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Lewis Hamilton wants to take the lead in the World Championship, while Nico Rosberg has no intention of being overtaken. The battle within Mercedes, following the Englishman's four victories in the last five races, is more alive than ever. While Hamilton chooses a low-profile approach, Rosberg decides to counterattack, at least verbally.
"I don't feel any pressure; we can say that up to this point, I've had a better season than everyone else. I need to focus only on the upcoming weekend, aiming to go home with a victory".
Despite the dominance in the standings, with 168 points for Rosberg and 167 for Hamilton, the German driver extends the title race to others.
"We're focused on Hungary; Red Bull and Ferrari have had ups and downs, but the road is still very long. I can understand why people think that way, but there's still a lot to be done. I don't particularly dwell on the results of the last five races; I try to turn the page each time".
Further unsettling Rosberg's eve are rumors about his contract:
"I know how to handle everything; I have Berger on my side managing the situation for me, to avoid losing focus".
There's a completely different atmosphere in Williams, with Felipe Massa expecting to remain in Formula 1 next year but currently lacking certainty:
"I'm confident; everyone knows what I can do, I have a lot of experience, and I hope things go in the right direction. I just try to do my job, race after race. My plan A is to stay in a prominent team like Williams or go to another competitive team; with time, we'll have the right answer".
The Brazilian openly supports the possibility of keeping a Grand Prix in Italy:
"We clearly have to wait and see what happens; if they announce something appropriately and definitively, we'll talk about it. I wouldn't like to lose a Grand Prix like Monza, but the most important thing is to have a Grand Prix in Italy because it's a crucial place for Formula 1, and it would be very sad to lose it. I loved racing at Imola, and I also like Monza a lot".
Nico Rosberg shares the same sentiment:
"It's crucial to continue racing in Italy, a legendary place. Both Imola and Monza are beautiful tracks".
Horner, the Red Bull team principal, who won four championships with Vettel, says:
"For me, Sebastian will go to Mercedes in 2018".
A statement that sounds like a bomb, shaking the spirits of Ferrari fans, but Vettel returns it with great sarcasm:
"I don't know in what condition he was when he said that. Sometimes, when you're not clear-headed, you say strange things. My future is with Ferrari".
A denial of a possible farewell to Maranello that positions the German as one of the few constants in a team distant from Mercedes and followed by Red Bull. Vettel hasn't lost confidence:
"If I hadn't retired three times, my ranking would be very different".
And is not worried about the rumors of a possible red revolution, with the widower James Allison who should return to England at the end of the season to be with his children, with a technical director to find, with rumors continuing to talk about a return of Ross Brawn (he denies it), and with Maurizio Arrivabene himself admitting that Budapest is a kind of last chance, perhaps aware that he is not too shielded from the wrath of President Sergio Marchionne. Vettel remains positive and, if anything, is sharp about certain changes mandated by the FIA. From Budapest, anyone who manages to quickly fix a problem thanks to a suggestion via radio must return to the pits.
"It's bullshit, I miss the old radio messages. It's absurd to make all curbs the same; they've changed them here too. Or to put sensors to prove that a driver goes off track to seek maximum speed. This intent is in our DNA. And if you go beyond the line, it means that the track is wrong".
On Friday, August 22, 2016, Nico Rosberg renews his contract with Mercedes, extending it until 2018. The announcement is made by the Brackley team, which tweets a short video showing the German driver and the team principal of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, signing the agreement for the next two seasons, and then a photo of the contract.
"Nico is our real deal. We negotiated this contract for a few months; it was clear that we wanted to continue with Nico. But it was important to sign, and we did it last night, and we're happy".
When asked if this signature could give Rosberg a greater boost, Toto Wolff replies:
"I hope so, the fight between the two is very intense, I like it, it's important for Formula 1 as well. I've had a headache for days, but we are aware that it improves the team; they push each other harder. Again, we are happy".
Both Hamilton and Rosberg will end their contracts in 2018:
"It's a big concern for us, but we're ready to take this headache. It's more positive than negative to have two number ones in the team".
