Mercedes: Hamilton Changes Chassis and Rosberg Hopes for Final Podium
Before the eighteenth race of the season, the Mercedes drivers are under no illusions about winning, as Sebastian Vettel is considered too fast. Lewis Hamilton might still regain form, thanks to a new chassis, while Nico Rosberg simply wants to maintain his momentum and even hopes to surpass his teammate and Kimi Räikkönen in the standings.
Author of mixed results in recent races, especially compared to his teammate at Mercedes, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton returns to the site of his last victory with McLaren in Austin.
A Grand Prix that could be a sign of renewal, at the end of the season, for the British driver and especially his car. Surprised by the recent performances of his single-seater, the Mercedes team investigated and seems to have discovered a fundamental problem with the chassis of the F1 W04, according to Auto Motor und Sport. A large crack has indeed been detected, reports Michael Schmidt, who adds that this could explain Hamilton’s disappointing race results.
For Lewis Hamilton, nevertheless, competing for the victory will be difficult: « Vettel has been faster by half a minute in recent races, so it’s hard to imagine that we will suddenly be ahead of him. My plan is to qualify ahead of him, then I will do my best to stay in front during the race.»
Nico Rosberg, for his part, will be keen to continue on his path to try to surpass his teammate in the final standings: « It is very important to be ahead of Lewis at the end, because your teammate is always the important point of comparison. » He even envisions climbing onto the championship podium, thanks to Kimi Räikkönen’s withdrawal: « Third place is still mathematically possible, so that’s the goal. The last two races have been good, so I want to continue like that. »
As a reminder, in the driver standings, Nico Rosberg is sixth, 16 points behind Lewis Hamilton, who is fourth, and 24 points behind Kimi Räikkönen, who is third.
