WAS THE LAST TYRE CHOICE FOR ROSBERG AT THE HUNGARIAN GP A RACE LOSING DECISION?
Jul 26, 2015 20:16:10 GMT
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Post by racechick on Jul 26, 2015 20:16:10 GMT
WAS THE LAST TYRE CHOICE FOR ROSBERG AT THE HUNGARIAN GP A RACE LOSING DECISION?
Was Rosberg's tyre choice a race losing decision? And does it show a weakness in the way Rosberg thinks through a race, and also a weakness in decision making on Mercedes pit wall?
During a chaotic race, where championship leader Lewis Hamilton had made errors and was some distance back from the leading drivers, we hear Rosberg discussing his final tyre choice with his team. Rosberg is on primes, having run both types of tyre. He is the only driver in a podium position who has the luxury of selecting the faster tyre on which to finish the race. He holds an ace! And yet bizarrely, we hear him ask what Hamilton will be using for the final stint. Hamilton has no choice. He has run only the option tyre thus far, so will have to take the prime for the final stint. On hearing this, Rosberg immediately says that he wants the same tyre as Hamilton. He is disadvised of this by his race engineer. He is told that the pit wall don't think this is the best choice. What happens after that regarding the choices made by Mercedes for Rosberg's tyres can only be speculation. But let's look for a moment at that request by Rosberg for the prime tyre. With the option tyre, he had an opportunity to challenge the Ferrari's for, certainly second place, possibly the win. So why was he preoccupied with covering off Hamilton who was some twenty seconds back down the road? Does this expose a weakness in the way Rosberg thinks through a race?
And how did being on the prime tyres impact on the rest of the race? After the safety car Rosberg on options would have been in a perfect position to win the race. He would have been in a better position to take Ricciardo without the necessity of a marginal move that punctured his tyre. He could then have set off after Vettel. This is of course with the luxury of hindsight regarding the safety car, but even without the safety car, Rosberg would have had far more chance of challenging for a higher position by being on the faster tyre.
And what of the strategists at Mercedes? How do they fit into this scenario? We know that the pit wall advised against the prime tyre when Rosberg requested it. So why did they change their mind? Were they persuaded to do so by Rosberg? Did the safety car have a bearing? Did the advent of the safety car mean it was too soon to go to the option? But was it too soon? Christian Horner thought the decision odd. When questioned about it Toto said it was just at the changeover time regarding which tyre would be best, and they only had the prime ready. Really? That seems extraordinarily shortsighted of Mercedes, in a vastly changing race with a tyre decision to be made, to only have one tyre choice ready for use. Was Toto covering for a poor decision by Rosberg? Was he covering for an indecisive pit wall that were torn between what they felt was best and what Rosberg was asking for? Or did they really only have one tyre choice prepared for use?
We've seen this indecision on the pit wall at Mercedes more than once already this season, Monaco being the glaring example. In Monaco, pit wall dithering managed to wipe out a thirty second lead that Hamilton had pulled and demote him from first to third. That's a pretty spectacular achievement. Yes Hamilton had asked to pit, but he was under the impression that the two cars behind him had pitted. The pit wall should have an overview of the race that is not available to the driver. So why wasn't Hamilton on this occasion told. 'The two cars behind have not pitted, stay out. ' Why wasn't Rosberg told today . ' You are going on the option tyres, you can still win this race'?
Who makes the strategic decisions at Mercedes? Is it Paddy Lowe? Is it Toto Wolff? Is it the race engineers? Is it a strategist? A computer? Or is it a decision by committee? Whatever, whoever, it's looking increasingly like it's Mercedes Achilles heal. Mercedes can ride this at the moment, they have the luxury of the fastest car and two very good drivers, and the chasing pack a distance off. But the chasing pack are getting closer. Mercedes will not be able to afford the luxury of this pit lane indecision if Ferrari or Red Bull or Williams close up further. Mercedes have been superb, they have engineered a an amazing car, they let their drivers race and they go about business in relaxed and outwardly friendly manner, but...but...perhaps the missing piece in the jigsaw is a Ross Brawn. With a Ross on the pit wall one strongly suspects that Hamilton would not have been pitted at Monaco and Rosberg would have finished the Hungarian GP on option tyres, maybe on the top step of the podium.
