"Toto Wolff: Lewis Hamilton set precedent in Abu Dhabi F1 decider"

Toto Wolff: Lewis Hamilton set precedent in Abu Dhabi F1 decider - F1 - Autosport

 

Just adjust their pay accordingly. Nico has moved over, he's helped Mercedes win. Hamilton has not. Give the guy that puts that team in the best spot the superior pay. They can both win anyway...

Telling Nico to race Hamilton as hard and close as he wants to is the proper answer. They crash, Nico gets the championship, and Hamilton has to face his own defeat.

Hamilton has a messed up head, and honestly, its part of being a race driver. The ones that do not are rare exceptions.

 

+1

Though contract been signed already so hard to negate on that...I think. I'm sure F1 contracts are more than a couple of pages long!

Personally I like Red Bull's pay scheme the most; ''low'' base of a few million, but HUGE bonus structure allowing the drivers to earn significant money.

Hamilton has always been me, myself and I. There is no team in Hamilton. Very selfish.

 

If I were the team manager, regardless of how talented LH is, I'd trade him.

First, I'd get good terms for a trade.

Second, we all know that many other drivers can win in the MB because of how good the car is. So, LH's services can be substituted without significant harm to the team's overall prospects.

Third, it's clear the LH did not follow team orders today. Fortunately, it worked out this time. But, who's to know what will happen in the future? Will there be a time when it does matter, and his selfishness causes a big mess for the team?

Fourth, in the past, LH has cast doubt on the team's motives, suggesting that his mechanical failures have been suspicious or, possibly, orchestrated. That's utter nonsense, and, frankly, hurts morale.

IMO, he's a liability. TW should get as much $ for him as possible and send him elsewhere.

CW

 

Hamilton better apologise now he hasn't even got Uncle Ron anymore to call him back. I foresee him quitting F1 pretty soon if next year doesn't go his way.

 

+1


Today, we have seen a winner behaving like a sore *****, and unable to congratulate his team mate.

Very poor show from the Brit, and bad PR for MB, I would think.

 

Hamilton and Rosberg

I am fishing for info about these guys.

Does anyone know when their current contracts come to an end?

I think Rosberg is under contract until end of 2018, but I don't know about Hamilton.

Anyone knows?

 

Here is what Hamilton either didn't think of or didn't care

Let's say he backed up Rosberg into the pack behind him. Rosberg then comes into contact with Vettel or Max. Rosberg is out and Lewis is champ.

How well would that have been received by the team and the public? What's the point of being a "champion" when you intentionally put your teammate in danger so you can win?

I never would have believed someone in such a dangerous sport would have taken this tactic. It's pretty shameful. Next they will have blades come out of the wheel rims like Ben Hur

 

+1

The car was so good for the past 3 years, any moron would be champion in the car. They could've gotten a GP2 graduate and still snatch all the titles. Rosberg has been a huge challenge for Hamilton (as was Button for him), their friendship vapourized a year into working together, as soon as it was clear they where very equal speed and a title was up for grabs.

Hamilton is immensely popular with people that relate to him, but don't care so much about watching the races. I spoke to some people i know today who ''tune in'' a little and they're all Hamilton fans, because they relate to him (young people, lots of tattoos, tight shirts and orange girlfriends). That's a big reason why Mercedes got him because they want to sell cars to people like them.

The titles could've been won much easier, either with Rosberg taking them all with the GP2 graduate teammate, or what I would've done: Kept a guy like Button on whose liked by everyone, massively quick and corners all markets: Popular with older people and young, and women. Well spoken and immensely well liked. Hamilton has always divided opinion and will continue to do so, but it's all slipping away from him the more arrogant he gets and the more gold chains and ridiculous glasses he wears. Will Hamilton get the standing ovations that Massa and Button received the past 2 weekends when he announces his retirement? Not a chance. He's not well liked enough in the paddock, and with this race he's annoyed even more people.

+1 I see him quiting soon. Rosberg will be on sweet form next year, much like we saw most of the season and end of last. I think the Red Bulls will have closed the gap completely and will fight tooth and nail with the Mercedes. Hamilton will get plenty of black eyes from Verstappen and Ricciardo as they put the moves on him...Rosberg's careful approach will be the reason why he'll be ahead of Hamilton in points next year. I think he'll hang up his helmet end of the year (or halfway through even! like what almost happened in Spain even though there was an actual championship on the line!), he'll **** off to live with all the Biebers and Kardashians he wants in LA. I actually wouldn't be very surprised if he announces his retirement tomorrow actually.