Toto Wolff sarcastically comments, although it is clear that it is satisfaction-driven irony, on Nico Rosberg's lucrative contract renewal, a Mercedes driver since 2010 and now bound by a generous agreement (45.000.000 euros net for two seasons) until the end of 2018. The team principal thinks of all the future clashes between the two drivers that he will have to contain, with Rosberg leading the World Championship standings, Hamilton, who has already won two world titles with the Anglo-German team and is chasing by one point this season. Imagine how many headaches these two enemies will cause, promising peace and never respecting it, often avoiding eye contact, fighting on the track despite being part of the same team, but being terribly fast and allowing Mercedes, thanks to an increasingly competitive car, to be the happiest team around. Wolff acknowledges the difficult coexistence:
"But I also know that the two push each other, and it's better to deal with the best rather than anonymous drivers. I will endure the anxieties and hope to smile a lot more for the victories".
Of a car that threatens to crush the competition even in Hungary. Of a car that continues to be talked about for its supremacy - in the Budapest pits, it is said to have found a system to maintain the straight-line speed effects of the open wing, even when, by regulations, it should be closed, but to excel, it wants the best drivers. Hamilton, earning 98.000.000 euros net in three years, is the highest-paid and most glamorous driver; Rosberg, waiting to win a World Championship, finds himself with a robust bank account. Economically, they are not doing badly and have understood that war is profitable. Then, to deserve the salary, you have to win, but at the moment, rivals don't seem able to prevent it. Yesterday, Ferrari showed that it is doing better than at Silverstone, that it can beat Red Bull, but it understands that Mercedes is far away, and Vettel's two third places in practice are the best possible. All this while Rosberg gloats.
"Beautiful to stay in the strongest team".
And Wolff thinks about a good hair dye. On Friday, July 22, 2016, due to the rain that fell overnight, the session begins with a still damp track. In the first half-hour of the session, drivers opt for intermediate wet tires, but no one sets a valid time. The fastest is Lewis Hamilton, who edges out his teammate Nico Rosberg by less than 0.3 seconds. The World Champion sets a time 0.5 seconds faster than the pole position in the 2015 edition. This result is favored by the new asphalt, making the track less bumpy than in the past. Nevertheless, there are some spins, both from Sebastian Vettel and the McLaren drivers. The two Mercedes drivers are unreachable by the rest of the pack: the third-place Sebastian Vettel closes with a time over 1.5 seconds higher than that of Lewis Hamilton. At the end of the session, McLaren replaces the power unit on Fernando Alonso's car: as no new components have been used, the driver is not penalized on the grid. In the second session, Lewis Hamilton crashes into the barriers at turn 11 after hitting the new curbs. The car is not repairable for the rest of the session, and the driver is taken to the circuit's medical center. With the World Champion absent, Nico Rosberg sets the fastest time of the session. Behind the German is Daniel Ricciardo, 0.5 seconds adrift, while Vettel, in third, reduces the gap to less than a second from the Mercedes driver. However, the car manages to bring the tires up to temperature only after two warm-up laps. Technical issues have limited the work for Felipe Nasr (brakes) and Carlos Sainz Jr. (power unit). The FIA announces that, during qualifying, times obtained by drivers exceeding the limits at turns 4 and 11, based on sensor reports, will be immediately removed. Sebastian Vettel says at the end of the practices:
"We lost a bit of time at the beginning with the red flag, which was not ideal for us. We managed to solve the problem we had, but we lost a bit of pace. It didn't go badly; I have good feelings, but we can improve for tomorrow. Mercedes very fast? I don't think there's a particular sector; all sectors need improvement. We're not yet happy with the balance, but maybe we can improve".
Kimi Raikkonen is more confident:
"It was a decent day; we improved continuously, it wasn't bad, a normal Friday".
On Saturday, July 23, 2016, even in the third free practice session, Lewis Hamilton fails to be competitive on a quick lap due to an error. Once again, Nico Rosberg sets the fastest time, although Max Verstappen closes only 0.002 seconds behind the Mercedes driver. Daniel Ricciardo is third. Force India focuses on using Medium tires for most of the session, not used by any other team during the practice.
