Grand Prix thread 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix Chat and Predictions

Totally agree with your point there.... No one could have faulted Lewis if he had taken the three points,because Bottos was so far away he had to bacally serve an eight second penalty, let back markers overtake and risk his own place, to let Bottas by... If people can't see that as exceptional then there is nothing except for probably raising the dead, that could put him in favorable light. As some here admitted they wouldn't have given the place back, or they were surprised that he actually done it, tells the story actually.

 

DC giving the win back to Mika back in 1998 comes to mind, not sure if you consider that the modern era or not. I'm sure there are more, that just stands out in my mind.

 

Cheers. Yeah, 19 years ago but that qualifies as modern era in the way I've been thinking. Thanks for the reminder.

 

What's your source for their being no team order to swap? Because Wolff has been all over the pressing saying the "Call to swap Hamilton and Bottas 'extremely difficult' - Wolff"

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/871319/1/call-to-swap-hamilton-and-bottas-extremely-difficult-wolff

He says he's thankful that Lewis obeyed the call, because blah. blah. blah, Brand, We're not Ferrari, etc.

http://iforsports.com/wolff-confesses-biggest-reason-for-bottas-hamilton-switch/

 

Question: If Mercedes are telling the truth and their drivers are allowed to race, why did Lewis ask permission to attack Bottas? Surely if Mercedes are on the level then permission to have a go at overtaking isn't needed.

 

Lando is looking on the money in todays test.

 

If Mercedes ordered Lewis to give up the place why was Wolff so angry when he did???
Check the video on the below site for his reaction..Interesting!!!lol

http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/view/613086/Mercedes_denies_Wolff_furious_after_Hungary/

Mercedes has denied its boss was furious when Lewis Hamilton gave up a podium spot to Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in Hungary.

Video footage has emerged of the team boss slamming the desk, his chair and angrily shouting at Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda at the moment Bottas swept past his British teammate.

Toto Wolff admitted that switching the drivers while Hamilton is fighting for the world championship was one of the toughest decisions since he has been in charge of Mercedes.

 

I feel someone should mention Rosberg Monaco 2016, moving aside knowing he was giving his only WDC challenger a bunch of points.

 

Lewis dad nodded and Toto clapped , perhaps Lauda was the one who didn't like it ?

Seems to me Toto was saying " I told you so " . Just my interpretation though

 

That's exactly how it is, he clearly claps and shouts something celebratory, "GET IN!!" it looks to me, and then it seems he turns to Lauda in an "I told you so" way. He most certainly isn't angry about it. I think he's very happy about it because it's a massive boost for team harmony compared to what would've happened if Rosberg had still been his team-mate. Notice the video suddenly stops, he probably went on a hugging/high five spree afterwards, but that would've ruined the slant of the video.

 

I'd like to thank dhel for providing footage I was not aware of. I had no source other than my own ears and was aware of disquiet amongst Mercedes' top brass due to Bottas falling back, coupled with the increasing threat from Verstappen as well as complications with back markers. He'd been told he'd need to keep up (within two or three seconds) in order to justify getting a podium. What I alluded to earlier was that Wolff's words, post race, glossed over disharmony and sold the PR potential of what had transpired on track.

Despite appearances from some angles, there's really no conflict in this instance. Naturally, he was asking that his task be made easier in order to attack Raikkonen and doing so in the hope Bottas would be made aware, rather than fight – as to do the latter would negate the former!

I'll not add detail to what I've said but will repeat that the footage provided by dhel is new to me. Suffice to say I think you and Big Ern have made a valid observation. As I said before, the disquiet arose because of the way the situation had evolved. Opinions were split about what should be done in and Hamilton made the decision. After that, PR kicks in, hence Wolff's post race statements.

 

That's the main reason Rosberg didn't have the title won sooner.

 

As an aside to the Kubica interest at the test, Lando Norris bagged a 1.17.385 second fastest time in the McLaren behind Vettel.

0.164s quicker than Alonso's Q3 quali time as well, okay who knows what the differences were in car/track etc, but that ain't bad at all!

 

Being called Lando is worth .5 per lap

 

So still not quite as good as Alonso who is worth 6/10th's (or so the legend has it)