I'm pretty sure it's far better for the car to fail in quali than in the race. With the car advantage that the Mercedes have, it's hardly any disadvantage anyway.
Is anybody else just sitting on the sidelines with this? Lewis is not going to give up the chance to become a double champ after the pain at Mclaren. And Rosberg is wanting the prize of being a servant to Mercedes since 2010. This was inevitable.
Both know this is likely to be the one opportunity they will have to win the WDC without having to worry about other teams battling them. I think it will get messier when they return from the break.
Lewis will win the battle on the track, Rosberg will win it off the track. How that translates into race results we'll have to see!
I have to say it but now Hamilton fans know how MSC fans felt in 2012. What could have been achieved so far.
Completely agree with that. I think what we've seen so far this season is confirmation that Rosberg isn't quite on the same level as Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton. Perhaps with Button and Raikkonen in the second tier of drivers. But what he does appear to have over Hamilton is a better temperament, and crucially luck. For Rosberg to win the championship he's going to have to step up the mind games, and hope that Hamilton continues to have poor luck. An on-it Hamilton in a reliable Mercedes will in all likelihood be too strong for Rosberg. Whether either get so desperate as to start putting moves on the other that aren't there to be made, we'll see. I suspect both see the value in finishing one place behind their team-mate, rather than risking not finishing.
Me too! Rosberg is highly intelligent. I don't wish to put Hamilton in the shade with this but Rosberg's intellect is his most valuable asset. In fact, it could be argued that at this level, intellect is every bit as important – if not more so – than outright speed and racer instinct combined! The best competitors play to their own strengths. Hence, regardless of Mercedes' dominance this season, we have mouth-watering prospects for every race and the World Championship itself.
To be honest I am neither a Lewis or Nico fan, but the proposition of a balls out war both on and off the track has really wet my appetite! Good for F1 IMO.
Mercedes have released a statement saying Lewis will not have to serve several hours on the naughty step, http://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/news/2014/2014-hungarian-grand-prix-sunday-toto-wolff/
Why is Wolff changing his story all the time, why doesnt he stick to one thing? It is giving me mixed feelings about whats up at Mercedes. While Lowe said he doesnt thing any of the Mercedes had a shot at winning, Wolff said Hamilton refusal to move over caused Rosberg the race. Now he is happy with Hamilton's decision.. Isn't that a little bit confusing? Hs is saying that Rosberg never came close enough to Hamilton to justify him moving over for his team mate, so why did Wolff not say that in the first place... I(t sounds very bad indeed to come now to say what everybody was saying all along. Did he just find that out? âWhen the Safety Car came out, we chose to split the strategies, and offset ourselves to the cars ahead, in order to create opportunities to win, or worst case finish on the podium,â Wolff said. âWhen we did so, Nico was running two positions in front of Lewis. We put Nico onto an aggressive three-stopper and Lewis onto a two-stop, with a long final stint on the prime tyre. "Lewis was asked to let Nico pass because we believed they both still had a chance to win the race as the strategies played out. But Nico never got close enough to Lewis to make the move â and we were ultimately comfortable with the decision Lewis made to hold position.â
Now this is very interesting..Now we know why Hamilton couldnt get by Alonso. Much as he enjoyed the Hungaroring thriller, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits that the race left his team feeling "numb" "Feelings are still very mixed," he admitted in an interview for the team's website. "When the chequered flag fell, we were numb to have finished third and fourth at a race where we had started with one car on pole and one in the pit-lane. Honestly, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. ADVERTISEMENT "With Nico, it was a case of “what might have been.”," he admitted. "What might have been if he hadn't been caught behind the first Safety Car? What if the brakes hadn't overheated during those laps, which then led to a temporary brake by wire failure which cost him positions when racing resumed? And what if he had been able to pass Lewis before the end of his third stint? He clearly had the pace in the car but things did not go his way." As for Lewis... "Putting aside his spin on the first lap, he put in one of the drives of the season - he came from dead last and, at one point, it looked like he could even win the race. He undoubtedly pulled off the overtake of the day, when he ‘monstered' round Vergne into Turn Four; it was a killer instinct move. And that is what the fans want to see. "It was nerve-wracking," he said of the race, as viewed from the pit-wall. "With each car, there was a point when we didn't think they