A few hours later, rain begins to wet the track about half an hour before the start of qualifying, increasing in intensity about ten minutes before the scheduled start of Q1. The FIA decides to postpone the start of the session to 2:20 p.m. At the start of Q1, all drivers immediately go out on the track, concerned that a new downpour could make it impossible to set a time sufficient for qualifying for Q2. The rain, indeed, returns to wet the track, prompting the race direction to decide to interrupt the session with just over 13 minutes remaining. At the time of the interruption, among the non-qualifying drivers would be the two Mercedes drivers. Q1 resumes at 2:40 p.m., but the track conditions are still very challenging. Marcus Ericsson has an accident with his Sauber, and the race direction is forced to suspend the session again, with 9 minutes remaining. The return of the sun dries the track, and some drivers decide to use intermediate wet tires. Among them, Felipe Massa, who goes off the track, damaging his car. For the third time, the session is interrupted with the display of red flags. Q1 resumes at 3:09 p.m., with still 5 minutes available to the drivers. Meanwhile, the track dries very quickly, so the ranking is revolutionized as each driver crosses the finish line. With just over a minute left in the session, Rio Haryanto goes off the track, near the point where Ericsson's incident occurred. The race direction definitively interrupts Q1. Manor drivers, Renault drivers, and the injured Massa and Ericsson are eliminated. In Q2, Williams takes another risk, using slick tires for Valtteri Bottas, while other drivers prefer to use wet tires. The track dries, and, as in Q1, in the final minutes, each driver's passage over the finish line leads to a shake-up in the standings. Haas drivers, Sergio Pérez, Kimi Räikkönen, Daniil Kvyat, and Felipe Nasr are excluded from the decisive phase. In Q3, Lewis Hamilton is immediately the fastest: Nico Rosberg is slower by only 0.4 seconds, then reducing the gap to just 0.1 seconds at the end of the second attempt. Daniel Ricciardo, fast in the first sectors, makes a small mistake and is third, just 0.172 seconds behind the Briton. In the final moments of the session, yellow flags are displayed for Fernando Alonso's off-track excursion, but they are quickly withdrawn. Nico Rosberg manages to set the fastest lap of the entire session with his last attempt, securing pole position, his 26th in his career. Hamilton is 0.143 seconds behind, Ricciardo is 0.315 seconds adrift. However, Rosberg's time is under investigation by the stewards, who suspect that the German driver did not slow down when the yellow flags were displayed for Alonso's incident, as requested by Red Bull. But the telemetry data clears the German driver. Nico Rosberg celebrates his contract renewal in the best way.
"It was a very challenging qualifying session, with conditions that kept changing constantly. Towards the end, the track almost completely dried up, but there were still wet patches. It was necessary to be careful, but I managed to put in an excellent lap, and I am happy".
Regarding Rosberg's pole position achieved under yellow flags, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff responds:
"There is no request from Hamilton. Rosberg lifted off, and for me, everything seems correct, even though it's a marginal issue. Now we are calm after two hours of stress".
Commenting on the unfortunate qualifying, Sebastian Vettel, who was setting a great time when yellow flags were shown for Fernando Alonso's spin, says:
"Yes, of course, it was chaotic right from the start to make the cut - emphasizes the Ferrari driver. I was stuck in the car on the last lap and didn't complete it. I thought that time was good for the top three positions; I was half a second ahead. Now I have to talk to Button, who didn't get out; I have to talk to him. Hopefully, we'll start well, and then we'll see. The pace is there; we couldn't do the lap, but the pace was there. Tomorrow should be hot, and it should be an advantage for us. Usually, miracles can't be performed; everyone thinks of a faster strategy, but you can always come up with something. If the opportunity arises to do the smartest thing, we'll do it; I trust them; we've improved the car even if the grid position doesn't confirm it".