Was Rosberg's tyre choice a race losing decision? And does it show a weakness in the way Rosberg thinks through a race, and also a weakness in decision making on Mercedes pit wall?
During a chaotic race, where championship leader Lewis Hamilton had made errors and was some distance back from the leading drivers, we hear Rosberg discussing his final tyre choice with his team. Rosberg is on primes, having run both types of tyre. He is the only driver in a podium position who has the luxury of selecting the faster tyre on which to finish the race. He holds an ace! And yet bizarrely, we hear him ask what Hamilton will be using for the final stint. Hamilton has no choice. He has run only the option tyre thus far, so will have to take the prime for the final stint. On hearing this, Rosberg immediately says that he wants the same tyre as Hamilton. He is disadvised of this by his race engineer. He is told that the pit wall don't think this is the best choice. What happens after that regarding the choices made by Mercedes for Rosberg's tyres can only be speculation. But let's look for a moment at that request by Rosberg for the prime tyre. With the option tyre, he had an opportunity to challenge the Ferrari's for, certainly second place, possibly the win. So why was he preoccupied with covering off Hamilton who was some twenty seconds back down the road? Does this expose a weakness in the way Rosberg thinks through a race?
And how did being on the prime tyres impact on the rest of the race? After the safety car Rosberg on options would have been in a perfect position to win the race. He would have been in a better position to take Ricciardo without the necessity of a marginal move that punctured his tyre. He could then have set off after Vettel. This is of course with the luxury of hindsight regarding the safety car, but even without the safety car, Rosberg would have had far more chance of challenging for a higher position by being on the faster tyre.
And what of the strategists at Mercedes? How do they fit into this scenario? We know that the pit wall advised against the prime tyre when Rosberg requested it. So why did they change their mind? Were they persuaded to do so by Rosberg? Did the safety car have a bearing? Did the advent of the safety car mean it was too soon to go to the option? But was it too soon? Christian Horner thought the decision odd. When questioned about it Toto said it was just at the changeover time regarding which tyre would be best, and they only had the prime ready. Really? That seems extraordinarily shortsighted of Mercedes, in a vastly changing race with a tyre decision to be made, to only have one tyre choice ready for use. Was Toto covering for a poor decision by Rosberg? Was he covering for an indecisive pit wall that were torn between what they felt was best and what Rosberg was asking for? Or did they really only have one tyre choice prepared for use?
We've seen this indecision on the pit wall at Mercedes more than once already this season, Monaco being the glaring example. In Monaco, pit wall dithering managed to wipe out a thirty second lead that Hamilton had pulled and demote him from first to third. That's a pretty spectacular achievement. Yes Hamilton had asked to pit, but he was under the impression that the two cars behind him had pitted. The pit wall should have an overview of the race that is not available to the driver. So why wasn't Hamilton on this occasion told. 'The two cars behind have not pitted, stay out. ' Why wasn't Rosberg told today . ' You are going on the option tyres, you can still win this race'?
Who makes the strategic decisions at Mercedes? Is it Paddy Lowe? Is it Toto Wolff? Is it the race engineers? Is it a strategist? A computer? Or is it a decision by committee? Whatever, whoever, it's looking increasingly like it's Mercedes Achilles heal. Mercedes can ride this at the moment, they have the luxury of the fastest car and two very good drivers, and the chasing pack a distance off. But the chasing pack are getting closer. Mercedes will not be able to afford the luxury of this pit lane indecision if Ferrari or Red Bull or Williams close up further. Mercedes have been superb, they have engineered a an amazing car, they let their drivers race and they go about business in relaxed and outwardly friendly manner, but...but...perhaps the missing piece in the jigsaw is a Ross Brawn. With a Ross on the pit wall one strongly suspects that Hamilton would not have been pitted at Monaco and Rosberg would have finished the Hungarian GP on option tyres, maybe on the top step of the podium.
