The Chinese Grand Prix showed yet again Mercedes’ dominance over their rivals after their surprise loss in Malaysia to Ferrari. However, once more we saw conflict between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg after the race.
Rosberg complained that Hamilton held him up, and Hamilton responded by accusing Rosberg of not trying to win.
It all served to reignite the war of words and conflict we have become accustomed to over the last 12 months.
While Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda have made it clear that their drivers are allowed to battle for race victories and the championship, the supposedly on-and-off feud between Hamilton and Rosberg has seen some teeth-grinding and despondent shaking of heads from team personnel – most notably at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, where Rosberg’s contact with Hamilton guided Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo to his third Grand Prix victory.
In 2015 Mercedes have yet again started off strongly, but unlike in 2014 where they won the first six races, they have already lost one race. In Malaysia, brilliant strategy and tyre management from Sebastian Vettel granted Ferrari their first victory in almost two years, and Vettel’s first victory since Brazil, 2013.
Wolff has indicated that Mercedes may intervene in their drivers’ strategies to ensure the team score maximum points and avoid the threat of Ferrari taking advantage.
Mercedes should be wary of how their drivers interact both on and off the track, where any collision or dummy spit could allow teams like Ferrari to get the upper hand later on in the season.
When watching and reading their respective press interviews, it’s clear from Rosberg’s retaliations that Hamilton has the psychological edge.
What is most intriguing about this dispute is the respective drivers’ contracts. Rosberg has signed with Mercedes until the end of the 2016 season, while Hamilton hasn’t yet extended his beyond this year, despite being offered a deal said to be worth around $AU50 million a year.
If these events do end up getting out of hand – like Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna at McLaren in 1989 and Hamilton and Fernando Alonso at Mclaren in 2007 – it could result in Mercedes having to let one of their drivers go, disrupting the chemistry and dynamics that have helped them achieve their recent success.
Personally I have enjoyed watching the Silver Arrows’ dominance, as it has taken the limelight away from all the negatives in Formula One, such as teams collapsing and struggling to survive, various Grands Prix being dropped due to lack of finances and low attendances, along with the unfortunate incident that occurred during the Japanese Grand Prix last year.
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