Hamilton vs Rosberg

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Mercedes will not solve 2016 clutch problem



Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes' two drivers may continue to struggle with their race starts this year.

Just 8 points separate Nico Rosberg from Lewis Hamilton, and the latter has warned that a troublesome clutch system could actually decide the outcome over the final 6 races.

"We have always had starts in the last few races that were not ideal," Mercedes team boss Wolff admitted to the German broadcaster Sky.

"It's our Achilles heel and we will not be able to solve it this year," he revealed.

"We have to change the architecture of the clutch for the coming year, because at the moment of course it is a problem for us," said Wolff.

After early clutch trouble in 2016, Wolff had said parent company Daimler would be engaged for help.

But Wolff now says: "We don't know what it (the problem) is -- whether it's the design or the construction or whether it's the difficulty for the drivers to operate. There are so many factors involved."

 

Even with a duff clutch they are still miles ahead of everyone else....

 

What it takes for either man to win the title - What does Lewis Hamilton need to beat Nico Rosberg to F1 title? | F1 News

 

I wonder what would happen now, should LewHam run him wide again. I guess Rosberg would just sit tight and rather have both cars DNF at this point in time. If Hamilton has another Singapore/Baku weekend then that's it, I guess.

 

Do that a couple times and Danny Ric will be in the title hunt!

 

Wow interesting article, that.

Fingers crossed, I'd love it if Rosberg triumphs this season!

 

That would be the smart thing to do. It's nico's title to lose. Just hold your line and let him hit you, hard enough to damage both cars.

 

The problem is that the last time they came together, Rosberg was far more damaged, Hamilton won the Austrian GP, and Rosberg haemorrhaged points in the title fight. Inviting a collision leaves much to chance. Far smarter would be to finish right behind him in instances where he can't beat him and just make sure to win at least one race out of any of the remaining five - preferably, from Rosberg's point of view, not leaving it up to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to decide things.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Even smarter is to use his front wing as a tire cutter and make sure elton gets a flat

 

All he really has to do is win one of the next 5 and then come in 2nd the rest. If he wins this weekend, he makes it very hard on lewis

 

That's what I said.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

What's to say Nico won't suffer an engine failure in the next five races!

 

well, that was the other way around. That was a lousy attempt by Rosberg to run Hamilton wide, who has already been ahead. I

 

Don't be silly, Toto has only one engine destruct button on his phone and that has L written on it