2021 AMG Mercedes F1 Team

[Phil]

I can tell you what would be in it.

“We did the math.”

“Everything was under control.”

“We made the right decisions based on all our simulations and in regards to safety car protocols.”

“And then race control broke protocol and everything went out the window.”

“…”.

Something like that. ^^

[ringo]

toto should be negotiating with FIA about a compromise and possible concessions/vetos. I am sure FIA do not want merc to go ahead as it make them and the sport look bad. Toto absolutely has leverage he can negotiate some sweetners from the FIA -what that may be who knows. Most likely Toto will be firm and say he will block all new rules for new manufactures concessions to come in the sport.

I do not think money matters to Toto. He wants only one thing.. the win for Abu Dhabi.

[ringo]

I can't see Mercedes letting their right to appeal lapse, so I suspect they will lodge the appeal, they can always withdraw it later if the FIA offer something more...

What can they gain from it? They have the constructors (which I think is as much due to them luckily being far enough in front as to not be caught) and it is very unlikely they are going to change the result of the race now.

They may get an 'under the table' apology and maybe some brownie points in the bank, possibly some financial 'incentive', but as a very worst case from F1 they will nullify the last race (or threaten to) and Max still wins.

Any benefit coming Mercs's way will have to be unofficial, so why build the legal expenses in?

I do not think they will nullify the race. The team did compete and were on for a win. The last lap will be invalidated and full points awarded as more than 3/4 of the race was run.

Or thinking outside the box.. they will be asked to run over the Qualifying and the race. And I expect Hamilton would still outrace Max again.

I am afraid the only solution is to strip Max of that title. It was gained through unfair competition. Almost like a football team losing 3-0 in injury time and the ref gives the losing team 10 penalties in a row to shoot. You cannot say this team are legitimate winners. Likewise Max. Very sad, redbull came out with all the orange smoke and orange honda nsx and all the celebrations to make it hard to take away because of emotions, but their win should be taken away rightfully.

[holeindalip]

Another question, are Mercedes’ going to show up at the gala and accept the trophy for the constructors.

[selvam_e2002]

they already skipped photo shoot. I doubt it.

[Sulman]

Their website has nothing. It's completely locked down. Mode strat-lawyer I suspect.

The interesting question is: How bad is this? We only see Toto and the race itself, but there's an entire board there, vast sums of money on the table and there has to be a question of whether it is worth competing in something that can be so easily be subverted (by accident or by design) and the matter or reputational risk. These are big things to corporate entities. There has to be board members asking "What are we doing in this shitshow?"

[Sulman]

toto should be negotiating with FIA about a compromise and possible concessions/vetos. I am sure FIA do not want merc to go ahead as it make them and the sport look bad. Toto absolutely has leverage he can negotiate some sweetners from the FIA -what that may be who knows. Most likely Toto will be firm and say he will block all new rules for new manufactures concessions to come in the sport.

I do not think money matters to Toto. He wants only one thing.. the win for Abu Dhabi.

Toto is a fighter with an Iron Will. I cannot see him backing down from what he surely perceives as a grave insult to him and his team.

[holeindalip]

Is it true they have to accept the trophy or forfeit, or anyone else can accept it if they don’t show. I read something today but idk if it’s true..

[ringo]

Seeing some news where they may turn down the appeal because lewis doesnt want to win like that. But I think Lewis can be too soft sometimes as Eddie jordan also says.
Maybe he knows it may take months to sort out.

[JordanMugen]

“We made the right decisions based on all our simulations and in regards to safety car protocols.”

The radio transcript does not show that:

Lap 55:

Hamilton: What's the situation?
Bono: Verstappen has fresh softs, he had a free stop, we would have lost track position.
Bono: Four laps remaining, it may not restart. [Note: not will not restart.]
Hamilton: (bleep), is he (Verstappen) right behind me?
Bono: He will be once they have sorted out all the order.

I think Hamilton's reaction shows he knows they stuffed up, and because he knows they stuffed up that is why he is not supporting any Mercedes GP protest.

[Sulman]

“We made the right decisions based on all our simulations and in regards to safety car protocols.”

The radio transcript does not show that:

Lap 55:

Hamilton: What's the situation?
Bono: Verstappen has fresh softs, he had a free stop, we would have lost track position.
Bono: Four laps remaining, it may not restart. [Note: not will not restart.]
Hamilton: (bleep), is he (Verstappen) right behind me?
Bono: He will be once they have sorted out all the order.

I think Hamilton's reaction shows he knows they stuffed up, and because he knows they stuffed up that is why he is not supporting any Mercedes GP protest.

I don't think you can reliably have a model that catches what Masi did, because there is no precedent for it, as far as I know. It would be strange to even have to factor it in, a bit like "what if Piquet jr. throws his car in the wall?"

FOM are also proactively DMCA'ing YouTube videos of Hamilton stating (clearly under stress) it was 'manipulated', as such I'm not convinced he's that happy about it. They're easy to find on Twitter under the #F1xed hashtag.

Remember that Bono was likely expecting the SC to stay out as per the normal scenario. If he's hesitant it may be because he knows RBR have been burning Masi's ears off about getting a racing finish.

[InsaneX_Badger]

In the end, all I think this is going to achieve is to destroy the relationship between the FIA and Mercedes. A relationship you want to be on good terms, as even though they are meant to be impartial with all decisions, after this, I'm not surprised if the FIA don't come down hard on Mercedes on any near split decisions against them in the future.

[Just_a_fan]

“We made the right decisions based on all our simulations and in regards to safety car protocols.”

The radio transcript does not show that:

Lap 55:

Hamilton: What's the situation?
Bono: Verstappen has fresh softs, he had a free stop, we would have lost track position.
Bono: Four laps remaining, it may not restart. [Note: not will not restart.]
Hamilton: (bleep), is he (Verstappen) right behind me?
Bono: He will be once they have sorted out all the order.

I think Hamilton's reaction shows he knows they stuffed up, and because he knows they stuffed up that is why he is not supporting any Mercedes GP protest.

It can be read just as equally as him knowing they were stuffed rather than that they stuffed up. It's just an expletive and then a question about position.

As for him not protesting, he wants a clear on-track win, not a lawyer win three months in to next season. Why fight for a tainted title when you can put your energy in to winning a clean one?

[e30ernest]

Yeah I don't see Lewis as the type to allow this to go on like this in court. I wonder how much he has a say about that though. Maybe Mercedes would want to pursue the case just to squeeze out some more benefits from the FIA so Lewis will be ordered to stay quiet.

[Jambier]

I think this will not end well if Mercedes continues in this way.

- FIA Gala today: Not presenting the championship winning cars is already an insult to the FIA

- Not coming to the gala ? I can't imagine that... or I can image FIA tell Mercedes "ok so you are disqualified from championship, you are not champion anymore"

- And then there is the situation where FIA would accept any demands of Mercedes ==> What will happen if they give the title to Hamilton then?

With Honda leaving F1, with no customer team with a contract of engine supply, you can be sure that Red Bull will immediatly withdraw its two teams from Formula 1.

So once again: What is Mercedes trying to achieve here?