Lewis Hamilton is calm, despite starting in second place:
"I was four tenths faster than Nico on that last lap, and I felt very good in my car. Fernando was unlucky, but these things happen; I'm not particularly disappointed. It was a complicated session, and I did the best I could. Tomorrow I'll give it my all".
The magical emotion dispenser has gone haywire. A victim of its absurd rules - Ferrari president Marchionne called them written by four drunks at the bar - Formula 1, the pinnacle of technology, the epitome of speed on an asphalt road, in Budapest (a place previously the scene of strange and very late judgments, in 2007 Alonso's penalty came after midnight) decided to wave the white flag, concocting an unparalleled mess to save the on-field verdict and the subsequent starting grid for the race. The drivers went to sleep with the same result as 4:00 p.m. (qualifying was endless due to adverse weather conditions, lasting 2 hours with four red flags for as many track exits, spectacular but with damage only to the cars and not the drivers). Rosberg's pole is safe, despite setting the fastest time under yellow flags, tricking Hamilton at the last minute, who will start second, as are the Red Bull second row, with Ricciardo third, Verstappen fourth, and many other placements, obtained within the rules (Vettel fifth, third row) or with loopholes, Hulkenberg ninth, Bottas tenth. In the end, nothing happened, and those who did not experience this convulsive Saturday cannot understand the confusion that could have been, with the qualifying standings shaken up and completely overturned. This is because the judges, grappling with a first round marred by rain and interruptions, made a glaring mistake. They did not realize that not only the six eliminated drivers, Palmer, Massa, Magnussen, Ericsson, Wehrlein, and Haryanto, but also Ricciardo and Verstappen, the two Red Bulls, Perez and Hulkenberg, the two Force Indias, and Bottas with Williams had not set a time within 107% of the best time set by Rosberg, and therefore should not have taken part in the second round, but only allowed later to the race on request and at the back of the grid with the times set in the last free session. The regulation is clear, and the error is not trivial because, just to understand, Verstappen would have started twelfth, Ricciardo thirteenth, Vettel would have been third, and the disastrous Raikkonen ninth instead of fourteenth.
For hours, we went on with numbers, infringement of Article 35, paragraphs 1 and 2 (107%) and 17, paragraph 2 (complaints possible, but not in certain circumstances, and judges who already on Saturday night speak of the official qualifying will cling to this), but in the end, the solution devised goes against the regulation. The acquittal of Rosberg is as strange as the verdict. He swore to have seen the double yellow flag and slowed down; the judges believed him. Pay attention to the meaning of certain sentences: poor Jules Bianchi, trial ongoing, was accused of not slowing down with a double yellow flag. The crane on the track? A detail. He had to lift off. Perhaps, as Nico Rosberg did. On Sunday, July 24, 2016, during the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg was overtaken by both Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo. However, the German managed to secure the second position already at the second turn. Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Jenson Button followed. McLaren's English driver encountered a gearbox problem on the fifth lap, slipping down the order but avoiding retirement. Shortly after, he received a drive-through penalty for unauthorized communications with the pit, which had assisted in resolving the technical issue. During the 15th lap, Vettel made his first pit stop, followed by Ricciardo on the next lap, who returned to the track ahead of the Ferrari driver but behind Valtteri Bottas, slowing him down. On the 17th lap, Hamilton and Verstappen also pitted. Verstappen found himself behind Kimi Räikkönen and attempted to pass him at the second turn without success. He tried again on the next lap, but the Finn resisted. After Rosberg's pit stop on the 18th lap, the standings showed Hamilton in the lead, followed by Rosberg, Ricciardo, Vettel, Räikkönen (who had not yet pitted), Verstappen, and Sergio Pérez. Pérez pitted on the 27th lap, dropping to tenth place. The gap between Hamilton and Rosberg decreased due to the degradation of the Briton's tires. On the 29th lap, Räikkönen also changed tires, rejoining in seventh place but quickly passing Alonso on the 31st lap, climbing to sixth. On the 34th lap, Ricciardo made an early second pit stop, while Verstappen waited until the 39th lap. Pérez pitted on the 41st lap but was penalized for a delay with his mechanics not being ready with the new tires. Hamilton and Vettel also changed tires on the same lap.
