It is up in the news that Lewis Hamilton is totally on the disagreeing mode. Lewis Hamilton said he had confidence in his Mercedes team in spite of conceding that he didn’t concur with their methodology in the Mexican Grand Prix. The best on the planet was second to team-mate Nico Rosberg subsequent to questioning a choice to stop for crisp tires, feeling it denied him an opportunity to win.
Hamilton said, “I didn’t agree with the decision but the team make decisions and I abide by them most of the time. We’ll have a chat when I get back. I have full confidence in those guys.”
Hamilton’s race engineer Peter Bonnington told Hamilton over the radio that the choice to make an additional pit stop was made on “security” grounds as a result of tyre wear. Hamilton further said, “There was no risk, there was nothing for me to lose. We have won the constructors’ championship, the team have won, so let me take a risk, let’s go for it. But we did what we did and we still got the one-two.”
Hamilton had trailed Rosberg for a great part of the race, not able to draw sufficiently near to attempt a passing move. He doubted the choice to go into the pits in light of the fact that staying out would have implied he held the lead, with Rosberg expecting to close a 18-second hole in 24 laps to catch and after that surpass him to win the race.
The team decided on the grounds that it is standard practice to do as such in the circumstances. The two Mercedes drivers had enough time to stop for new tires rejoin still in first and second places, in this manner diminishing the danger if there was a late-race security car – as in fact there were six laps after Rosberg’s stop when Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel smashed. Team boss Toto Wolff said that we had the edge for a security stop and Lewis’ tires were more minor than Nico’s so we chose to do those.
Wolff said, “It was clear he was questioning it because he saw an advantage. If he didn’t do that, he wouldn’t be a racing driver. Finally it is clear the team knows what is happening out there on track and everything is cool. We would not have risked a team result.”
