2016 Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team - Mercedes

[dans79]

Perhaps the old system could have used some tweaking but it just blows my mind the FIA is perfectly ok with a team taking 1 race to start from the back of the grid and then potentially having 8 or 9 complete power units for a whole season.

No team is going to get that many, as they take time to change, and they have to be used in a session to count if memory serves. That means at most they can get 5. Not to mention if teams start to abuse it, the FIA will just close the loophole.

[henry]

They started to abuse the system last year. The FIA didn't close the loophole they colluded with the revised interpretation. They did so because in their view of the numpties who follow F1 the previous interpretation was "confusing". F1 is sportertainment . The rules are just a sort of guideline to be aimed at. If a team gaming the rules leads to column inches and fan interest then game them they can.

[matt_b]

So after FP3 it will look like this

Driver  ICE	TC	MGU-H	MGU-K	ES	CE
Lewis  	6	8	8	6	4	4

So 3 engines to do 9 races compared to Nico's 2 engines to do 9 races.

The question is can Mercedes take Lewis' car out of parc ferme and change the engine for the 4th time? Nothing wrong with what they're doing, they're simply following the rules and starting last in a race they probably could've won from pole, that is the ultimate cost.

[Cold Fussion]

Perhaps the old system could have used some tweaking but it just blows my mind the FIA is perfectly ok with a team taking 1 race to start from the back of the grid and then potentially having 8 or 9 complete power units for a whole season.

No team is going to get that many, as they take time to change, and they have to be used in a session to count if memory serves. That means at most they can get 5. Not to mention if teams start to abuse it, the FIA will just close the loophole.

What? 1 engine change before fp1,fp3 and the race is an easy 3 engine change in a raceweekend, add 1 before fp2 and you have 4 engines in one weekend. 5+3=8, 5+4=9.

The question is can Mercedes take Lewis' car out of parc ferme and change the engine for the 4th time? Nothing wrong with what they're doing, they're simply following the rules and starting last in a race they probably could've won from pole, that is the ultimate cost.

I'm pretty sure they can make changes inside parc ferme and take another penalty. It happens pretty regularly with gearboxes and I'm sure it's been done for engines as well.

[diego.liv]

Think Merc will try to keep it less unbalanced possible, ok Lewis got issues at the beginning of the season, but changing 4 times the same part sounds a bit unfair to Nico.
Btw Lewis using same Spa-spec rear wing like Nico

[Paul]

If I am not mistaken taking another unit would mean starting behind Alonso from the pitlane. Which is just another (however minor) hurdle to overcome they don't really need.

[Straggler]

Think Merc will try to keep it less unbalanced possible, ok Lewis got issues at the beginning of the season, but changing 4 times the same part sounds a bit unfair to Nico.
Btw Lewis using same Spa-spec rear wing like Nico

Unfair?! How about starting last in China, Belgium and 10-th in Russia instead of taking potential 3 poles and wins? Isn't this way more unfair? I don't think anyone will chose Hamilton's situation if he had the chance.

[Jolle]

Think Merc will try to keep it less unbalanced possible, ok Lewis got issues at the beginning of the season, but changing 4 times the same part sounds a bit unfair to Nico.
Btw Lewis using same Spa-spec rear wing like Nico

Unfair?! How about starting last in China, Belgium and 10-th in Russia instead of taking potential 3 poles and wins? Isn't this way more unfair? I don't think anyone will chose Hamilton's situation if he had the chance.

It would be unfair if rosberg was given a different solution when faced with the same bad luck.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

Think Merc will try to keep it less unbalanced possible, ok Lewis got issues at the beginning of the season, but changing 4 times the same part sounds a bit unfair to Nico.
Btw Lewis using same Spa-spec rear wing like Nico

Unfair?! How about starting last in China, Belgium and 10-th in Russia instead of taking potential 3 poles and wins? Isn't this way more unfair? I don't think anyone will chose Hamilton's situation if he had the chance.

It would be unfair if rosberg was given a different solution when faced with the same bad luck.

I don't care whatever solution that Mercedes provides, but I would LOVE to see that situation happen with Rosberg.

[dans79]

What? 1 engine change before fp1,fp3 and the race is an easy 3 engine change in a raceweekend, add 1 before fp2 and you have 4 engines in one weekend. 5+3=8, 5+4=9.

That's my mistake, when I read your post I thought you where suggesting they could pick up 9 in a weekend.

[diego.liv]

Think Merc will try to keep it less unbalanced possible, ok Lewis got issues at the beginning of the season, but changing 4 times the same part sounds a bit unfair to Nico.
Btw Lewis using same Spa-spec rear wing like Nico

Unfair?! How about starting last in China, Belgium and 10-th in Russia instead of taking potential 3 poles and wins? Isn't this way more unfair? I don't think anyone will chose Hamilton's situation if he had the chance.

It would be unfair if rosberg was given a different solution when faced with the same bad luck.

My point is, from now on, ICE-wise, Nico have 2 left for 9 races, whilst Lewis 3.
The ICE itself was not an issue (surely in Merc's plans ahead of this season, thinking they could do the work with just 4 of them), and Lewis could have used his 4th like Nico ; now Lewis was always going to take multiple penalties in a single event, but Nico could argue that the 6th ICE was opportunistic rather then necessity for Lewis.

I'm not biased towards either one of the drivers, maybe Lewis' fans see the 6th ICE as fair because of the issues early in the season, i say that's difficult to assess the damage incurred earlier and translate it in which/how many PU elements should Lewis be allocated

[Phil]

It may not be. Nico has 1 unused ICE right? That is the engine he will receive in Suzuka, that Mercedes will use to spend its remaining tokens. Lewis will not, as the 3 new ICE he now has, are current spec and sealed. If Lewis, from my understanding, wants those upgrades, he will need a 7th engine and incur more penalties.

If Rosberg wants more engines, he is free to take penalties and start from behind?

I think Rosberg still has a slight advantage. Going in today, he has the potential to narrow the points gap to Lewis. That will have them nearly level. Then towards the end of the season, he is on the optimum path regarding engines. It will be interesting to see how much that of an advantage that newer spec engine will yield.

I am also interested about the internal team politics. Will Hamilton with 3 new engines be allowed to use more aggressive engine maps because he can or will it be deemed and unfair advantage during the race vs. Rosberg?

[Cold Fussion]

This is OT but I think every component introduced beyond the 5th element should have it's spec limited to that of the 5th introduced component. That would prevent a little bit of the madness we're currently seeing.

[nevill3]

In a quote I read online Hamilton has stated that previously he has been conserving his engine and not using all of his allocation of "agressive modes" but now that he has three fresh engines he will be utilizing the full quota of aggressive maps to ensure he wins his fourth WDC.

[ClarkBT11]

It may not be. Nico has 1 unused ICE right? That is the engine he will receive in Suzuka, that Mercedes will use to spend its remaining tokens. Lewis will not, as the 3 new ICE he now has, are current spec and sealed. If Lewis, from my understanding, wants those upgrades, he will need a 7th engine and incur more penalties.

If Rosberg wants more engines, he is free to take penalties and start from behind?

I think Rosberg still has a slight advantage. Going in today, he has the potential to narrow the points gap to Lewis. That will have them nearly level. Then towards the end of the season, he is on the optimum path regarding engines. It will be interesting to see how much that of an advantage that newer spec engine will yield.

I am also interested about the internal team politics. Will Hamilton with 3 new engines be allowed to use more aggressive engine maps because he can or will it be deemed and unfair advantage during the race vs. Rosberg?

Do we know it's going to be the ICE that's receiving the upragrades it could be one of the components Hamilton has left still with in limit.