2022 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[Spoutnik]

I think anybody who doesn’t have a well set up car struggles. We have seen it this season. Look at Ferrari in Mexico. Mercedes in Baku. Who were the team crying in Baku that the car was unsafe? It’s not just Max ‘crying’.

I don’t think there was much need to be as ‘descriptive’ in your post, wasn’t going to bother replying due to a silly post and the fact it’s not even about the current season, but it seems the same can be said for any driver on the grid this year - not just max.

Not a fan of Verstappen but he need a particular setup because he push the car to the limit.
If you need a neutral/understeer setup it's very often that you won't take any risks and be very mid in terms of raw speed, like some drivers are

[AR3-GP]

Defending for a couple of laps is another thing - but being able to do it over a full race is a significant other.

Hopefully we will have a faster merc next season so the cars are a bit more equal and we can see who is able to bring the food to the table.

To me, George defending from Lewis in Brazil was much more impressive. Brazil a very easy circuit for overtaking. Driving the car with something like a 10kph top speed difference. Did not make a mistake that counted for something like 20 laps. I was certain Hamilton would get the drop on him. I thought Hamilton would have clubbed him on the restart.

[chrisc90]

Defending for a couple of laps is another thing - but being able to do it over a full race is a significant other.

Hopefully we will have a faster merc next season so the cars are a bit more equal and we can see who is able to bring the food to the table.

To me, George defending from Lewis in Brazil was much more impressive. Brazil a very easy circuit for overtaking. Driving the car with something like a 10kph top speed difference. Did not make a mistake that counted for something like 20 laps. I was certain Hamilton would get the drop on him. I thought Hamilton would have clubbed him on the restart.

Totally agree. That was a great piece of driving from George there.

[harty71]

Russell is massively overated imo. It's like people having huge expectation for Sainz after his 2021 season when he beat Leclerc.
Russell was easily beaten in qualy by a 37 yo Hamilton who has lost raw pace on one lap (even if Hamilton had some bad luck : DRS not working in Hungary, the fugazi qualy in Brazil...).
In race pace, after Canada, Russell was never faster than Hamilton on race pace...

Next year will be as difficult as Sainz, this year, when he/and people will realize the reality of his race pace and race awareness.

Well beaten in qualifying? They are the closest matched pairing on the grid in qualifying speed, at least try and be objective.

[Mosin123]

Russell is massively overated imo. It's like people having huge expectation for Sainz after his 2021 season when he beat Leclerc.
Russell was easily beaten in qualy by a 37 yo Hamilton who has lost raw pace on one lap (even if Hamilton had some bad luck : DRS not working in Hungary, the fugazi qualy in Brazil...).
In race pace, after Canada, Russell was never faster than Hamilton on race pace...

Next year will be as difficult as Sainz, this year, when he/and people will realize the reality of his race pace and race awareness.

Well beaten in qualifying? They are the closest matched pairing on the grid in qualifying speed, at least try and be objective.

Agreed, Although LH was handicapped in the first half of the season while figuring out the car / fixing the car / improving the car, and had already written his personal goals off and whos main aim was to get a win for the team, which they managed with GR. So to sum up LH's season, it went as expected?
If i was a champion, a 7 time world champion, i would find it hard to be motivated for less than 1st ( as a driver ).....

Sort car / understand car = achieved
Get one win = achieved

I dont expect GR to beat LH next year should Merc line up with a championship contending car.

[Mosin123]

Defending for a couple of laps is another thing - but being able to do it over a full race is a significant other.

Hopefully we will have a faster merc next season so the cars are a bit more equal and we can see who is able to bring the food to the table.

To me, George defending from Lewis in Brazil was much more impressive. Brazil a very easy circuit for overtaking. Driving the car with something like a 10kph top speed difference. Did not make a mistake that counted for something like 20 laps. I was certain Hamilton would get the drop on him. I thought Hamilton would have clubbed him on the restart.

Didnt LH have damage to his floor?, I dont think LH went for " hammer time " it didnt look like LH was trying to apply pressure to GR and was just sitting behind bringing the car home?

I admit, i dont follow Merc much so do not know if he had dmaage or not, just remember hearing LH mention it over the radio. That incident with Max ruined LH race.

[harty71]

Defending for a couple of laps is another thing - but being able to do it over a full race is a significant other.

Hopefully we will have a faster merc next season so the cars are a bit more equal and we can see who is able to bring the food to the table.

To me, George defending from Lewis in Brazil was much more impressive. Brazil a very easy circuit for overtaking. Driving the car with something like a 10kph top speed difference. Did not make a mistake that counted for something like 20 laps. I was certain Hamilton would get the drop on him. I thought Hamilton would have clubbed him on the restart.

