They couldn't have known that though. If they'd kept the cars behind they likely would have restarted the lap before, as Latifi's car and the debris had been cleared. Who knows what would have happened if there were two laps to go and Verstappen was on scuffed softs and Hamilton on worn hards. We can only hypothesise. Even if they had only raced one lap with the lapped cars still between them, it's still hypothetical.
Mercedes lost it because they had a window and instead chose hope or defence of a wounded soldier.
OH MY GOD.
I know they couldn't have known that. They still would have made the correct result, had the rules been followed though.