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Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes AMG F1 tweets for advice re Nico and Lewis

2014 Belgian Grand Prix

Yes, you read that right!

While some degree of fallout from the Nico Rosberg contact on Lewis Hamilton from the Belgian Grand Prix was inevitable the heights it has reached is rather astounding. From team bosses making outlandish statements in public, to Lewis claiming Nico did it on purpose, to the general media hyperbole.

It’s not helped by the largely British-focused media wanting to see their home boy get the post-season chocolates. And, yes, Nico did make a mistake in clipping Lewis’ left rear tyre. But does anyone seriously believe that Nico hit Lewis as part of  a planned and deliberate move?

Rosberg may not be the wheel-to-wheel racer that Hamilton is, as the general commentariat believes, but there’s no way he did that on purpose.

Anyway, without wanting to get further sucked into the soap opera the Mercedes garage has become, we were somewhat amused to see the team has taken to twitter overnight to seek advice from the general public.

No, we don’t think any of the feedback will be read by the team’s decision makers, let alone influence their thinking, but it’s still an intriguing approach to take given the profile the topic is commanding.

You can see the tweets from Mercedes after the break (follow the links for full responses). As you’d expect there were plenty of smart arses in the peanut gallery. Here’s a selection of our favourite responses:

On how to implement team orders
@dwaynepin I would start by re hiring Ross Brawn.
@ewanorandy Maybe tell Rosberg to let Hamilton win… that’s what most people want

On the question of suspending a driver for breaking team rules
@gokrazyinc yes suspend, to make sure this does not happen again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@McLaren_Soul Look, you can’t suspend Nico after a racing incident but defend Lewis when he disobeys team orders or takes Nico out of track

Smart social media strategy, or just plain dumb?

[via twitter]

3 replies on “Mercedes AMG F1 tweets for advice re Nico and Lewis”

If Merc aren’t careful, this can become a “match fixing” debate… That worked out well for Cricket/AFL and for Soccer o.O

That ship has already sailed BMW, fixing and other forms of corruption have been an integral part of motor racing since the earliest days over a hundred years ago, if anything leading the way for that untasteful practice in sport.

It’s also been an integral part of Mercedes’ history in GP racing, in the pre-WWII years when they’d coordinate formation finishes with the “rival” Auto Union team and in the 1950s when the Lewis-equivalent would be expected to hand over a working car if the Nico-equivalent was stranded by mechanical failure.

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