Didnt LH have damage to his floor?, I dont think LH went for " hammer time " it didnt look like LH was trying to apply pressure to GR and was just sitting behind bringing the car home?

I admit, i dont follow Merc much so do not know if he had dmaage or not, just remember hearing LH mention it over the radio. That incident with Max ruined LH race.

Nothing was confirmed, it was a bit like the last race, fans believed he must have suffered damage to be passed by Sainz & Russell, again, no confirmation from the team.

I think people need to understand & accept that Russell is no Bottas, he's going to be the team leader very shortly. His results in the karting and the lower categories show he's as talented as Hamilton, prepare for him beating Hamilton often next season

[Mosin123]

To me, George defending from Lewis in Brazil was much more impressive. Brazil a very easy circuit for overtaking. Driving the car with something like a 10kph top speed difference. Did not make a mistake that counted for something like 20 laps. I was certain Hamilton would get the drop on him. I thought Hamilton would have clubbed him on the restart.

Didnt LH have damage to his floor?, I dont think LH went for " hammer time " it didnt look like LH was trying to apply pressure to GR and was just sitting behind bringing the car home?

I admit, i dont follow Merc much so do not know if he had dmaage or not, just remember hearing LH mention it over the radio. That incident with Max ruined LH race.

Nothing was confirmed, it was a bit like the last race, fans believed he must have suffered damage to be passed by Sainz & Russell, again, no confirmation from the team.

I think people need to understand & accept that Russell is no Bottas, he's going to be the team leader very shortly. His results in the karting and the lower categories show he's as talented as Hamilton, prepare for him beating Hamilton often next season

They finished 1 - 2, am sure it was not a reason for them not finishing as expected? Merc only explain things if needed to be explained, like all teams, AMUS said LH had damage worth 0.2 ms apparently, i just googled it....... AD clearly LH did have a problem, he failed to finish, with a problem his team didnt see till it happened..... so obviously a sensor was faulty some where and damage happened to cause his normally 100 % race reliability hydraulics to finish his race early?.

Ive not seen any thing this season that shows me GR was better than LH apart from his finishing position a head of LH which is irrelvent because LH spent half the season fixing the car / doing experiments not racing, If LH was handicapped for half the season ( As Toto / GR and LH have said numerous times through out the season ) and only finished 35 points behind...... That doesnt exactly tell me GR is better than LH..... it tells me, if LH was just concentrating on racing for the first half of the seaosn LH would have likely finished a head....

[chrisc90]

Didnt LH have damage to his floor?, I dont think LH went for " hammer time " it didnt look like LH was trying to apply pressure to GR and was just sitting behind bringing the car home?

I admit, i dont follow Merc much so do not know if he had dmaage or not, just remember hearing LH mention it over the radio. That incident with Max ruined LH race.

Nothing was confirmed, it was a bit like the last race, fans believed he must have suffered damage to be passed by Sainz & Russell, again, no confirmation from the team.

I think people need to understand & accept that Russell is no Bottas, he's going to be the team leader very shortly. His results in the karting and the lower categories show he's as talented as Hamilton, prepare for him beating Hamilton often next season

They finished 1 - 2, am sure it was not a reason for them not finishing as expected? Merc only explain things if needed to be explained, like all teams, AMUS said LH had damage worth 0.2 ms apparently, i just googled it....... AD clearly LH did have a problem, he failed to finish, with a problem his team didnt see till it happened..... so obviously a sensor was faulty some where and damage happened to cause his normally 100 % race reliability hydraulics to finish his race early?.

Ive not seen any thing this season that shows me GR was better than LH apart from his finishing position a head of LH which is irrelvent because LH spent half the season fixing the car / doing experiments not racing, If LH was handicapped for half the season ( As Toto / GR and LH have said numerous times through out the season ) and only finished 35 points behind...... That doesnt exactly tell me GR is better than LH..... it tells me, if LH was just concentrating on racing for the first half of the seaosn LH would have likely finished a head....

Didn’t George outscore Lewis in the second half of the season too, when all the testing had stopped?

[Mosin123]

Nothing was confirmed, it was a bit like the last race, fans believed he must have suffered damage to be passed by Sainz & Russell, again, no confirmation from the team.

