[Official] Sakhir Grand Prix 2020: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 16 of 17

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

thats a fair point.

indeed, LH has never been know for leading the team in the sense of late nights working with the mechanics or first one in last one to leave the garage that other drivers are known for.

but leadership and motivation does take different forms.

It is exceptionally rare (can't think offhand when it has ever happened to be honest) for an F1 driver to actually be a leader within a team - it's a fallacy.

What a driver can do is to provide inspiration by always giving their best and being at a high level, can push for a better mousetrap, can push for talent outside the team to be recruited at times - but actual leadership, nah.

Leadership is what team principles, sporting directors etc are there for - ultimately any driver is a key employee - listened to, potentially inspiring, core part of change and development - but they ARE employees and when a driver leaves a team or misses races, the team does not suddenly lose leadership.

[Adam43]

Mercedes: https://twitter.com/mercedesamgf1/st...757062657?s=21

(No need to read the replies, it is full of people being tedious).

[Peter Mallett]

Good on them, humour is the best way to deal with disappointment. Loved the "sorry only got 30secs" comment.

[Aysedasi]

Yes, that was a classic

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by bella

in this particular case, it wasn’t someone’s cock up.

but i suspect the answer is that the team operate at a higher level than hamilton. he doesn’t necessarily pursue very smart avenues in briefings, doesn’t do his homework (remember when he had to be talked through steering wheel options during a race?), and relies on his absurd talent to rinse everything out of the car and situation.

if they’re missing anyone it’s rosberg. and i say all that as a hamilton fan!

It was the team's cock up.

If they operate at a higher level than Hamilton, then that wasn't really happening last Sunday. I don't think anyone can say he does or doesn’t necessarily pursue very smart avenues, unless one is actually involved in the briefings. I don't remember him being talked through the steering wheel options. Did he have to reboot the car?

I suppose they be might be missing Rosberg but he left at the end of 2016.

[Knowlesy]

He had to be talked through his wheel settings in Baku 2016. It wasn't an incredible thing but looked bad as he was having a meltdown weekend.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

He had to be talked through his wheel settings in Baku 2016. It wasn't an incredible thing but looked bad as he was having a meltdown weekend.

Wasn't there a radio ban, which prevented Mercedes from telling Hamilton what the issue was?

[crmalcolm]

The full story (from Mercedes' perspective) can be found here.

Although to summarise:
"We had a configuration setting problem, an electronic setting problem but with engine modes, which occurred on both cars," Wolff said. "Because by regulations we're not allowed to tell the driver, they needed to figure it out themselves.

"Nico was in the more fortunate situation that he did a switch change just before, which kind of led him on the right path. So within half a lap he went back into the right mode. Lewis because he didn't have that right path, it took him a while to figure it out, 12 laps. And this is what for sure affected his race."

[Knowlesy]

Ah so I was way wrong there then! I forgot the radio ban. Those were such dumb times.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Ah so I was way wrong there then! I forgot the radio ban. Those were such dumb times.

IIRC, LH was continually asking for assistance but the team were unable to provide it. The best they could do was offer hints that did not stray into 'assistance', but that might hopefully trigger his mind into figuring out the solution.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

IIRC, LH was continually asking for assistance but the team were unable to provide it. The best they could do was offer hints that did not stray into 'assistance', but that might hopefully trigger his mind into figuring out the solution.

Just goes to show that you can lead a goat to water but........

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Just goes to show that you can lead a goat to water but........

Now you're just butting your head against a wall with that one..

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Just goes to show that you can lead a goat to water but........

... a pencil must be lead.

[S griffin]

I think Merc might need to keep those pencils handy, plenty to keep track of this weekend