Mercedes - The Pitwall Vs Driver debacle

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Originally Posted by AndyL

Is this new? Haven't Mercedes always insisted on both drivers sticking to the same strategy, with the guy in front getting first dibs on when to pit?

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I think the Mercedes way was the driver in front gets priority of when to stop and is entitled to come in first. However, Mercedes has not always stuck to this rule, hence you could say it is not really written in stone as such. The business about the right to change strategy was allowed in the past. But most noticeable is the pitwall dictating to drivers what strategy to follow during the race, particularly when the driver can sense an opportunity and wishes a different approach. Toto's talk that driver would lose track opportunity if left to make strategy calls is bollocks and he knows it. That is why Mercedes employ the pitwall crew to make such changes of strategy work using the vast data available to them. Makes you wonder how did Prost, Mansell, Senna manage to get to the end of their races without pitwall radios telling them how to win their races.

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Originally Posted by The Black Knight

There's been a few more than that. Mercedes pitted Rosberg before Hamilton in Bahrain this year which nearly cost Hamilton the lead with the undercut. There has been one or two more incidents throughout the year as well.

I don't see why people are so hung up on Hungary 14. Hamilton would have left Rosberg by if he could get close enough but you can't expect a driver to leave another by and thus sacrifice his own race. Rosberg was never close enough and that's ultimately what cost him.

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Isn't the inability to come and stay close to the car in front exactly what Lewis was whining about in Brazil? Back then he used it as an excuse. So what's it gonna be?

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Originally Posted by Nitrodaze

To be honest, it would be great if Mercedes let these guys genuinely race each other. Particularly since there are no real competition to the Mercedes team at moment. Vettel and Ferrari may pick a few scraps here and there, but they no real threat. Hence, the real duel at the front is between the Mercedes drivers. Stage managing a one two finish sort of takes away from the spectacle, the raw racing element that draws the likes of you and me to watch F1 races.

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Merc are a German operation, even though the factories are in Blighty. Let me tell you something about us Germans. If we could schedule our bowel movements - we would...

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Originally Posted by dj_bytedisaster

Isn't the inability to come and stay close to the car in front exactly what Lewis was whining about in Brazil? Back then he used it as an excuse. So what's it gonna be?

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You can't expect a driver to slow down and potentially compromise his own race to leave his teammate past.

OK, let's try a bit of wild imaginary melodrama on for size...

Imagining the Mercedes boss getting on the radio during the race to say...

"Well, Lewis, we have the race in hand except there's an outside chance of a puncture at the end like Vettel got at Spa. So we're changing to make sure. Now it's not fair to just bring one of you in, so we're doing both. And if we were going to box just one driver, to make sure we get a finisher at the cost of slowing them down, it'd be the guy in second. Which is you. Now, you were saying...?"

That'd spice things up. ;->

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Originally Posted by Morte66

OK, let's try a bit of wild imaginary melodrama on for size...

Imagining the Mercedes boss getting on the radio during the race to say...

"Well, Lewis, we have the race in hand except there's an outside chance of a puncture at the end like Vettel got at Spa. So we're changing to make sure. Now it's not fair to just bring one of you in, so we're doing both. And if we were going to box just one driver, to make sure we get a finisher at the cost of slowing them down, it'd be the guy in second. Which is you. Now, you were saying...?"

That'd spice things up. ;->

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You miss my subtle irony ;-)