Mid-season review – Mercedes: At loggerheads

The important numbers

Position in the Constructors’ Championship: 1st

Poles: 11

Podiums: 16

Victories: 11

Best result: 1st (6 wins for Lewis Hamilton, 5 for Nico Rosberg)

Best qualification: 1st (6 wins for Lewis Hamilton, 5 for Nico Rosberg)

Dream Start for Nico Rosberg

Nico Rosberg had been deeply affected by his mistake during the 2015 United States Grand Prix, which had handed Lewis Hamilton his third title on a silver platter. Yet, he managed to bounce back by winning the last three races of the season.

He continued his strong start to the season, benefiting from both a car still far superior to the competition and Lewis Hamilton’s troubles. In Melbourne, for instance, he didn’t allow his teammate to take advantage of his pole position and was very aggressive in the first corner. Although he had to let Sebastian Vettel pull ahead, he was still able to regain the lead thanks to a better tire strategy, securing a fourth consecutive victory if we include last season.

In Bahrain, the same scenario: Lewis Hamilton is again on pole position but makes a poor start, clearing the way for Nico Rosberg. While the German continues his winning streak, Lewis Hamilton manages no better than third as Kimi Räikkönen comes between the two Mercedes.

In China, fate strikes again for the triple world champion: he faces a failure of his energy recovery system as early as Q1, which drops him to the last place on the grid. The next day, he attempts a fantastic comeback, marked by five pit stops, but it ends in a disappointing 7th place finish. Meanwhile, Nico Rosberg has no trouble converting his pole position into another victory.

The same cause and the same effects during the next race: the same issue affects Lewis Hamilton again, this time in Q3. Despite everything, the Brit manages to climb back to second position but must once again concede to his teammate, who continues to extend his lead in the championship.

The Turning Point of the Barcelona Clash

In such conditions, it is understandable that the return to Europe, in Barcelona, is an important step for both teammates and rivals. Each must stake their claim to defend their chances in the championship. Lewis Hamilton sets the fastest time on Saturday, placing him just ahead of his teammate. But once again, he manages to take the first corner in the lead. However, the German is not on the right engine setting, and his car slows down significantly. Like a predator on its prey, Lewis Hamilton rushes to the inside and attempts an overtaking maneuver. Nico Rosberg refuses to yield, squeezes his teammate onto the grass, causing a spin that eliminates both cars from the race!

If Nico Rosberg had been clearly singled out following the Spa 2014 incident, the reactions are much more mixed regarding this new collision, which nevertheless has much more significant consequences. The tension is therefore at its peak for the Monaco event. Especially since the Mercedes duel is disrupted by Daniel Ricciardo, who takes pole position ahead of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. The difficult weather conditions on Sunday completely change the game. The German seems overwhelmed by the events and is even forced to let his teammate pass. The latter even inherits the final victory thanks to Red Bull’s pit stop error.

The tension does not decrease in Montreal because this time, it is Lewis Hamilton who runs wide at the first corner, which results in pushing Nico Rosberg onto the grass. Consequently, Rosberg is forced to rejoin in tenth position. Ultimately, Lewis Hamilton is able to secure his second victory of the championship while Nico Rosberg has to settle for fifth place.

The inaugural race in Baku holds another unpleasant surprise for Lewis Hamilton: he is once again let down by his car in Q3. Therefore, he has to start in 10th position while Nico Rosberg has no trouble distancing his rivals on a circuit that favors engine power. This time, the victory goes to the German while the Briton settles for fifth place.

A new clash in Austria

The battle between the two men reaches a new peak at the Austrian Grand Prix: this time, it’s Nico Rosberg who suffers a five-place grid penalty due to a gearbox change. But the safety car caused by Sebastian Vettel’s tire explosion allows him to completely get back into the race and even take the lead. He holds it… until the last lap. During his final overtaking attempt, at the end of the second straight, Lewis Hamilton tries to go around the outside. Nico Rosberg widens his line and hits his teammate once again. But his front wing snaps off and goes under his car. He thus finishes just off the podium while Lewis Hamilton secures another victory.

It was then a royal march forward for Lewis Hamilton, with consecutive victories in Great Britain, Hungary, and Germany. This series allowed car number 44 to regain the lead by the end of the German Grand Prix after being 43 points behind at the end of the Barcelona race. He is, therefore, in a position to go on vacation with a 19-point lead over his teammate.

He should therefore have taken advantage of this period to mentally reset in the quest for his first title, while Lewis Hamilton has clearly taken the upper hand in the last few races, especially since he was dominated in the last two races despite starting from pole position.