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Conclusions from the Malaysia GP
- Updated: October 2, 2016
The heat is on Hamilton The track temperature was well over 50C. For all the haze and humidity, the only heat will be remembered about Malaysia 2016 are the flames that spat out of the back of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes W07. The power unit failure at Sepang could be the defining moment of the season and Hamilton, crestfallen with head in helmet trackside, could be the defining image of a campaign to remember.
Because now, with just five races to go, Hamilton finds himself 23 points adrift of Nico Rosberg who finished third in Malaysia. Moreover, Hamilton may face a grid penalty due to a parts change that the failure is likely to prompt.
What a difference 40 laps makes. Going through T1 at the the start Rosberg was at the back of the pack after contact with Sebastian Vettel left him facing backwards, while Hamilton was flying out front. Not to mention Rosberg’s high risk, low reward lunge up the inside of Kimi Raikkonen on lap 38.
For the Championship leader, 2016 is just working out and with this in mind his third place is effectively a victory.
When misfortune reads like conspiracy Hamilton’s post-race suggestion that “something just doesn’t feel right” about his reliability woes lit up social media platforms as fans buzzed about a potential conspiracy.
But context and perspective are everything. This is, it is also worth noting, a driver who hasn’t tasted victory since the German Grand Prix in July. He is hurting as a reliability-related DNF will never feel just.
Is it possible that some of the 700 Mercedes F1 employees could sabotage a car? Yes. Is it possible for them to keep quiet about it. No.
Hamilton would be better off pondering how best to revive his challenge by doing his talking in the cockpit at the next grand prix. Or by partying it up with the Kardashians or whatever it is he does for race preparation these days.
Red Bull builds momentum and Ricciardo lays down a marker Besides Hamilton’s DNF, the moment that settled the 2016 …
