightly faster, especially on the soft tires, so that would have evened out the time from 3 stopping.  At least McLaren is getting closer in lap times so they can hopefully still make a season out of this... please!

Answer 8

No because he would have been out too long on the soft tyres and ruined them

Answer 9

NOOOOOO. Ferrari is f***ing wonderfully unbeatable

Answer 10

Maybe but massa might have pushed harder if he was and he would be very slow with so much fuel in. It was a great move but i like massa better.

Answer 11

No, on a two-stop strategy he would have finished behind Raikkonen as well. The only way he could go that quickly was to have a light fuel load and to hope that his stops went quickly.

Answer 12

although i hate to say it yes he would have because he was the faster and more determined he was pushin extremly hard then he had to concentrate on kimi and not makin a mistake but i think mclaren made the pitstop mistake and should have changed strategies

Answer 13

no i dnt think he wud hav come 2nd. it was th 3 stop tht helped him and gave him th opportunity to push the car in his 2nd stint

Answer 14

He would have crossed the line with Felipe and that woud have been a photo finish! Lewis did very well to hold the "Flying Finn" off, and that was his test of nerves which will see him well for the rest of the season.  It brought out the best in him today.  Well done Lewis!