Niki Lauda ponders the mystery of the vanishing Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg barely featured in television coverage after finishing one-two in Japanese GP.

Niki Lauda, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Rosberg Hamilton Mercedes, Mercedes Hamilton Rosberg, Rosberg Hamilton Mercedes, Sports News, Sports

Lewis Hamilton’s win was his eighth of the season and 41st of his career. (Source: AP)

Niki Lauda pondered the mystery of the disappearing Mercedes on Sunday after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg finished one-two in the Japanese Grand Prix but barely featured in television coverage.

Instead, with Hamilton leading alone and untroubled by rivals, the cameras lingered on the Honda-powered McLarens and battles for the midfield places in a race that Mercedes dominated.

“It was funny to be honest, because I was watching TV all day long and funny enough I saw Saubers and a lot of Honda cars,” said Lauda, the Mercedes team’s non-executive chairman.

[related-post]

Story continues below this ad

“I want to see (commercial supremo) Bernie (Ecclestone) next week anyway and I’ll ask him what is the reason,” added the retired triple world champion.

“It was funny today, even the pit stop of Lewis — the leader — we only saw him driving out. We didn’t even see how he changed his wheels. It was interesting.”

Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff made light of the situation: “I wasn’t sure during the race where we were, I needed to look on the timing screens as I couldn’t see cars on track,” he said.

Hamilton’s win was his eighth of the season and 41st of his career, matching the career tally of his boyhood hero Ayrton Senna.

Story continues below this ad

While Formula One is never far from a conspiracy theory, some wilder than others, and Lauda dismissed a suggestion that the team’s lack of television exposure might be a sign that Mercedes had incurred Ecclestone’s displeasure by refusing to supply Red Bull with engines in 2016.

“I think you cannot go in that direction because I spoke to Bernie on a couple of occasions about this engine deal,” said the Austrian. “Bernie is not upset with us about the engine, that’s for sure.”

Wolff offered a simpler explanation, that Mercedes were simply paying the price of their success:
“Obviously spectacular TV pictures are important and some of the shots were spectacular, with good fighting midfield, and this is where the camera was on,” he said.