2018 Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team

[Just_a_fan]

Hypocrisy would be Ferrari complaining about it. Mercedes give both drivers equal status until it becomes obvious that one is the obvious chance for the title. Ferrari make that choice before Australia.

[Vanja #66]

Mercedes made that obvious with signing Bottas in the first place.

[zibby43]

Mercedes made that obvious with signing Bottas in the first place.

Who else were they going to sign?

Also, I think that's a big slap in the face to Bottas, especially considering how he has performed this season.

Without terrible luck and reliability problems, he had opportunities to lead the Championship. His one major error being Melbourne quali.

[zibby43]

So, no discussion here about Mercedes hypocrisy about using Bottas as a support driver?

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/merc ... a/3166685/

Like it hasn't been going on from Spain last year...

Like last year when Hamilton gave a place back to Bottas in Hungary during Hamilton and Vettel's intense title fight (believe Vettel was leading when that happened, too)?

[Just_a_fan]

Mercedes made that obvious with signing Bottas in the first place.

Yeah, whatever.

[ivanlesk]

Mercedes made that obvious with signing Bottas in the first place.

So did Ferrari not replacing Kimi...

[siskue2005]

So, no discussion here about Mercedes hypocrisy about using Bottas as a support driver?

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/merc ... a/3166685/

Like it hasn't been going on from Spain last year...

Like last year when Hamilton gave a place back to Bottas in Hungary during Hamilton and Vettel's intense title fight (believe Vettel was leading when that happened, too)?

Good example of fair play from Merc team.....which sadly we cannot expect from Ferrari

[zibby43]

So, no discussion here about Mercedes hypocrisy about using Bottas as a support driver?

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/merc ... a/3166685/

Like it hasn't been going on from Spain last year...

Like last year when Hamilton gave a place back to Bottas in Hungary during Hamilton and Vettel's intense title fight (believe Vettel was leading when that happened, too)?

Good example of fair play from Merc team.....which sadly we cannot expect from Ferrari

Thank you. To make the example even more striking . . .

In that same race in Hungary last year, Vettel was a wounded duck with a steering problem and despite that fact, they sat Kimi behind Vettel as a roadblock, allowing Hamilton the chance to make an attack with his superior pace.

Kimi finished a mere 9 tenths behind Vettel. He should've been allowed to pass the stricken Vettel (steering problem), but Ferrari was playing him for the wingman he has always been, and will always be.

[GrayGreat]

Like last year when Hamilton gave a place back to Bottas in Hungary during Hamilton and Vettel's intense title fight (believe Vettel was leading when that happened, too)?

Good example of fair play from Merc team.....which sadly we cannot expect from Ferrari

Thank you. To make the example even more striking . . .

In that same race in Hungary last year, Vettel was a wounded duck with a steering problem and despite that fact, they sat Kimi behind Vettel as a roadblock, allowing Hamilton the chance to make an attack with his superior pace.

Kimi finished a mere 9 tenths behind Vettel. He should've been allowed to pass the stricken Vettel (steering problem), but Ferrari was playing him for the wingman he has always been, and will always be.

You guys are still arguing about what Ferrari does to Kimi? Isn't it obvious since the past few years? Ferrari never said that Kimi will have equal chances as Vettel, and been using him for last few years. Meanwhile, Mercedes has been going on an on about their driver parity and stuff, while using Bottas as a no. 2. There is a difference.

You just can't compare Vettel-Kimi to Hamilton-Bottas. Ferrari situation is obvious. They will use Kimi to protect Vettel, and won't repeat like a broken record that both their drivers are equal, unlike Mercedes.

[Justthatek]

Like last year when Hamilton gave a place back to Bottas in Hungary during Hamilton and Vettel's intense title fight (believe Vettel was leading when that happened, too)?

Good example of fair play from Merc team.....which sadly we cannot expect from Ferrari

Thank you. To make the example even more striking . . .

In that same race in Hungary last year, Vettel was a wounded duck with a steering problem and despite that fact, they sat Kimi behind Vettel as a roadblock, allowing Hamilton the chance to make an attack with his superior pace.

