2017 AMG Mercedes F1 Team - Mercedes

[Webber2011]

More likely the "Dan Smashed Him" bit. No doubt a Ferrari fan.

Now this will be down vote in

3......2.......1.....

Hahaha

Who knows ?
I'm not that interested in these "reputation" type points that most forums have, but I was a little surprised.
I think that's the first time I've been down voted, and I really can't see why because I thought it was overall quite a positive post ?

Anyhow, not to worry

[iotar__]

Wow.

Down voted for thinking Bottas will do ok.

I guess there's a frightened Hamilton fan lurking among us lol !

What did you expect , clueless driver fanatics on the internet?

- IMO he's a bit like J. Villeneuve, not similar in style but in a way that he's very good but not everywhere and not all the time, seems more suited to refuelling/running their own races F1
- it has to start as always with one lap, should be OK with some question marks but the overall race-craft has to get better, seems a bit stiff in those tricky (start/overtakes/around pitstops) situations. Rarely looked good in wet conditions (might be a car).

- works both ways: he never had a car as good as Merc (limits, car perfectly tuned) but he won't have margin for errors and weaker races, it has to be 5-10 in a row at max plus dealing with failure, politics, FIA. We'll see.

[dans79]

No love lost between Lauda & Nico apparently.
http://www.crash.net/f1/news/239030/1/l ... -good.html

I believe Bottas is at least as good as Rosberg.

"Nico has improved so much because of the team and the car. We have won three Constructors' titles and Hamilton before won two Drivers' World Championships [with us in 2014 and 2015]. With the 'Silver Arrow, Nico had the car and potential in his hands. So you have to see it as a combination of Rosberg and Mercedes. Rosberg alone would not be World Champion - it is the car, team and Rosberg together,” explained the three-time F1 World Champion.

[Fulcrum]

Another inflammatory statement from the paddock's geriatric sideshow.

Regarding the second statement, you could say that of literally any Driver's World Champion. You don't exactly walk around the track unaided.

As for the first statement, what exactly was the intention here? Have a dig at someone who no longer matters? Add pressure to Bottas? Or undermine Hamilton? If it were true, there would be no need for bitterness. I think Rosberg was more valuable than Lauda feels free to admit in public.

In any event, it's ill-considered; i.e. perfectly consistent with prior behaviour on his part.

[dans79]

Another inflammatory statement from the paddock's geriatric sideshow.

Maybe, but he still has more championships than Nico does!

[Fulcrum]

Another inflammatory statement from the paddock's geriatric sideshow.

Maybe, but he still has more championships than Nico does!

He was also quite happy to defend and aggrandise Rosberg's achievements when it suited him - leading some on this very forum to think Lauda and Wolff were orchestrating results in his favour.

[Webber2011]

I honestly don't know how to take Lauda anymore ?
Sometimes he seems to be really genuine and makes a lot of sense, but other times he seems like a completely different person talking.

I can understand some bitterness at Nico's shock retirement, and I do agree that it's a massive group effort, but what does he have to gain by undervaluing Nico's Championship at this stage ?

*Edit* Spelling

[basti313]

I honestly don't know how to take Lauda anymore ?

This was an overall problem the last years with Merc. Toto, Niki, Nico or Lewis...with each statement you had the feeling, that it has some bad politics in it.
It may be a reason why they chose Bottas that they want to get it calm. He does not seem like a politician at all, whereas a combination of Ham and Weh would be a House of Cards...

I can understand some bitterness at Nico's shock retirement, and I do agree that it's a massive group effort, but what does he have to gain by undervaluing Nico's Championship at this stage ?

Well...it is hard to say, that it is really "undervaluing". It is a statement, that is again really on the edge.
I have the feeling, that these bad politics led to the "no more" from Nico and this was the biggest "slap" he could give the other politicians. If this is really the case, then I would be not astonished, that the mood is not the best for the future.

[skoop]

I don't think you should take these comments (from Lauda) too seriously.
He can't speek his mind here and say: "We lost one of the best drivers/currecnt world champion, but we will replace him with someone who we tink will manage to become fifth. That's because we didn't manage to get anyone faster. The team is screwed as well, because we are not able to give someone new in the team the chance to fight for the title. It's all Hamilton now.".
He's just promoting his new driver and he does that by saying he's as good as the old one. Nicos shock announcement of retirement ruined any chance of a smooth transition process.
In my opinion there's not to much to read into. No bad politics or what so ever.

[Gridlock]

He's explaining why Bottas will be fine, IMO, not talking about Nico per se.

[Webber2011]

I guess you guys are right now that I look at it from another perspective.

I actually think Bottas will do well too, it was just the "Bottas is as good as Rosberg thing that I disliked.
No one knows that for sure just yet.

To me it seemed like a dig at Nico rather than praise for Valterri.

[Gothrek]

I guess you guys are right now that I look at it from another perspective.

I actually think Bottas will do well too, it was just the "Bottas is as good as Rosberg thing that I disliked.
No one knows that for sure just yet.

To me it seemed like a dig at Nico rather than praise for Valterri.

To me it just seems that a lot of people are oversensitive in this current era of civilization. To me he just puts is rather bluntly. Not meant bad towards Nico.

[Phil]

I assume some of the things he says doesn't translate well. Lauda is often on German broadcaster RTL where he says things on behalf of himself and not Mercedes. Then there are other times, when he is asked as the person employed by Mercedes.

I think on many websites that just basically repost the latest headlines, they love to just take the most sensationalist statements without any context and then you end up with flame bait like the sentence above.

[iotar__]

- With Ecclestone gone Lauda is less valuable to Merc so his main job now is making a lot of noise. He still owns fraction of the team though.
- Talk is cheap, mindless, silly hype is the standard in F1 now (everyone's copying RB, recently McL)
- when he kept on repeating about how complicated new driver situation was safe guess was that it was the opposite and decision has been made long time ago.

1 year contract for Bottas is a bit surprising, maybe less so considering that:
- they like to make a circus out of extending, good occasions to mention potential candidates like Wehrlein and Alonso
- short contract leash can be useful
- perhaps Williams buy out money was the issue.

[turbof1]

- With Ecclestone gone Lauda is less valuable to Merc so his main job now is making a lot of noise. He still owns fraction of the team though.
- Talk is cheap, mindless, silly hype is the standard in F1 now (everyone's copying RB, recently McL)
- when he kept on repeating about how complicated new driver situation was safe guess was that it was the opposite and decision has been made long time ago.

1 year contract for Bottas is a bit surprising, maybe less so considering that:
- they like to make a circus out of extending, good occasions to mention potential candidates like Wehrlein and Alonso
- short contract leash can be useful
- perhaps Williams buy out money was the issue.

Both Vettel and Alonso are at the end of their contracts this season. That's the reason why Bottas got a 1 year contract. Mercedes even openly stated this: should Bottas under perform, he'll be out and replaced by the former 2.

Of course, a little bit more sinister, something that has passed the revenue a lot, is that Mercedes is planning on quiting F1 altogether in 2018.