could finish. For Nico, it was behind the first Safety Car when it looked like the brake system had failed. With Lewis, it happened when he started losing fuel pressure - and power - as he was running behind Fernando, with Nico closing in. At that point of the race, we were hoping he could make it to the finish - but we certainly expected the problem would be terminal." When asked about the controversial call to Hamilton to let teammate Rosberg through, Wolff said: "When the Safety Car came out, we chose to split the strategies, and offset ourselves to the cars ahead, in order to create opportunities to win, or worst case finish on the podium. "When we did so, Nico was running two positions in front of Lewis. We put Nico onto an aggressive three-stopper and Lewis onto a two-stop, with a long final stint on the prime tyre. That meant they would find each other on track at some point - and we would have a situation to manage. Lewis was asked to let Nico pass because we believed they both still had a chance to win the race as the strategies played out. But Nico never got close enough to Lewis to make the move - and we were ultimately comfortable with the decision Lewis made to hold position. "As a racing team, our mission is to win championships and to win races. We thought both of our drivers had a chance to fight for the race win - not just for a podium finish - so we acted accordingly. When it comes to drivers in the same team running alternative strategies, it is usual for them not to make life hard for each other when it comes to overtaking. But we must appreciate that we are not in a usual situation any more. "At the start of the season, Paddy and I agreed a clear policy with the drivers that they are free to race for the win - as long as they are fighting for it. Equally, we have been clear that our priority as a team is always to give ourselves the best chance of winning the race - no matter which driver is fighting for it. The calls Paddy and the team on the pit wall made on Sunday were completely in line with our policy. And so, our drivers will continue to be free to race for the remainder of the 2014 championship; and they will be racing to win. "However, we should also be clear-sighted about the situation: this debate about team orders is obscuring our real problem at the moment, which is reliability. If we give the drivers the opportunity to use the full potential of the car on every lap, then we have the performance to race at the front of the field - and they will be free to race for the win without external factors playing a role. We haven't done that recently and that has given us some headaches. But those problems can be avoided if we do a better job." Asked if he felt 'team spirit; was damaged on Sunday, he said: "No. This is an intense title fight and we will have tense moments that we need to work through. But this is also when a team shows its true colours. Look at last weekend: one of our cars came back to the garage as a charred wreck after qualifying. Ten hours later, we had a complete race car for Lewis - because every mechanic from both car crews had worked to get it ready and make sure the team could perform to its maximum on Sunday afternoon. "From time to time, we have to take a step back and see what we have achieved this year. Nine wins in 11 races, and ten pole positions, is an incredible record - and we have set the target of performing even better after the summer break because this championship is far from over. But when we look at what has been accomplished so far in 2014, every member of the team can go into the summer break walking a little bit taller than we did back in March. They have done a sensational job. Finally, asked if the team has identified the cause of Hamilton's fuel leak on Saturday, the Austrian said: "The car suffered significant fire damage on Saturday and the components had to be sent back to the UK for thorough analysis. The leak has now been traced to a localised fatigue failure in a high-pressure fuel hose, although the precise causes of this fatigue are still being determined. Extensive checks and appropriate countermeasures are now being conducted to ensure there can be no repeat." So now the question is? Did another car failure cost Hamilton another race?
The brake issues could have potentially cost Rosberg the win also. Both Mercedes seem to have been a little fragile of late.
Yes, I agree, but also Wolff is now saying that Rosberg never go close enough to do any pass on Hamilton. That is what we have been saying all along. I think he should have mentioned that before he said Hamilton cost Rosberg the race win. He should have put it in perspective or he will send mixed signals to the drivers and make race fans suspicious. If he didnt come close enough to Hamilton how could Hamilton have cost him the race unless Hamilton should have parked the car let him go back and then restart his race? Thats the point I am making.
I think you're thinking about it too much. He's not really been in this position before and it looks like he's just flapped a bit and not really thought it all through before talking to the press. Which is why most teams would refrain from comment until discussing internally first.
