Hamilton defends not being the number 1 driver at Mercedes
While Helmut Marko believes that Mercedes has proven, unlike Red Bull, that there is a number one driver in their team, in the person of Lewis Hamilton, the latter defends himself. The Briton reveals that he could have let Nico Rosberg pass during the Malaysian Grand Prix if Ross Brawn had not insisted on following team orders.
The day after the Malaysian Grand Prix, the orders given by Red Bull to their drivers to freeze positions and Sebastian Vettel’s non-compliance are causing quite a stir, both in the paddock and among Formula 1 fans. However, while some believe that Red Bull has long favored the German driver, Helmut Marko, the right-hand man of Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of the team, sees it as proof that both drivers are treated equally, as it was indeed the triple world champion who was asked not to attack his teammate. And the Austrian fires back at his opponents: « It’s not like at Mercedes, where there’s clearly a number 1 and a number 2. »
In fact, concerned with preserving the good results of its drivers, the management of the Mercedes AMG team also issued race instructions that its drivers followed, even though Nico Rosberg did not hesitate to say that he hoped he would be given the same favor someday: The decision was unpopular but fair, says Toto Wolff, newly appointed executive director of the Brackley team, on RTL.
For his part, having secured his first podium with the Mercedes team, Lewis Hamilton defends himself against benefiting from any preferential treatment in response to Helmut Marko’s statements: Red Bull clearly has a number one and a number two, that’s always been the case. That’s why they’ve always had the problems they’ve had. We don’t have a hierarchy at Mercedes. I’ve always said, from the moment I started talking with the team, that I wanted to be treated equally [with Nico Rosberg]. They didn’t offer me special treatment but I just wanted to be clear that I’m not the kind of driver who asks for that, like many other drivers do.
However, the Briton does not derive great satisfaction from his podium and did not hide his belief, right from the end of the race, that his teammate deserved it more: « You need to be able to look in the mirror and say that you won fairly. In Malaysia, I do not have that impression […] even if I had a good race. » And the Briton revealed that he considered letting Nico Rosberg pass: « At the end, I told Ross that I wanted to let him pass. He replied: “No way! When I tell you what I want, you stick to it! »
However, in Sepang, the 2008 world champion did indeed benefit from team orders in his favor: “It works both ways, the drivers know it,” defended Ross Brawn, the team director, on the air of Sky Sports. “We asked Lewis and Nico to hold their positions and they both respected that. Although it was tough for Nico, and I fully expect him to be disappointed, we now have a car that allows us to fight and there will be plenty of other opportunities to get good results this season.”
While waiting to be rewarded for his dedication to the team, Nico Rosberg has already received the esteem of everyone, starting with Hans-Joachim Stuck, the president of the German motor sports federation: « He was an example from the manual of top-class drivers. He is a Mercedes employee and so, when he receives an order, he follows it. »
