tranquility2k4 wrote:
Wrong. If Hamilton has more fuel left in the car at the end of the race then he could run a more aggressive engine mode that uses more fuel. But Mercedes do not allow this as apparently they must be on the same engine setting at all times, which seems bizzare.
What makes you say that? After Monaco strategy, pitstops, unprecedented dissecting of meaningless first or failed runs in Q (I was faster when I ran wide - who cares? I don't recall anyone given such luxury after failures) and gluing sector times to prove I don't know what another Hamilton non-story subject. IMO (of course and speculating, I didn't really check it):
1. If he does end with more fuel - let's say at least in Austria - it may be reliability related - brakes, cooling problems.
2. These are small differences (? correct me) - 50-48 or sth like that transfer to relatively small lap losses, problem is running out of fuel, changing style during the race (Monaco) and lifting and coasting which leads to:
3. They do it in phases, running in fuel saving mode (they have dozen
of those I think) can be managed when you don't lose position/a lot of time, Merc's huge advantage helps. There's some connection to tyres probably and they can spread it over several laps.
So no - being better on fuel helps but does not automatically mean Ham can push boost button and blitz past Rosberg at some stage and only evil Merc rules are preventing that. There's nothing preventing Hamilton attacking when Rosberg has to save fuel or gaining advantage when he leads - I'm sure it happened already many times.
BTW you've got to love local coverage (Sky website): 1. "...at last month’s Monaco GP, when Hamilton failed to back his team-mate after Rosberg
ran off the road in qualifying and then claimed they were no longer friends." Yep - he just ran off the road.
2. Pitstops in Austria, you really need to read it all
http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12433 ... its-damage but highlights: "Hamilton crossing the line 1.9 seconds behind race victor Nico Rosberg - precisely the margin Hamilton lost to his Mercedes team-mate in two tardy pit-stops." "With Hamilton actually within half a second of Rosberg during the final lap before easing off at the final corner, social media was inevitably saturated with conspiracy theories" And later: 'But there was no way past his team-mate thereafter with Hamilton's clear speed advantage over Rosberg blunted by their respective pit-stops with the Englishman's first stop nine tenths slower than the German's and his second a full second worse off. On such small margins are races decided..."
Manipulation on three levels: pitstops, margin towards the end and "clear speed advantage". What clear speed advantage?! What race were they watching? What about pitstop timing for leading driver, traffic etc.? They did mention "marginally over-shot his pit box at his first stop." but without relating to times - full pitlane time, clinging to this 1,9 BS. Of course track position means nothing - Ham wins without bad pitstops.
Plus social media and conspiracy theories.