Mercedes let points go through to the keeper

Communication might be key in motorsport, but given the millions spent at the top tiers, it never ceases to amaze me when Formula One teams let the odd loose ball through to the catcher.

Max Verstappen’s defensive move on Lewis Hamilton under braking into the final chicane at Suzuka F1 two weeks ago is an excellent case in point, as it could play a determining factor in this year’s Formula One World Championship.

Mercedes initially protested the move, however stewards agreed to defer any decision until the Texas round – because both Hamilton and Verstappen had already left the circuit. Likewise, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and non-executive chairman Niki Lauda were out of contact with Mercedes staff at the time of protest as they were both already on flights out of the circuit.

“It was an unfortunate coincidence that we left and the team had a minute to decide whether to protest or not – and that is what they did” Wolff admitted to Autosport.

“Once we were able to communicate again, which was 30 minutes after take-off, we decided to withdraw the protest.”

With Nico Rosberg currently enjoying a 33-point lead over Lewis Hamilton going into the final five rounds, Hamilton’s side of the garage can’t afford to let any points slip and any (apparent or perceived) lackadaisical approach to his championship campaign by top brass won’t go down well with the unsettled Brit.

It’s fine to spend millions of dollars scrounging for an extra tenth of a second, but when scheduling commitments allow results (worth just as much) to disappear, there’s a definite conflict of priorities.

The Filipe Massa, Sergio Perez incident at Montreal 2014 is another example of how miscommunication can affect the outcome of a dispute.

As the drivers diced for fourth towards the end of the race, both Massa and Perez collided after negotiating for the same piece of real-estate. Perez was adjudged to have moved to his left to block off Massa and cause the high-speed accident, despite the circuit layout changing heading into that chicane.

The crucial factor in this hearing was that Massa had the full support of engineer Rob Smedley to provide data and supporting evidence, while Perez was left to defend himself at his word – as his engineer and Team Principal Bob Fernley had already left the track. Perez must have felt like an idiot with Massa inversely confident.

Max Verstappen himself has been in a similarly precarious spot when under scrutiny at Toro Rosso. It was only when father Jos was informed of how the Massa/Perez situation played out that he was abruptly seen taking members of the Faenza team to task over their lack of lobbying tactics.

In Hamilton’s case though, he is equally to blame as Wolff and Lauda for leaving the circuit before a hearing could take place. If the point on offer resemble any margin left between himself and Rosberg at season’s end, it’s up to him whether he thinks Mercedes’ schedule or his own apathy is what may have bitten him.

But it’s not the first time. Miscommunication in 2015 cost Hamilton a Monaco win and a recent admission from former team boss Ross Brawn suggests the discussion gaps have been there since 2013.

“In early 2013, I discovered Paddy Lowe had been contracted to join the team and it had been signed off in Stuttgart” Brawn told Motorsport. “When I challenged Toto and Niki, they blamed each other. I met them to have it out with them. And they both pointed to each other…”

Not the kind of games you should be playing when there are sheep stations at stake.