The latest reports have suggested that Lewis Hamilton will be facing some form of discipline from the Mercedes team for his disobedience in Abu Dhabi. It’s not clear what action the team will take, although some sources are going as far as to say that Hamilton could be fired or suspended in 2017. But would the team really do that?
As the season came to an end, more Mercedes drama began, giving us something to argue about over the offseason. Hamilton’s race tactics have been called into question at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as the Brit slowed in pace to attempt to back Nico Rosberg into the cars behind so that Hamilton would take the World Drivers’ Championship title. Despite multiple radio calls from Mercedes which instructed him to increase his race pace, Hamilton refused to do so.
There are mixed feelings about the tactics employed by Hamilton in Abu Dhabi, but it is almost certain that Mercedes are angered and that Hamilton will be facing some form of discipline from Mercedes over the winter. The punishment could be something as small as writing “I will never disobey Mercedes” 100 times or a severe as losing his contract for 2017.
However, it is unreasonable to think that the team will suspend or sack Hamilton. At the end of the day, Mercedes is there to win because that’s where the money is at, so the team would certainly not suspend the Brit and risk losing World Drivers’ or World Constructors’ Championship points, especially not with the big rule changes coming in 2017.
But could they fire him? Despite having a contract that lasts until 2018, the team could certainly terminate his contract. Driver contracts have so much fine print that it’s not a question of whether the team would be allowed to fire him, but rather would the team want to fire him?
No, the team would not fire Hamilton. Despite the trouble that he causes at times within the team, he has a lot of money behind him and brings a lot of fans to the team. Aside from the business element of the team, Hamilton also brings great race results to the team which allows them to get the 1-2 finishes that they love so much.
So what is happening behind Mercedes’ closed doors? Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that we will know what’s going on, but it’s certainly something. Hamilton’s social media accounts have been unusually quiet and roughly 36 hours after the race concluded, the team has not yet made press releases and driver quotes available. All of this shows that there is a storm brewing at Mercedes, although many people believe that it could just be a simple slap on the wrists.
We will have to wait and see what drama comes over the winter break.
Did Hamilton’s Tactics Cross A Line?
Weekend Summary: 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Hamilton: “I can’t and won’t give up”
Rosberg: “I have to treat this like any other race”
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