Brought to you be TJ13 contributor @F1TheaJ
Mean Reader Score: 7.10
Not surprisingly, this year’s reader score was way higher than the score for the equivalent race from last year (4.42.) By this time last year both the Constructor and Driver championships had been settled. Mercedes had run away with the former and Lewis Hamilton had taken his third WDC and gone off partying elsewhere (although his body did turn up for the race.)
Not so this year: there was still a Driver Championship to be settled. Would it be WDC4 for Lewis or WDC1 for Nico?
Verstappen initially put himself out of the running by colliding with Hulkenberg. Even so, by L20 (due to most others having pitted for fresh tyres) Verstappen had made it back to P2 but Rosberg made a dramatic overtake and snatched it from him.
The best, however, was saved to last: Having fresh supersofts, Vetel charged through the field, overtaking Raikonnen, Riccardo and Verstappen to take P3 and was described by Mercedes as ‘an imminent threat’. With a couple of laps to go Rosberg, defended P2 bravely: so much so that his team reminded him that he only needed to come home 3rd to clinch the WDC.
Hamilton, however was running very slowly and the podium finishers all crossed the line within a second of each other, with Hamilton winning the race, Rosberg the championship and Vettel F1 Driver of the day.
Driver of the weekend: Lewis Hamilton: 27.47% of reader vote
Controversy is never far from Hamilton! Heading the leader boards in FP1 and FP2, he seemed on good form to take the win on this last race of the season. How would he do it and more importantly, could he also clinch his 4th WDC? He drove very slowly this race. Not quite slowly enough in some parts, but too slowly in others….
It was not that he backed up the pack that was controversial, but more the way he did it and more specifically WHEN he did it that ruffled his team’s feathers. We all know that if Hamilton won the race then Rosberg had to come P4 or lower for Hamilton to get the WDC as well.
To cut a long story short, Hamilton waited until all the pitstops had been completed (no undercutting the lead away from him) before he really started dawdling at the front. He ignored several messages from the team to get a move on (otherwise the charging Vettle might win the race) but managed to win the race by a narrow margin, loosing the WDC but winning our Driver of the Weekend in he process.
Could his radio message of ‘Right now I’m losing the world championship whether I win or lose this race’ out sell Kimi’s ‘Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing’ if tee shirts were printed?
Should Hamilton be disciplined for insubordination? Please vote and leave your comments below.
Ha! The idea that a top-tier drier like Alonso, Vettel or Hamilton should be ‘subordinate’ is hilarious. You sign them up for what they bring to the team, part of which is going to be fierce competiveness, and selfish bloody-mindedness. The team has to put up with it along with the rest because it’s part of what makes the package.
The should not even have issued the instruction. Al year they have been telling everyone who would listen that they would “let them race”. And they where well aware that Lewis only shot at the title was to back Nico up so that others might attack. The contructors was secure and Hamilton did not use any dirty tricks breaktesting Nico,slow get away at a pitstop etc.
So really to me its a non topic. The only thing i take away from this is that Merc statements are subject to change and wind direction!
Bad form if you ask me. Not that anybody will ask me but i can live with that. Have a good winter everyone see you next season when it’s the Bulls time to manage a seriously quick and determined younster and a very motived Aussie. GO RBR GoMax33.
For me it’s what makes him one of a few. What we don’t want is an average paying driver saying yes sir, no sir. That would stop me from watching F1.
They all do it at some point or other over the course of their careers… Spit the dummy, draw a line, make a stand, reach a limit, show their true colours, bite back, flex their muscles, try every trick in the book, clutch at straws, make a last ditch attempt, (and no, I didn’t use a thesaurus!).
It’s just that it’s far more entertaining when it happens on track, and a special treat if it’s in the dying laps of the championship-deciding last race of a season, and between two drivers who have been duelling since they were in karts.
That doesn’t happen every day (much to Nico’s relief, I’m sure)!
If there has to be any meeting between Mercedes Benz and Lewis it should be about Mercedes explaining why there was a disproportionate level of unreliability with car #44 compared to car#6. AND then apologise to Lewis who was like a boxer fighting with one hand tied behind his back all year .
Had this scandalous level of mechanical gremlins not affected Lewis car ( compared to Rosberg and indeed all other Mercedes powered cars btw ) Lewis holding Rosberg up at the end of the race in Abu Dhabi would never in a million years have happened.
It was his last shot so you cannot blame him for trying everything in order to win.
Mercedes did not provide Lewis with a championship winning car this year but they did with Rosberg. That is the footnote of the 2016 season and that’s why Rosberg won the Championship not because he was better or more deserved of the 2 drivers !
100% reliability has always been the standard in F1 hasn’t it.