Rosberg waited until the 43rd lap for his second pit stop, rejoining behind Hamilton, albeit a couple of seconds adrift. Meanwhile, Ricciardo overtook Vettel, and Verstappen was ahead of Räikkönen. The Finn made his second stop on the 52nd lap. In the final laps, Rosberg closed in on Hamilton, Vettel approached Ricciardo, and Räikkönen chased Verstappen. On the 57th lap, Räikkönen attempted to overtake Verstappen, resulting in contact at the second turn, damaging the front wing of the Ferrari. Räikkönen requested a penalty for the Dutchman via radio, but the maneuver was deemed legal. On the 62nd lap, Hamilton made a mistake at turn 12, allowing Rosberg to get within 0.6 seconds. However, this did not make the German a real threat for the first position. Lewis Hamilton secured his fifth victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. Mission accomplished: with today's win in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hamilton took the lead in the World Championship, doubly frustrating his teammate who started from pole position. A six-point advantage that tasted like revenge for Lewis, considering his poor start to the Championship this year. Nevertheless, with fast laps, breathtaking overtakes, and great duels - winning five of the last six races - the Englishman returned to the top of the world, to Rosberg's dismay.
"Knowing that I have one more victory than Michael is incredible, considering that I grew up idolizing him. But without the hard work of my team, I wouldn't have achieved it. It wasn't one of the easiest Grands Prix, but certainly one of the most enjoyable. I had a good start with one of the Red Bulls alongside, then the team's strategy was fantastic. The guys back at the factory keep pushing to the max; it was a great day. Navigating through traffic was challenging today. Thanks to all the fans who were amazing this weekend; it's because of them that this race is so spectacular".
On the other hand, Nico Rosberg says:
"The race was decided at the start. I didn't start poorly, but worse than Lewis and Daniel. Daniel got the slipstream, Lewis the inside, putting me in a difficult position. I lifted off the throttle to avoid contact. Then I overtook Daniel at Turn 2, but I lost my race there. I'm happy that the German Grand Prix is up next; at home, I'll play my chances and try to make up ground on Hamilton".
Speaking about desperation, Ferrari is not in a bad position today either: the Red Bull nightmare for Maranello has materialized in full force. Ricciardo finished third, holding off Vettel, who remained off the podium. The same goes for the other two Red Bull drivers, with Verstappen driving Raikkonen crazy and relegating him to sixth place. The result? Now, in the constructor's standings, Red Bull is only one point behind Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel says:
"The pace today was good. With a better position yesterday, we could have easily secured third place. If I could have overtaken Ricciardo, I would have. He struggled with the tires; we had a better strategy. It's very difficult to overtake here".
On the possibility of switching to Supersoft tires towards the end, the German driver says:
"There were thirty laps to go: too much distance to cover. That's why we chose the Soft tires".
In any case, Vettel is satisfied:
"Today, we are content. Not with finishing fourth because we came here to win, and nothing has changed, but there's no magic formula that can explain everything. Today, Mercedes had better tire degradation than others. The difference in pace is not much, but when you add it up lap after lap, it makes a difference. In Germany, stronger than Red Bull? I don't think we were behind Red Bull today; in terms of results, yes, but in terms of pace, no. It will depend on us having a good Saturday, qualifying well, and then we would be favorites for Sunday".
Maurizio Arrivabene adds at the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix:
"We are a team with grit and strength. It's a shame to find ourselves with Vettel in that position. Raikkonen has proven today that he deserves confirmation. There were some strange maneuvers today as well; we'll see. There are always excuses, but let's forget about it. There are always 'exceptional situations.' Let's focus on ourselves: the team is strong and united. Low morale? Not true: we never give up, never. Have we talked to Charlie Whiting about what happened between Verstappen and Raikkonen? Yes: we have already talked from the pit wall, but there's always a good excuse...".