I think people need to understand & accept that Russell is no Bottas, he's going to be the team leader very shortly. His results in the karting and the lower categories show he's as talented as Hamilton, prepare for him beating Hamilton often next season

They finished 1 - 2, am sure it was not a reason for them not finishing as expected? Merc only explain things if needed to be explained, like all teams, AMUS said LH had damage worth 0.2 ms apparently, i just googled it....... AD clearly LH did have a problem, he failed to finish, with a problem his team didnt see till it happened..... so obviously a sensor was faulty some where and damage happened to cause his normally 100 % race reliability hydraulics to finish his race early?.

Ive not seen any thing this season that shows me GR was better than LH apart from his finishing position a head of LH which is irrelvent because LH spent half the season fixing the car / doing experiments not racing, If LH was handicapped for half the season ( As Toto / GR and LH have said numerous times through out the season ) and only finished 35 points behind...... That doesnt exactly tell me GR is better than LH..... it tells me, if LH was just concentrating on racing for the first half of the seaosn LH would have likely finished a head....

Didn’t George outscore Lewis in the second half of the season too, when all the testing had stopped?

Not sure, have not counted all the points up for the last 9 races out of 22..... but probs, LH retired twice..

[chrisc90]

Not sure, have not counted all the points up for the last 9 races out of 22..... but probs, LH retired twice..

He did. Which then brings out people who say its a unfair comparison. Never going to win.

However for what its worth.

SPA onwards (after summer break - so not really 1/2 a full season)

Russell - 117 points
Ham - 94 points

[caddy]

They finished 1 - 2, am sure it was not a reason for them not finishing as expected? Merc only explain things if needed to be explained, like all teams, AMUS said LH had damage worth 0.2 ms apparently, i just googled it....... AD clearly LH did have a problem, he failed to finish, with a problem his team didnt see till it happened..... so obviously a sensor was faulty some where and damage happened to cause his normally 100 % race reliability hydraulics to finish his race early?.

Ive not seen any thing this season that shows me GR was better than LH apart from his finishing position a head of LH which is irrelvent because LH spent half the season fixing the car / doing experiments not racing, If LH was handicapped for half the season ( As Toto / GR and LH have said numerous times through out the season ) and only finished 35 points behind...... That doesnt exactly tell me GR is better than LH..... it tells me, if LH was just concentrating on racing for the first half of the seaosn LH would have likely finished a head....

Didn’t George outscore Lewis in the second half of the season too, when all the testing had stopped?

Not sure, have not counted all the points up for the last 9 races out of 22..... but probs, LH retired twice..

Both are self goals.

[Mosin123]

Not sure, have not counted all the points up for the last 9 races out of 22..... but probs, LH retired twice..

He did. Which then brings out people who say its a unfair comparison. Never going to win.

However for what its worth.

SPA onwards (after summer break - so not really 1/2 a full season)

Russell - 117 points
Ham - 94 points

So GR still wins, but only 21 points with LH retiring twice to his none?

Yep, Dont buy it, i had a similar discusion with regards to the team and drivers i actually support, CL and CS at Ferrari, People Claimed Sainz was better because he beat CL in a season.... yep, just no... LH didnt beat his team mate was most likely because LH didnt show up is a more respectable view than GR beat LH because GR was better ( He was over the season ). a 7 time world champ has nothing to gain by beating his new team mate who he will need next season / future season to beat Redbull, GR was obviously trying his best to do as good as he can, which is a completely different role to LH who spent most of the season driving to figures to solve problems / improve car / understand car and concept and so on and so on in a car he already knows since testing is unlikely to challange for top honors in?

Most likely thing to have happened is LH and team Merc deciding its better for them all that GR concetrated on his racing, While LH sorts the car out for a title push next year, sacrificing this season as a result..... It also explains LH dont care look over GR beating him..... and Toto also saying it is irrelevent......

Why would Merc want to resign LH on hundreds of Millions if GR is already better? and much cheaper? Its not likely at all.

[harty71]

Not sure, have not counted all the points up for the last 9 races out of 22..... but probs, LH retired twice..

He did. Which then brings out people who say its a unfair comparison. Never going to win.

However for what its worth.

SPA onwards (after summer break - so not really 1/2 a full season)

Russell - 117 points
Ham - 94 points

Yep, that's very telling isn't it.

Plus you can't discount one of the DNF's as he caused one himself, I wouldn't at all be surprised to discover his excursions in Abu Dhabi caused his eventual failure.

They have been neck and neck in qualifying, Hamilton has had slightly better race pace, Russell maybe slightly better tyre management and much better racecraft and consistency, hence the big points gap.

[chrisc90]

I agree - the radio calls we heard from Russell about strategy etc have been much better over the season as a whole. Whether that's just because of what we are shown through FOM is another question.