1-2 in the race, 1-2 in the championship, 1 in constructors, +1 for drawing all attention to the Mercedes branded car at the front instead of a Ferrari or Red Bull, +1 for creating media hype…. Yeah, he should be disciplined. Lock him in the Mercedes HQ for Christmass with bread and water. They should do that, but not to Lewis, but to Lauda, Toto and Paddy. Morons.
“I suggest you guys let us race” might make a decent t-shirt for the Hamfosi, were I the mercenary type.
Lewis did what he had to do and for once the F1 ‘show’ had a genuinely nail biting finale. Any hardened racer would have done that, including those labeling it a dirty trick. If the team genuinely expected anything else they’re batsh*t crazy.
Also, congrats to Rosberg. Let’s hope there’s a shake up in 2017!
Yes, on second thoughts, it’s probably a better slogan for a T shirt.
I remember another 3 time WC getting sacked.
Bet the majority would have to look that up…
It made a change for Vettle to think Lewis used ‘dirty driving tricks’ instead of Max, but would he have said the same if he had got passed Nico and had a shot at 1st place?
I agree ‘Let us race’ is the only t-shirt slogan to take form this race.
I voted No, although it would be exciting to see Hamilton penalised for his behaviour, everyone within F1 knows they would have done the same thing as Hamilton in his shoes, plus he raced within the rules. Mercedes would be silly to punish him, but I think they will underline that he has to follow orders from Mercedes otherwise. I also think this is a non-story in F1 now and only being pushed by the media. How many articles have we seen about this? I’ve seen at least 20 since the race, and what for? Rosberg said the whole discussion should be dropped, Hamilton was not bitter, he congratulated Rosberg and his wife several times and Mercedes is loving the press coverage, which why they are uncertain whether to punish him or not, but I’d love to hear their excuse and explanation for any penalty. It is just a story for the media.
As for Mercedes apologising and explaining to Lewis why he had mechanical failures, those are conspiracy theories. You’d probably be surprised to know that Hamilton and Rosberg are equal on failures over their seasons together at Mercedes, so much for Mercedes wanting a German Champion and screwing Lewis to help Rosberg. That’s crazy, but only said by hardcore Hamilton fans who have to blame this on something or someone other than Lewis, and his dodgy starts/
But, changing the garage crew on them like Mercedes did, I think that’s what upset Lewis in the whole season. They change his crews, and Rosberg wins the first 4 races of the season. That could have played with his head, and I’m sure this will be the revealing chapter in Hamilton’s book. I would be very unhappy if they changed the crew after 2 successful seasons.
“But, changing the garage crew on them like Mercedes did, I think that’s what upset Lewis in the whole season.”
Lame. There a huge turn-over in mechanics each year so #44 would have had changes whether he liked it or not. Peter Bonnington didn’t change and ultimately all the mechanics, regardless of which diver they work for, are M-B employees.
OK, that may be, but I think if Hamilton ever felt that Mercedes didn’t want him to win in 2016, it would have probably started with the changing of the crews. Not disagreeing with you or excusing anything but I think Hamilton already said he cannot say much about this, but it will in his book when he retires. Btw, David Coulthard agreed with you when someone mentioned it at some race. He also said team crews get changed around, they are all employed by the team, not the driver so it’s ok to shake it up and let the champion prove himself with both crews. Can’t wait for the battle to commence once again in 2017!
Whatever Mercedes do or do not do, the atmosphere between them and one of the best drivers in modern F1 has been spoiled. Next year Lewis will always be looking over his shoulder wondering what Mercedes are up to behind his back, Mercedes have had their policy of “let them race” shown for the lie it is, and any other driver going to Mercedes in the future will be wondering when they will get stabbed in the back.
I cannot see Lewis staying there beyond his contract, unless some future assurances are worked out. I do wonder what he was promised by Ross Brawn to get him to leave McLaren.
Hahahaha! Good one! Quality response!
(bonus for all the Schadenfreude fans out there…why wait for them to grow up, become proficient at something, and then narrowly fail to achieve their dream?)
Ross probably told him how great the 2014 car was going to be and he’d just walk in 2 championships, how unfairly treated he must feel…….
Send Him To The BIG REDS With A Bigger Salary – That Will Teach Him.
GO, 44 !
I think Hamilton knows he needs to stay in Mercedes for now in his F1 career, money probably isn’t an issue anymore. I wonder if Vettel, Ricciardo, Alonso and Verstappen have sent emails to Wolf reminding him they’d love to be in that car, can promise no diva behaviour and would gladly drive for half of the value of Hamilton’s contract. Alonso might even do a season for free to give him his final shot at the 3rd WDC
With A Bit Of Luck, You Will Have The Extreme Pleasure Of Seeing 2 Divas Instead Of 1.
Feeling Nauseous Already ? – Good.
GO, 44 !