Mercedes

Mercedes drops a hint that Lewis Hamilton will race in 2022

Kevin Peterson02 mins

The Mercedes team has hinted there is no doubt Lewis Hamilton will return to racing in 2022. Mercedes Formula 1 team shared a social media update recently suggesting that Lewis Hamilton will drive one of their cars in 2022. Since the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, rumors have swirled that Hamilton may not return in 2022, due to the nature of his title loss to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Despite being in the lead for most of the race, Hamilton was overtaken by Verstappen on the final lap after a controversial Safety Car intervened late in the race. Apart from one TV interview before the podium and a public appearance to receive his knighthood in the UK, Hamilton has remained silent since that day and even removed every follower from his own social media accounts. With the image of Hamilton, Mercedes posted a status saying, “Adversity causes some to break; others to break records.” Having said that, it is likely that Hamilton will return in 2022 in a bid to surpass the record he shares with Michael Schumacher – seven Drivers’ World Championship titles. Earlier this week, Hamilton’s brother, Nicolas, offered an update and revealed that the seven-time Champ is currently taking a break from social media. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said that Hamilton was left “shell-shocked” by the title outcome, while Helmut Marko believes he will return for next season.

Rosberg left in ‘pain’ after Hamilton defeat

Kevin Peterson04 mins

Lewis Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg was devastated to miss the championship title in 2021 after his old teammate missed out. Despite Lewis Hamilton missing out on the Formula One world title in Abu Dhabi last month, Nico Rosberg said he suffered ‘incredible pain’ after his former teammate was unable to take the crown. In December, Hamilton was left heartbroken when he lost out on a record eighth world title to eventual winner Max Verstappen on the final lap of the season. Apparently, the English driver wasn’t the only one to feel despair after the dramatic finish, as his former teammate Rosberg expressed the same sentiment. “I felt pain, incredible pain. I don’t have anything to do with Mercedes now, but of course it’s my family from before, and an incredible pain,” Nico Rosberg said. “They were 99 percent sure they were going to win the World Championship until there were three laps to go.” “After losing it, and losing it in a fight like that, where they couldn’t do anything because the tyres had 50 laps on them, unbelievable pain.” After Verstappen took advantage of a contentious call by FIA director Michael Masi, the Abu Dhabi race was a dramatic one, but no doubt tainted with controversy too. With just a handful of laps to go, Masi controversially allowed only five lapped drivers to pass the safety car, eliminating the comfortable lead Hamilton had over Verstappen. A one-lap shootout was the only option open to the title rivals after the safety car and lapped racers cleared the track, and it was the fresh tyres of the Dutchman that gave him the edge late on. Rosberg regrets that the FIA made such a strange decision, which left many in the racing world bewildered. Mercedes manager Toto Wolff admitted that Hamilton ‘lost faith’ after how things played out, much like his old teammate. “He won the World Championship until the last lap, and then everything is taken away from you from one second,” the Mercedes boss said. ‘Of course you lose faith because you can’t understand what has just happened.” “’I just need to do the utmost I can to help him to overcome the feelings that he has in order for him to return strong with a love of the sport and trust in the decision-making of the sport next year.”

Mercedes tease their 2022 Formula 1 car

Kevin Peterson02 mins

Mercedes has revealed their new car design for the 2022 Formula 1 season. In a social media post, the team used the slogan “new year, new Mercedes”, showing what appears to be an early prototype of the W13 – the car the team will enter for this year’s championship. Various new technical regulations have been introduced to F1 this year, which will drastically change the look of the cars. In the past season, it displayed a show car that offered an interpretation of the rules. There are several obvious differences between the Mercedes image and the show car. In the Mercedes, the front wing has three instead of four elements, the sidepods are considerably larger, and the rear wing is shaped differently. Last week, Mercedes shared video of the W13’s new 2022 power unit being fired up for the first time. There has been no other team that has revealed as much about their 2022 plans, and preseason testing has yet to begin. Mercedes has won the constructors’ championship eight times in a row, and led in the drivers’ championship seven times in a row until Lewis Hamilton lost to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen last year.

Mercedes will be going back to silver livery for 2022

Kevin Peterson03 mins

Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team will be reverting to the silver livery for the 2022 season. Mercedes will be going back to the future after deciding to use silver livery for 2022 F1 season. This is after the team used a black livery for the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. Previously they had been using a silver livery until they decided to change the livery to black as part of the continued Black Lives Matter social awareness initiative that has been so important to Sir Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who is Black, came less than one lap from winning his eighth F1 drivers’ championship after F1 race director Michael Masi allowed lapped cars in-between Hamilton and Max Verstappen to pass the safety car ahead of the last lap restart. At the time of the announcement of the black livery for the team, Mercedes AMG Petronas made it clear they wished to see more inclusion and social justice. In a statement, they said, “For 2020, we have chosen to race in an all-black base livery as a public pledge to improve the diversity of our team and a clear statement that we stand against racism and all forms of discrimination. The call to ‘End Racism’ will feature on the halo of both cars, and the united F1 initiative #WeRaceAsOne will be featured on the mirrors of the W11.” Since then, Hamilton has kept the 2022 season on edge as rumors swirl that he may retire after the controversial finish to the season. The move to silver is not seen as an affront to the Black Lives Matter effort by Mercedes. They, and Hamilton, are dedicated to stamping out racism. Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One announced in June of 2020 that the black livery would be just for the 2020 season. Hamilton has formed a panel to increase diversity in motorsports.

