Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has lauded Lewis Hamilton's race-winning decision to stop for wet tyres in Sunday's dramatic British Grand Prix.
Hamilton claimed his second victory at Silverstone in as many years after he recovered from a poor start - and the inclement weather - to extend his championship lead over Nico Rosberg, who finished second, to 17 points.
The 30-year-old jumped both Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas in the first round of pit-stops before taking the bold decision to stop for intermediate tyres as the rain intensified in Northamptonshire.
It proved to be an inspired decision by Hamilton, and comes just three races after he threw away victory in Monaco when he inexplicably pitted in the closing stages.
"We cock up together and we win together and the exchanges on the radio about what was happening and the strategy were spot on today," Wolff said.
"Around the rain hitting us, it was so calm on the radio about the options but then it was his call. He made the pit call at the right time, using the right information.
"In Monaco we had a problem in our system which made us decide what we shouldn't. Here it was concentrated, calm and focused on the priorities and that was part of getting it all right.
"If you are a double world champion and win so many races, you are a complete racing driver.
"You can't put him in a box and say he has only God-given talent, he has to have a view of the whole picture and that was clear here."
Hamilton spent the opening phase, in what was the best race of the season, in third behind Massa and Bottas.
He was unable to make an impression on the Williams pair on track, and was the first of the leading quartet to blink, stopping on lap 18.
His car was stationary for only 2.4secs and it enabled him to move into the lead.
Moments earlier, Mercedes had thrown a dummy pitstop in a bid to outfox and unsettle Williams.
Wolff revealed his wife Susie, the Williams reserve driver who celebrated wildly as Massa and Bottas leapfrogged pole-sitter Hamilton and Rosberg off the start-line, sent him a message during the race.
"We know Williams has difficulty keeping the tyres to last and we knew that taking an early pitstop might trigger them into a pitstop that would cause them problems, " Wolff explained.
"It was a bit of a game that didn't work. My wife sent me a text that said, 'You guys think you can fool us, ha, ha, ha.' At least it was a bit of entertainment."
The Mercedes chief, however, proved to have the last laugh in a race filled with incident.
It was in stark contrast to the tepid, processional races we have seen so far this season.
"The Williams up front was great for the sport," Wolff said. "From then on I was so happy because Silverstone is our home grand prix, it is Lewis' home grand prix, there were great crowds and it was a relief from the talking-down of the sport we have had.
"We need to take each other by the ears and ask how we can make it better so that we can convince the critics that this is a great sport."
Source: PA
