I don't think Mercedes-AMG will react on this single incident, but they might react to a developing trend, if there is one. First quietly with Hamilton, and then, again quietly, with Hamilton's management. Mercedes F1 is not having good PR department as evidenced how they mismanaged Schumacher's retirement. Hopefully they learned a lesson or two. As with Ferrari, brand is first, Hamilton is little bit lower on the food chain.
.... Why the quiet word with Hamilton when it is Whitmarsh making the comments
?
I think it is time people separated what Hamilton says himself, what is attributed to him by others and what is said about him by people who work with him and therefore are assumed to be in the "know"
the guy gets a lot of flak as a result of all 3 aspects (the middle one usually cos it's the press themselves and this is how they operate).
Whitmarsh is in the latter group - the group constantly drip drip feeding the press with info that we take as gospel but if there is one thing this saga has exposed it is how out of touch the man is/was/has been with his "soon-to-be-former" driver
when you marry that to the fact that this side of January Whitmarsh has not made many sensible utterances or correct predictions then one should really direct one's ire to the one making the comments and not Hamilton.
as far as I see this is just normal service resumed –just another “ it was Lewis wot don it” article timing wise. Button criticises car? Whitmarsh closes ranks and redirects attention to Lewis, AGAIN!
Regrets scmgrets....
I wonder though if his prodding should reap a response does he actually have the stomach for “corporate” brawl he seems to be trying to stir up (there was the attempt to redirect Lewis’ car failure to Mercedes too). Going by how fast he sauntered in the opposite direction of the stewards office in Barcelona, I would seriously doubt it- which is why the notion his bizarre comments are pressure-induced lapse cannot be so far fetched
Moving on
Will McLaren put personal issues aside and grasp a US marketing opportunity to showcase them at their best?
Will Lewis run well?
Will his car finish the race?
The powers that be have only 2 races left to get button in front – I think that is a fascinating championship all on its own.