Formula 1 is a sport where team bosses need to have their thinking caps on at all times during the course of a race.

Things often change on a lap-by-lap basis and therefore all the pre-race strategies could change in an instant.

The winner of the race is often decided by the team who think on their feet the quickest and gain a subtle edge over their rivals.

This was the case in the Italian Grand Prix when a 'phantom' pit stop by Mercedes was a key factor behind Lewis Hamilton's victory, even if team boss Toto Wolff maintained it was not deliberate.

The Mercedes mechanics went into the pitlane when leader Kimi Raikkonen made his crucial stop on lap 20 of the 53-lap race, but Hamilton did not follow him in.

Autosport.com spoke to Wolff, who has since explained the situation.

"It wasn't a phantom, we were prepared to do the opposite.

"If Kimi wouldn't have pitted, we would have done it. And in so far as we were prepared, it wasn't a phantom."

Lewis Hamilton confirmed that he was well aware of what the plan was.

"Obviously, I'd seen several different simulations of what could happen in the race," he said.

"Communication was really on point between myself and the team, back and forth.

"I was wondering if they were going to pull me in one lap before him, so I could undercut him, but that didn't happen."

Formula 1 regulations specify that pit crews are unable to go to the pit lane unless their car is stopping, but the race director Charlie Whiting says the rules can be flexible.

"My feeling is and remains that it's all part of the game.

"We don't like teams hanging around in the pitlane if they're not actually doing a pitstop, if they come out as if they are going to do one.

"If they did it every lap I think we'd have something to say.

"They [Mercedes] may well have been thinking about stopping and change their mind.

"Unless someone does something overtly incorrect, I think we won't do anything about that."

So, while the thoughts are quite relaxed when it comes to 'phantom' stops, if it is viewed as deliberate, then Whiting says that is where sanctions could apply.

"If they do then we will have a look at it, if it's clear that's what they're doing, to make it more difficult for another car to get in, and they had no intention of pitting then we might well want to investigate that."

It is true that all teams are playing for extremely high stakes and any advantage they can find is pivotal in the race to the checkered flag.

However, it is also vitally important that the integrity of the sport and fairness for all teams applies during a race situation.

And on this occasion, it seemed like Mercedes played by the rules and got their race day strategy spot on.