And I'll be a little sad. Because F1 does need a villain.

 

Huge runoffs here and the latest/safest barriers IIRC. Crashing here is pretty safe.

Hamilton's tactic was simple: Either let Rosberg be overtaken by both Verstappen and Vettel, or wait for Rosberg to try and overtake him, nudge him wide, and VES and VET would overtake him regardless.

What the team and fans would think would be irrelevant in his opinion. His core fans would cheer for him and wouldn't care and talk it right.

Would the FIA punish him, he'd still have lost the title, which as we know he still did. Would the team have fired him? He already walked away from the team once this season, so I don't think he cares.

 

Well, who looked at Senna's accident and thought it was fatal? I sure didn't at the time. Anything can happen.

And I agree I'm sure no one would be hurt. But that's not the point. If he used the strategy of putting his teammate into a situation to make him crash and then won from that strategy, he would be the least liked "champion" of all time.

 

I saw Hamilton go over to Rosberg after they got out of their cars and congratulate him - a handshake and a hug.

I saw Hamilton verbally acknowledge and congratulate Rosberg during the podium interviews, and shake his hand twice (and hug) on the podium.

Sky TV. What coverage were you watching, that you didn't see these?

 

Dump Lew. He is a liability. Other teams won't want him as they know he isn't a team player. Another team will only take him if they know going in that Lewis will be their #1 and have some sub par driver alongside. That's the only way to have a driver like that. Why Merc allowed such a combination is bizarre to me. Maybe they knew the incidents and press they would get out of it would be too substantial to not capitalize on?

 

I don't know...IMO, there's not a whole lot to love about either Mercedes driver. They're both a couple of divas, and I found myself bouncing back and forth all season deciding which of the two I disliked least at any given moment. It's my feeling that when things come down to the last race, with the title on the line between teammates, most of the "team orders" thing cease to exist. Hamilton was trying to drive strategically to preserve what little chance he had at claiming the Driver's Championship. And in the waning laps, his only hope was to pace Nico back into the clutches of the field. Had the situation been reversed, I wouldn't have been surprised at all to see Nico doing the same thing. And had the showdown been between Lewis and a non-teammate, his strategy may have been viewed differently.

 

I don't think Hamilton cares about public approval in his actions.
He has a solid following anyway that would endorses anything he does.
He doesn't respect his team mate, other racers or his own team.
Hamilton races for Team Hamilton.

 

+1


Some whishful thinking here perhaps, but I am with you .

 

It was certainly less spectacular than Berger's accident at the same place.

 

Hamilton came off like the poor loser he is. Remember when Rosberg let him by at monaco when he didnt have to? Compare that to today. What a clown

NICO ROSBERG 2016 WORLD CHAMPION

 

In fact, Vettel congratulated Rosberg first, whilst Hamilton was in a corner of the room ignoring him for some time, before moving across and briefly hugged him in an unconvincing manner after spotting the camera. That was commented upon.

On the rostrum, Hamilton's body language was obvious, and he only shook hands with Rosberg when Coulthard invited him to. It was so brief that Coulthard had to ask him to do it again with more conviction for the cameras. That also was noticed and later Coulthard mentioned his surprise at the lack of sincerity from Hamilton.

During his interview with Channel4, Hamilton hardly acknowledged his team mate winning the WDC.

Not at all the attitude of a sportman, or a good team mate.

 

How quickly we forget MS's tactics. It was always win at any cost for MS just as it appears to be for Elton.

I always said it will look different when you are old and looking back at your career. Unfortunately that has been taken away from MS, but what do you say when your grand kids comes up to you and says "Why did you push Frentzen off at Montreal, you could have killed him Grand Dad?"
Pete

 

+1

 

They certainly did !

Just ask Damon Hill, or Jacques Villeneuve about it.

 

There is that. I watched a recording of the Channel 4 broadcast and saw Hamilton offer his congratulations.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Imagine if that moment had come back to haunt nico. It works both ways and being a team player isn't usually beneficial in this game