Singapore Grand Prix 2014, Singapore - Race 14/19

Vertigo1 said:
Doesn't explain why McLaren are so hopeless. At least the others have the engine excuse, McLaren have just produced a dog of a car.
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McLaren don't use Petronas fuel. The Mobil 1 stuff isn't anywhere as optimised for the engine, and so the McLarens are a good 50bhp down compared to the other Mercedes powered cars.
 
I can understand Lewis questioning (which is fine) the teams decisions, he has lost out heavily in the past due to wrong calls on strategy and being asked to push worn tyres too far. As the direct connection to the car he has a say in any decision too. Well done to merc and Hamilton for working through a moment of stress without much fuss.

I don't think merc were asking him to push to avoid time lost behind slower cars, they knew on new tyres and with his pace he would muller all he got stuck behind I think they were far more worried that overtaking could cause an accident or Lewis could be pushed onto marbles and have a smash.
 
Merc were very unnecessarily risking the finish by waiting to pit so long. As with what happened with Bottas, wear a tyre down too far and you risk damage. Even more so when asking a driver to push at a track like this you lose grip, you slide out more in corners. Other tracks he would end up a little wide, here pushing on very used tires you're risking binning it in the wall. Even had he came out behind Alonso the tires difference even ignoring the car difference would have made it easy.

Now, if he'd have been coming out behind Massa that is different, he's a joker in terms of professional driving and a car with equally high top speed. Against the RBR's and Ferrari Hamilton's only risk was binning it and going so long on that tire risked that heavily. Riccy, Alonso and Vettel weren't any significant risk at all in terms of contact when passing them.

This track is about confidence you can make the corner, when the driver has lost confidence you should pit basically.

Decent race, unlucky on Rosberg, weird that Merc didn't learn from Hamilton at Spa. Then they should have pitted him after 5 laps and that was just with bodywork damage/lack of downforce. With Rosberg's car no electrics, no speed, jumping gears. I thought they'd pit him after 5 laps and realising he hadn't got the pace to pass a freaking Caterham.
 
While I'm kinda pleased to see the scales between Hamilton and Rosberg balanced a little, it was a shame it was so categorical. Watching Rosberg try and battle back through the field would have been entertaining.

Hamilton drove a great race, and he deserves to be ahead in the Drivers Championship. I just hope we don't see this decided by double points at the last race.
 
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