Fernando Alonso also earns points, finishing seventh with McLaren-Honda. Carlos Sainz Jr., Valtteri Bottas, and Nico Hulkenberg complete the top ten. The Mercedes' superb performance (they lapped everyone up to the seventh position) requires no comments, and applause goes to Alonso for bringing McLaren (Jenson Button retired on lap 62 due to hydraulic pressure problems) to seventh place, risking penalties for exploiting every inch of the track. Fernando rightfully belongs to those who never give up. Raikkonen, in any case, has little to complain about today: he raced (well) always on the attack and climbed to sixth place from fourteenth. Yet, the missed overtake on Verstappen (at that moment, Kimi had a significant tire advantage) stings because it shows how the Red Bull has forcefully positioned itself among Ferrari's comeback dreams. Moreover, the duel between the youngest and the oldest F1 drivers (18-year-old Verstappen and 36-year-old Raikkonen) gives us the image of a new era in F1, one where those who dare the most, attack the most, and never give up always come out on top. One pole in the last five years. This fact alone is enough to understand how difficult Ferrari's pursuit of championship dreams has been for a long time. A desire trampled upon by the stunning dominance of Mercedes, a team that manages to handle the fierce rivalry between its two drivers because, in the hybrid engine era, it has won 42 out of 49 races, leaving little to the competition in two and a half seasons.
Nevertheless, the situation is desolate, and Ferrari is seriously risking a disastrous season. After the Hungarian disappointment, a circuit where Ferrari had high expectations (Vettel won there last year), and this time, it delivered a fourth place for the German and a sixth for Raikkonen, Formula 1 heads to Hockenheim. It's another track where Ferrari envisions competitiveness, but where the Mercedes home team risks humiliating every opponent, and where Red Bull wants to definitively secure the position of the second force. The men of the Maranello team swear they have good feelings, derived more from the tests in Silverstone than the pace shown in Hungary, but in the meantime, they must deal with a new perspective. Not the one dictated at the beginning of the season by Marchionne to reach and beat Mercedes (which, barring miracles, won't happen in 2016), but the one to defend the second place in the Constructors' Championship. The Maranello team has only a one-point lead over Red Bull, in addition to having to regain the third place in the Drivers' World Championship, where Ricciardo precedes both Raikkonen (by 1 point) and Vettel (by 5 points). Maurizio Arrivabene, the team principal, leaves Hungary to motivate his team, stating:
"We respect Red Bull, even though they try to destabilize us by spreading strange rumors, such as Vettel's move to Mercedes. But we can't look sideways or behind us. Our focus must be forward".
A courageous statement, but one that risks being unrealistic. Catching up to Mercedes is a chimera, and Arrivabene is well aware of it:
"We are on their level as a team. In Budapest, all the guys in the pit were perfect, a determined team that never gives up and is skillful in strategies, as well as in engine performance. Unfortunately, we are not on their level in terms of aerodynamics".
And that's not insignificant, considering Ferrari has acknowledged this for a while but evidently struggles to find the right path to reduce this gap. On the other hand, Red Bull, dealing with the opposite problem, seems to have received good support from Renault this year, as their power unit is not as deficient, as demonstrated by Ricciardo's resistance to Vettel and Verstappen's performance against Raikkonen on a track where overtaking is challenging. In Hockenheim, where the engine matters more, Ferrari should have an advantage, but the feeling must turn into certainty because otherwise, thinking it's a shame to look sideways or behind becomes mere presumptuousness. From Hungary, Ferrari also takes home a considerable load of anger for the many brain-teasing decisions by the race stewards. The latest was the exoneration of Verstappen in the vigorous defense against Raikkonen's attacks. The Finn protested on the radio and afterward:
"The rules were trampled this weekend. I made two feints; he changed direction twice, and that's against the regulations. He should have been penalized".
Sebastian Vettel agreed:
"Kimi is correct; Verstappen is not".
