Vettel jumped from third to first in the 2018 Formula 1 season opener with a later pitstop taken while Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen lapped slowly during a virtual safety car period.

During a VSC, drivers must keep above minimum sector times mandated via the FIA's control ECU. A pitstop under VSC conditions is less costly because the speed disparity between the pitlane limit and cars on track is lower.

Hamilton had closed the gap to Vettel to 11.614 seconds when the VSC was deployed, which Mercedes thought was enough to ensure it would reclaim the lead when the Ferrari pitted.

It only realised its calculation was wrong when Vettel emerged from the pits in front.

"They don't fully understand it still, so they couldn't give me an exact reason as to why it was the way it was," said Hamilton

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