LEWisHAMILTON has stopped. Just as we were talking about engines, would be funny if this was a problem linked to that lol.
Its a matter of context. Nico is comparing the car to the W03 and Lewis is comparing it to the MP4-27. Not a big shock that he's more negative. Probably the same reason for the disparity in Button and Perez's comments. My sense is that the Merc doesn't look bad, but i'd be surprised if they were quite on the level of the very top teams. Edit: i see its broken down, just like old times!
Got bored of the Sky ticker, just full of Hamilton posts eventually Lewis will have his own News channel at this rate.
I think they will be 7th/8th position come March. Would be surprised if they are any higher. They look mighty quick on single lap shootouts, so Quali maybe okay. But hasn't that been the underline story of Mercedes? I expect to see Hamilton being the Alonso of next season or the Schumacher of 1996....
Poster from f1technical: Nice try Lewis. I believe the media and lap time watchers (us) are onto them and Lewis is simply trying to avert their eyes, so whoever believes Lewis' statement hasn't been watching the facts. And the fact is W04 is looking nice out there, not world championship nice but certainly capable of podiums and occasional wins. I don't see it being any less competitive than the Lotus. Since Jerez going to Barcelona we have noticed a couple important things: 1) W04 is running a great deal more rake and wing angle 2) tires do not seem to be a greater issue than other teams 3) their latest EBD system is working well as it is quite obvious in watching Lewis out of turn 1 (Barcelona) nailing the throttle quite early and hard into turn 2 and the long right-hander, he is also quick out of chicanes. The opposite is true when comparing to the Ferrari at the same turns for instance 4) they are still dialing in more downforce to the front wing as they recently added a very small cascade, this tells me there could still be a bit understeer due to their solid rear downforce, a good problem to have.
thatll be the end then.. [TABLE="class: results"] [TR="class: zebra"] [TD]1.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Hamilton[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Mercedes GP[/TD] [TD]W04[/TD] [TD]1:23.282[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD]52[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]2.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Button[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]McLaren[/TD] [TD]MP4-28[/TD] [TD]1:23.633[/TD] [TD]+0.351[/TD] [TD]70[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: zebra"] [TD]3.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Vergne[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Toro Rosso[/TD] [TD]STR8[/TD] [TD]1:24.071[/TD] [TD]+0.789[/TD] [TD]80[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]4.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Bianchi[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Force India[/TD] [TD]VJM06[/TD] [TD]1:25.732[/TD] [TD]+2.450[/TD] [TD]61[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: zebra"] [TD]5.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Gutierrez[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Sauber[/TD] [TD]C32[/TD] [TD]1:26.239[/TD] [TD]+2.957[/TD] [TD]96[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]6.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]van der Garde[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Caterham[/TD] [TD]CT03[/TD] [TD]1:27.429[/TD] [TD]+4.147[/TD] [TD]50[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: zebra"] [TD]7.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Massa[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Ferrari[/TD] [TD]F138[/TD] [TD]1:27.553[/TD] [TD]+4.271[/TD] [TD]80[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]8.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Webber[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Red Bull Racing[/TD] [TD]RB9[/TD] [TD]1:27.616[/TD] [TD]+4.334[/TD] [TD]64[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: zebra"] [TD]9.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Chilton[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Marussia F1 Team[/TD] [TD]MR02[/TD] [TD]1:29.902[/TD] [TD]+6.620[/TD] [TD]51[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]10.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Grosjean[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Lotus[/TD] [TD]E21[/TD] [TD]1:34.800[/TD] [TD]+11.518[/TD] [TD]41[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: zebra"] [TD]11.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Bottas[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Williams[/TD] [TD]FW35[/TD] [TD]0:00.000[/TD] [TD]-[/TD] [TD]23[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]12.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Maldonado[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Williams[/TD] [TD]FW35[/TD] [TD]0:00.000[/TD] [TD]-[/TD] [TD]13[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: zebra"] [TD]13.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD="class: driver"]Razia[/TD] [TD="class: team-name"]Marussia F1 Team[/TD] [TD]MR02[/TD] [TD]0:00.000[/TD] [TD]-[/TD] [TD]0[/TD] [TD="class: pit"]PIT[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]