Kimi finished a mere 9 tenths behind Vettel. He should've been allowed to pass the stricken Vettel (steering problem), but Ferrari was playing him for the wingman he has always been, and will always be.

Also this year at Hungary when bottas went into Vettel, Kimi could have easily passed Vettel but lifted off to keep Vettel ahead.

[zokipirlo]

Good example of fair play from Merc team.....which sadly we cannot expect from Ferrari

Thank you. To make the example even more striking . . .

In that same race in Hungary last year, Vettel was a wounded duck with a steering problem and despite that fact, they sat Kimi behind Vettel as a roadblock, allowing Hamilton the chance to make an attack with his superior pace.

Kimi finished a mere 9 tenths behind Vettel. He should've been allowed to pass the stricken Vettel (steering problem), but Ferrari was playing him for the wingman he has always been, and will always be.

You guys are still arguing about what Ferrari does to Kimi? Isn't it obvious since the past few years? Ferrari never said that Kimi will have equal chances as Vettel, and been using him for last few years. Meanwhile, Mercedes has been going on an on about their driver parity and stuff, while using Bottas as a no. 2. There is a difference.

You just can't compare Vettel-Kimi to Hamilton-Bottas. Ferrari situation is obvious. They will use Kimi to protect Vettel, and won't repeat like a broken record that both their drivers are equal, unlike Mercedes.

Kimi is much slower than Vettel it's just that. He has a race or two in season when he is a little faster and that's it.

[zokipirlo]

Good example of fair play from Merc team.....which sadly we cannot expect from Ferrari

Thank you. To make the example even more striking . . .

In that same race in Hungary last year, Vettel was a wounded duck with a steering problem and despite that fact, they sat Kimi behind Vettel as a roadblock, allowing Hamilton the chance to make an attack with his superior pace.

Kimi finished a mere 9 tenths behind Vettel. He should've been allowed to pass the stricken Vettel (steering problem), but Ferrari was playing him for the wingman he has always been, and will always be.

Also this year at Hungary when bottas went into Vettel, Kimi could have easily passed Vettel but lifted off to keep Vettel ahead.

Vettel was on more fresh and softer tyres. Kimi wouldn't have chance to overtake him, especially not on a track like Hungaroring. Bottas was holding Vettel back and then on purpose crash into him. If that was reverse situation Vettel would receive a big penalty for that. But everything was quite even after more stupid crash with Ricciardo. He should receive a black flag after that. But that's another topic.

[WaikeCU]

I think it's more a matter of how Lewis and Seb are. I think both of them would rather have a Bottas or a Kimi instead of a Max, Daniel or a Fernando. I think it's also a reason why Daniel isn't in a Ferrari or a Merc, but instead in a Renault.

Team will listen to a multi time world champions' opinion.

[Vanja #66]

Like last year when Hamilton gave a place back to Bottas in Hungary during Hamilton and Vettel's intense title fight (believe Vettel was leading when that happened, too)?

Yeah, no, that was Ham's fair play, Toto was pissed because of that. I don't mind team orders, this is team sport, but I mind Mercedes' management hypocrisy about it. Ferrari has a problem of their Finn being too slow too often - and when he is fast enough he mucks up qualy.

[Sierra117]

Like last year when Hamilton gave a place back to Bottas in Hungary during Hamilton and Vettel's intense title fight (believe Vettel was leading when that happened, too)?

Yeah, no, that was Ham's fair play, Toto was pissed because of that. I don't mind team orders, this is team sport, but I mind Mercedes' management hypocrisy about it. Ferrari has a problem of their Finn being too slow too often - and when he is fast enough he mucks up qualy.

Not at all. Toto was the one who wanted the swap to happen. It was Niki who wanted Hamilton to keep the position. You can read Toto's q&a on this on f1's official site, hear him say it in the post race interviews, etc.

Anyway people, I implore you not to pollute the thread with this tired old pointless banter regarding driver status. It's a team sport and the teams will at the end do what's best for the team. Nothing gained from wasting energy on this. I'm not sure if this site has it or not, but many years ago on forums I moderated we had something called a Soap Box where people can take the flame and wreak havoc there lol.