Martin Brundle says Mercedes made a British Grand Prix decision that defied ‘common sense’

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The British Grand Prix was a happy homecoming for Lando Norris, but the other British drivers on the grid didn’t have the greatest return.

Lewis Hamilton’s run of consecutive podiums at the British Grand Prix came to an end after finishing fourth, while Haas star Oliver Bearman had a very up-and-down weekend on his first visit to Silverstone as a Formula 1 driver.

Mercedes star George Russell doesn’t have the best record at Silverstone as an F1 driver.

His four visits as a Williams driver saw him finish 14th, 12th, 18th and 12th again before heading to Mercedes in 2022.

He was caught up in a huge collision on the opening lap in 2022 and retired after starting from pole position last year, with a P5 in 2023 his best result at his home race.

Russell and new teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli had another miserable weekend, scoring just a single point between them.

Toto Wolff called Mercedes’ strategy ‘catastrophic’ after the race, while Martin Brundle was far from impressed with what he saw from the Silver Arrows.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Martin Brundle says Mercedes didn’t use ‘common sense’ at the British Grand Prix

The Sky Sports commentator was writing in his column after the British Grand Prix and talking about the tricky strategy calls each team needed to make.

Mercedes decided to bring in Russell on the formation lap to take advantage of what they believed was a quickly drying track.

However, sections of the circuit were still far too wet to remove the intermediate tyres, and Toto Wolff’s team suffered as a result, with Antonelli quickly following his teammate onto the dry compound.

Brundle explained: “Changeable was the word of the day.

“We were very surprised to read that the formation lap would be behind the Safety Car, but it was largely a dry track.

“That decision was quickly changed to a normal standing start, and George Russell, Isack Hadjar, Charles Leclerc and Gabriel Bortoleto even pitted for slick tyres and didn’t take to the grid, starting from the end of the pitlane instead.

“That would be a gamble too far, and Bortoleto soon found himself in the wall and out of the race.

“Mercedes had a curious habit of fitting the hard compound tyres in marginal conditions, with their slower warm-up capabilities but greater eventual longevity, which surely was a case of data winning out over common sense.”

READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height

Mercedes continue to delay George Russell contract decision amid Max Verstappen interest

If four-time world champion Max Verstappen was unhappy with his Red Bull car during the British Grand Prix, his prospective new team didn’t cover themselves in glory either.

Mercedes and Verstappen have been in contact over a potential move, with the 2026 regulation change casting doubt over Red Bull’s chances of being a competitive outfit.

While Russell and Antonelli didn’t have a fantastic time at Silverstone, finishing 10th and being forced to retire after a collision with Isack Hadjar, respectively, their performances across the entire season should be taken into account.

There’s a suggestion that Mercedes are trying to reduce Russell’s wage demands by holding talks with Verstappen.

The British driver has shown this season that in a leading car, he would be a championship contender, and so is in a position to make some strong demands.

However, Wolff will also be aware that there are very few avenues for him to explore should he push his luck and the team manage to convince Verstappen to sign.

Nothing is confirmed yet, and there’s a good chance Verstappen and Russell stay where they are for 2026, but the future line-ups of both teams are unlikely to stay as they are for too much longer, particularly if one manufacturer drops off next season.