Maurizio Arrivabene directed his dissatisfaction at the race director, Charlie Whiting:
"I want victories on the track, not at the table, but I won't stand for being wronged. Verstappen broke the rule; he says he changed direction only once. He saw it wrong; perhaps he needs a pair of glasses".
The frustration was even more pronounced for what happened in qualifying on Saturday. Arrivabene's comment was ruthless:
"F1 looked like a circus with the rules trampled. This damages the audience. Then, let's not be surprised if it drifts away".
The focus was on Rosberg's pole position with double yellow flags:
"Vettel stopped, he didn't slow down, and he took the pole. I told my guys: from now on, you ignore them too, then we'll deal with the judges".
Especially notable was the case of the 107% rule with eleven cars, including the two Red Bulls, not having enough time to continue qualifying and access the second round. The stewards turned a blind eye and maintained a starting grid that should have been revolutionized. The system went haywire, a grotesque solution. And Arrivabene's irony was sharp:
"It was raining, they talked about exceptional circumstances. As if Budapest were in the Gobi Desert".
Lewis Hamilton can share a photo, especially if it's the result of one of his ingenious ideas, summon three look-alikes to the circuit, have them dressed like him, with the same beard, the same standard Mercedes cap, and then celebrate in the pit amid general laughter. He can share the glory with his teammate Rosberg, if it goes to the team, since the two gifted Mercedes their twenty-fifth double, in addition to the 42nd victory in 49 races in the hybrid era. Hamilton, of course, leads in this too, with 26 wins against Rosberg's 16. He can have fun with friends, but when it matters, the fierce Hamilton loves to dance alone.
He dances, as he did on his car, imitating the frenetic movements of his idol Ali, and mocks rivals, especially the great enemy Rosberg, a teammate only in official records, who suffers his jabs even when beaten on the track. A wrong start, Hamilton soaring, elbowing and overtaking at the first turn, and farewell victory because in Budapest, if you open a door for Lewis, you won't catch him again. Just this, a pole conquered with force (and perhaps with a trick, given the controversies about the double yellow flag), and nullified in a few meters, is enough to sympathize with poor Nico, understand his dismay, and maybe pretend to console him. Instead, Hamilton, the undisputed king, hits hard, never satisfied. The victory, the fifth in Budapest and the fifth in the last six races, is a fresh flower, still fragrant, but he prefers to settle old scores, that pole stolen in a way he cannot accept.
"A single yellow flag is one thing, slowing down; a double is another, which means preparing for a stop. There was a double, and I don't think a tenth less is enough. The judges must clarify and be strict because otherwise, next time, it will be a jungle. Flags are displayed, and everyone ignores them".
Poison on judges and on the spared Rosberg. Not only that, well into the part, Hamilton also cites a precedent:
"In other categories, there is more seriousness. In 2005, Maldonado, with a double yellow flag, in Monte Carlo hit a commissioner full on. World Series, they disqualified him for quite a while".
Rosberg, sitting next to him, can't believe his ears. And he counterattacks:
"I slowed down by 20 km/h. In F1, with our cars, it's another world. At that point, I braked 30 meters earlier. If they didn't punish me, it's because there was no reason. I got the pole because I was so fast in other parts that I could afford to brake suddenly. I thank Hamilton for the lesson, but he should inform himself better".
Closed story? No, because in the clash, a detail is missing. While Rosberg responds, Hamilton has his hand in front of his mouth in a vain attempt to hide a smile, showing that he doesn't believe the version at all. After all, that's how he is, proud of his arrogance. He feels in control and wants to be the master of F1 for a long time. It took eleven Grands Prix to conclude his pursuit, but now he is again the leader. First at the finish line and in the World Championship.
"The start was decisive, I was the best, I had fun, what a duel with Rosberg and Ricciardo".
Many compliments to the team.
"Fantastic work, great car".
And a reference to Michael Schumacher.
"I grew up admiring his epic".
Beaten in the number of victories in Hungary, Rosberg threatens the counter-overtake in his Germany, and he puts his hand back in front of his mouth, as if to say, I don't even believe this. Nico, content with the new contract. The king is me.