Signatures for a petition to make Lewis Hamilton 2021 champion get to 40,000

Kevin Peterson04 mins

A petition attempting to make Sir Lewis Hamilton the 2021 F1 world champion has now been signed by almost 40,000 people. The season-ending 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix got criticism from many Formula 1 fans as race director Michael Masi was accused of manufacturing a grand stand finish between Hamilton and Max Verstappen. A crash for Williams’ Nicholas Latifi brought out a late Safety Car, and Red Bull brought their Dutch driver into the pits for fresh tyres. Mercedes kept Hamilton out on track, fearing that he would lose tack position and could have ended up P2, had there been insufficient time to restart the race. One of the time constraints appeared in the form of lapped runners, five of whom were between Hamilton and Verstappen the two race leaders. Race director Michael Masi initially ruled that none of the lapped cars would be permitted to pass the Safety Car, before in a strange turn of events deciding to let the five at the front pass, but none of the others. Verstappen was then able to pass Hamilton on the very last lap to claim the championship. It led an angered Hamilton to say on the radio that the race had been “manipulated”, and Mercedes instantly protested the race result. Upon seeing their protests denied, the Constructors’ Champions lodged an intention to appeal, but eventually withdrew this. A petition was then started to overrule the championship result and award Hamilton his eighth championship. The person who created the petition, Patel Gordon-Bennett, argues that what transpired in Abu Dhabi sends a “very wrong message to youngsters and future racers.” In his petition, he wrote: “I believe that justice was not served on Sunday December 12, 2021 when the FIA stewards denied Lewis Hamilton of his win of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “With less than 1 lap remaining, some lapped cars were allowed to pass the safety car, which does not comply with the rules of the F1 sport. “This gave rival opponent Max Verstappen the opportunity to overtake Lewis Hamilton and win the Grand Prix. If you are an advocate of justice, honesty and fairness, please sign this petition. “Leaving this decision as it stands will send a very wrong message to youngsters and future racers.”

Mercedes absent in FIA Prize Giving Gala pre-event

Kevin Peterson02 mins

Mercedes failed to attend FIA’s photo opportunities on Tuesday night ahead of the main prize giving event on Thursday. The FIA Prize Giving Gala is scheduled for Thursday evening in Paris with the event involving all FIA Championships. Both Mercedes Formula 1 and Formula E teams were missing in the Tuesday’s pre-ceremony which serves as a preparation for the main event on Thursday. This comes after Mercedes won the 2021 Formula E and Formula 1 Constructors Championship titles with Nyck de Vries winning the Formula E Drivers Championship title. However, Lewis Hamilton was beaten to his record eighth Formula 1 title by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale. Verstappen’s last lap overtake on Hamilton was controversial after the late Safety Car allowed lapped cars between the title rivals to overtake. Verstappen also had the upper hand after pitting for fresh soft tyres, the Dutchman later found himself just behind Hamilton and the last minute battle to the finish was on. Verstappen won the race claiming his maiden championship win. Mercedes lodged two protests to the Race Stewards after the race complaining about the control of the final Safety car. However, the stewards dismissed the protests with the team revealing they have no further intentions of taking the issue further.

Mercedes appeals rejected by F1 Stewards

Kevin Peterson05 mins

Formula 1 Stewards rejected two appeals lodged by Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton lost the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Verstappen won the last race of the season claiming his maiden Championship title after a controversial last minute move on Hamilton. The Dutchman was able to overtake the Mercedes driver on the final lap. Mercedes later launched a protest claiming that Verstappen initiated an overtake on Hamilton while the Safety Car was still on the track. The race stewards later dismissed the appeal citing that the pictures presented were inconclusive. Red Bull argued that Car 44 was not “overtaken” by Car 33, that both cars were “on and off the throttle” and that there were “a million precedents” under Safety Car where cars had pulled alongside then moved back behind the Car that was in front.  Conclusions of the Stewards: The Stewards consider that the protest is admissible. Having considered the various statements made by the parties. The Stewards determine that although Car 33 did at one stage, for a very short period of time, move slightly in front of Car 44, at a time when both cars where accelerating and braking, it moved back behind Car 44 and it was not in front when the Safety Car period ended (i.e. at the line). The second appeal lodged by Mercedes was all about allowing lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car. After the Safety Car was brought out following Nicholas Latifi’s crash, Hamilton opted to stay on the track as Verstappen was called in to the pits for fresh tyres. Coming back to the track, the Red Bull driver was five lapped cars behind Hamilton. The Race Director later cleared the lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car, a move that directly landed Verstappen just behind Hamilton. Running on fresh soft tyres Verstappen had the advantage over Hamilton who had older tyres. The Race Stewards dismissed the protest stating that, Having considered the various statements made by the parties the Stewards determine the following:  That Article 15.3 allows the Race Director to control the use of the safety car, which in our determination includes its deployment and withdrawal.  That although Article 48.12 may not have been applied fully, in relation to the safety car returning to the pits at the end of the following lap, Article 48.13 overrides that and once the message “Safety Car in this lap” has been displayed, it is mandatory to withdraw the safety car at the end of that lap.  That notwithstanding Mercedes’ request that the Stewards remediate the matter by amending the classification to reflect the positions at the end of the penultimate lap, this is a step that the Stewards believe is effectively shortening the race retrospectively, and hence not appropriate.  Accordingly, the Protest is dismissed. The Protest Deposit is not refunded.