Share

Hamilton unhappy with Merc after 'boring' Brazil GP

Sao Paulo, Brazil - Not satisfied with winning his third world title and a trophy for securing most pole positions in 2015, Lewis Hamilton was unhappy after finishing second behind his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg at the 2015 Brazilian GP.

Hamilton, who clinched his third championship at October's 2015 US Grand Prix, moaned that Mercedes deprived F1 fans of a real race at Interlagos by refusing to relent on their strict policy for matching race strategies.

Hamilton, who believed he was faster on the track than Rosberg, but unable to pass, asked the team to give him a chance to change strategy and try to beat his team mate.

'Let's take a risk'

Hamilton frustrated: "I am here to race and when you have the same strategy, it's set from the beginning. So, let's take a risk. I had the pace, but you can't overtake here. I was behind Nico, attacking for some time, but I killed my tyres. It's such a great track, but you can't get close enough unless you have a huge advantage on the guy in front.

"The DRS (drag reduction system) zone may not be long enough. That could have been the thing to make the difference. I just wanted to see if there were any other options.

"It would be great sometimes, to be able to do something different rather 'you're in on lap 15, and you're in on lap 16'. For me, I think we have to try to have some options and then see how it plays out."

Hamilton had been even more blunt on the podium when he described the race as "boring".

Unsurprisingly, Rosberg said it would be unfair if Mercedes allowed the drivers to run with different strategies.

His second successive win and fifth of the season allowed him to seal the runner-up spot in the championship.

Rosberg said: "It's a discussion we've had many times and it wouldn't be fair for the guy running second to go for another strategy and for it to turn out it was massively the better strategy.

"And you win the race, just because of luck and the other strategy being so much quicker. That's the big problem with it. That's why it doesn't make sense.

"It should be me against Lewis. That's it. And, no luck - not one strategy working better than another."

'He would never pass me'

Rosberg added: "I had the pace advantage over Lewis. He wasn't going to go past me. I was six seconds in front at the end and he would never pass me with that pace."

Hamilton, who has lost his intensely competitive edge since winning the title in Texas, refused to concede the point.

"I had the pace and contrary to what Nico was saying, at one point I was all over him, but I just couldn't get by."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()