Martin Brundle has sided with George Russell and Toto Wolff in believing Lewis Hamilton would have won the Barcelona Grand Prix regardless of the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) intervention. The Sky Sports pundit also criticised the "mess" created by Formula 1 stewards following a controversial decision that overshadowed the weekend.
Hamilton's Victory in Barcelona
Hamilton delivered a masterclass in Barcelona, overcoming a lacklustre first stint on soft tyres to execute a perfect three-stop strategy. Despite trailing leader George Russell for much of the race, Hamilton's pace was unmatched. When Russell lost time battling teammate Kimi Antonelli, Hamilton seized the opportunity. The Virtual Safety Car was deployed after Fernando Alonso pulled over, allowing Hamilton to pit for fresh tyres and emerge ahead of both Mercedes drivers. He then cruised to his first win in Ferrari colours.
Russell and Wolff Back Hamilton
Speaking after the race, Russell noted the 19.5-second gap at the finish and argued Hamilton would have won even without the VSC. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff agreed. Brundle echoed this sentiment in his Sky Sports column, stating: "Would he have won regardless of saving 10 seconds on that third and final stop? It's hard to be certain because he would have needed to overtake Norris and the two Mercedes ordinarily, but my feeling is that he would have won anyway, such was his pace and tyre advantage in the closing stages."
Stewards' Controversy
The weekend was marred by the stewards' decision to uphold Alpine's Right of Review regarding Pierre Gasly's penalty in Monaco. Gasly was restored to third place after a timing loop error was discovered. This angered other teams, as similar penalties were not reviewed. McLaren and Red Bull are considering appeals, while Mercedes has consulted lawyers. Brundle called it "a very complicated and uncomfortable decision" and predicted the matter would continue.
He added: "It's all a mess with no easy solution. It turns out one of the timing loops in the Monaco pit lane was 77cm shorter than calibrated hence lots of 60.1kph recordings when the limit was 60kph. It had been a topic of correspondence since first practices, and some teams adjusted their limiters. There was clearly something amiss with so many identical offences, and it's surprising that the stewards hadn't been made aware. Lessons will be learned no doubt and the story will presumably run a while."
