Knight gesture in egoistic F1. Heart or Hamilton’s Calculus?
“I decided more heart than my head. The brain is more of a killer because every point counts. But my heart told me that letting Valtteri (Bottase) be the right thing. I think I’ve been well preserved today, and when you’re doing good things in your life, you’ll be back, “Hamilton wrote after the race.
What was that about? Hamilton wanted to beat the dominating Ferrari cars on Sunday at the Grand Prix of Hungary, but Bottas was frightened by his spell. He asked the bosses to “take him out of the way”.
They agreed, but on the condition that if the red car is unsuccessful, it will leave the third place again.
And finally it happened at the last corner of the Hungarian Championship. Yes, he kept the word.But he also lost three more points to Sebastian Vettel, champion of the championship. In the middle of the season there is a 14-point difference between them.
It is to be assumed that each point will have a gold prize at the end of November, so this gesture seems to be hideous from another point of view. At the same time Mercedes and surprising, because other stables, including Ferrari, would probably not have any conditions, and the team leader – especially when they are fighting for the title – enjoyed a higher point gain.
After all, Mercedes boss Mercedes Wolff admitted: it would be naive to think that if we lose the title due to these three points, we will not regret the decision. But if that happens, we’ll accept it.In the long run, thanks to this approach, we will win more prizes and more titles. ”
There is a different view. The fair play gesture will certainly improve the image of Hamilton and the whole stable. Especially when the F1 general public has recently been attracted to scandals and controversies. Now, however, he has shown that even though he is a team sport where the hierarchy of horsemen is very clear, he still has a human dimension.
Wolff knows: “We do not just go for joy but also to make our mark more familiar and selling more cars. If someone thinks the results on the track are the most important, you are wrong. We know very well what the cold-blooded decisions have on the brand, so we want to win the right way.Sometimes it’s a hell of a lot, because this was the hardest decision we had to make in the last five years. “He admitted that it was not easy for Bottas to release Hamilton’s way, and vice versa. Moreover, when the Mercedes in Hungary somewhat haped the transmitter, so not all radio messages to riders and bosses arrived. “I may have shown that I am also a team player,” Hamilton said.
And this may be another look at the thing, to blame the Brit from pure calculus would not be fair. Now he lost three points, but he showed Bottas a welcoming face, which he could return.It is only a few months before Fin is first, Hamilton behind him and will be the title…
Do not forget that team overhead has been a legitimate matter in F1 for years.