Toto Wolff: Mercedes' conservatism cost Lewis Hamilton podium finish in Hungary

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has acknowledged that the team was "too conservative" in managing their tyres during the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, resulting in pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth.

The team's cautious approach proved detrimental as they lost crucial time compared to second-placed Lando Norris following the initial pit stop.

Hamilton attempted an undercut during the second stint by pitting earlier than his McLaren rival, but the move backfired, costing him an additional six seconds by the time Norris made his pit stop a lap later.

Nevertheless, the W14 demonstrated superior pace towards the end of each stint, allowing Hamilton to mount a late challenge against Red Bull's Sergio Perez for third place.

Reflecting on the strategy, Wolff said, "We were too careful in bringing the tyres in after the stops. We lost a lot of time - it paid off towards the end of the stint because we were miles quicker than everybody else, but it is always a balance."

Finding the right balance between tire conservation and performance is a challenging task, as Wolff explained, "The balance was a little bit too much on bringing them in [slowly]. To strike that balance right is really difficult because you can see if you hammer them like Lando did, Oscar [Piastri, Norris' McLaren teammate] did, and also Checo did, then at the end you just fall off massively.

"So bringing them in when you can is definitely advantageous, but probably we were too conservative - we lost too much time."

Despite missing the podium, Mercedes extended their lead in the race for second place in the Constructors' standings, with both their cars finishing above both Ferraris and Aston Martins. George Russell's impressive charge from 18th to sixth on the grid further highlighted Mercedes' strong performance potential.

"We were the second-quickest car but the result doesn't show it. In theory, we had the second-quickest car, but we didn't capitalize on it, and that is disappointing, and we have got to find out how we can do better," Wolff emphasized.

As the Formula 1 calendar progresses, Mercedes aim to learn from their mistakes and improve their performance. The upcoming Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, 30 July, promises to be an intriguing event as the team seeks redemption and an opportunity to showcase their true potential.