Wolff may kick one of it's drivers out if they don't kiss and make up:

Wolff: Hamilton/Rosberg tension may force Mercedes line-up change

Discuss.

 

Don't tell Fernando about that opportunity...

Rgds

 

Lol. Rosberg out for 2017

 

I'd say he's spot on, at the moment the dynamic between the drivers is the teams biggest weakness.

 

Well, that article was just a big tease wasn't it?? I want all the goss!!

 

Sounds like aggro between mechanics etc also.

 

Exactly!! Or one of the drivers is a big prima donna and causing friction in the team.

I want details, Toto!

 

For harmony you keep Rosberg and bring in FA.

LH needs to go and find another team or recording studio. His lack of pace is no surprise in the end he is already looking beyond F1 and has been all season. He takes F1 for granted with statements like ' I will leave when Im 37 ' etc. Uh....your employer might have other idea's amigo! He is a top driver....thats all. He is not an owner or power broker in anyway in the sport. The talent lining up around the sport is impressive and much much cheaper.

 

It's all irrelevant since Seb is taking it next year-or so I hope.

 

Problem is, Ham is Bernie's Golden Boy. He has stated that Ham is the best WDC for F1. He appeals to the youth segment, and F1 needs new, fresh, young fans. Ros appeals to old men. F1 needs social media queens to bring-in the youth F1 movement. Bernie will not allow Ham to drive for any team that isn't in direct contention for a WDC. So, Ham stays, stale German goes.

Example: My 9 year old son roots for Hamilton. My son is not a true fan of F1. But, because I watch it loudly on some Sunday mornings, he has a peek. He likes Hamilton because he is British (my son likes British things for some reason), is a young "ethnic" personality (appeals to younger demo) and has a similar "fashion" to the youth around the world (this "urban hip-hop" thing). My son is not an "urban hip-hopper", but being born abroad and having a European mother/family he is more fashion-forward than most of his peers. He was angry that Rosberg won the last 3 races! That says something, to me, about Ham's appeal to the younger audience.

 

Bernie is the last person to tell anyone here at Mercedes in Stuttgart who stays or goes. Lauda brought him not Bernie. Mercedes is much much larger than Bernie or F1. Mercedes and Ferrari right now, influence F1 more than Bernie likes.

Considering how poorly F1 uses or cares about social media it does not matter.

 

If this is true - releasing one or the other does not matter. It will create many headlines for the offseason. Win win for Bernie.

 

Actually it does matter:

Just read a fascinating article in the NZZ about the decline of the sport's popularity and viewership because everything has become so predictable. The ONLY thing that kept this season mildly interesting was the rivalry between the two MB drivers. Take that out and you really have lackluster year in the making.

That said if MB wants to sack one, it has to be Rosberg. Less talent and less global marketing appeal.

 

Mercedes enjoys record sales long before LH showed up to travel the world and find a new life outside of F1. Mercedes in no way need F1. Its a luxury. Just ask BMW and all others enjoying business success out of F1.

 

Given that releasing LH makes no sense, Im happy to advocate for that LOL! It is the F1 way. In the end who cares

 

Vettel & Hamilton swapping teams would be interesting

 

Think I'll put the entire F1 forum on ignore if that happens.

Can you imagine the legion of his irrational Facebook fans joining Fchat? Think I'll buy Andrew a new banning stick for Christmas if that happens...

 

I guess the driving force is the reason of having two equally strong drivers. Lewis has had the edge here and there and won the last 2 WDC but if Rosberg wouldn't have been up there they wouldn't have clashed.

Replacing Rosberg wouldn't change anything really. Hamilton has been venomous and playing dirty for all the public knows. Keeping Hamilton over Rosberg only works if Hamilton is given #1 status. If they want to remain on the side of 'free' competition between two drivers, kicking out Rosberg leads exactly nowhere (except they bring back Mazzacane as second driver).

 

+1 given that we all want F1 to be 'better', 'more interesting' etc etc, here is such an opportunity. Why not. We have ZERO to lose with the sport as is!!

I am not afraid of Andrew or any ignore threats lol! I would like to see improvement in the sport. We would survive and maybe be happier with the sport as well!

 

+1

 

+2

 

Wolff comes off as a bit of a baby and a lousy manager. If he can't manage having two drivers who want to win every race they enter then he should go sell sedans. Are the mechanics and engineers in the Merc F1 really so "victimized" by the victory of one driver or the other that it is tearing the team apart? It's not like they are destroying one another's cars or crashing out while running 1-2.

Does Wolff really think that Merc would be better served with Lewis and Will Stevens, or Nico and Merhi? Would he rather have his drivers finish 1-2 in the WDC, or 1-5.

 

Not so sure. If Hamilton starts behaving as usual when things don't go right I could see him losing a lot of the team support quickly and a Rosberg/Wehrlein team could work out pretty well

 

At 80+, Bernie is on his last leg. I wouldn't make any long term plan or prevision around his survival at the helm of F1. I don't think that Ecclestone can dictate to any team who it should have as driver; the sponsors influence that to an extent.

Also, with due respect, your son doesn't represent all the young audience, only a fraction of it. I have children and grand children and some of them are anti-car or find motor racing a complete waste of space. I do not make generalisation about them. Some of the young generation have more ecological pursuits than watching cars going round and round ... Some youngsters are interested in healthy living, organic food, less pollution, minimal waste, recycling, clean energy, etc... and the idea of fossile fuels and combustion engines is anathema to them! So then ...

 

Hamilton is faster.