A GP weekend with Mercedes: 96 hours from Abu Dhabi

E there are actually 1,000 reasons that something goes wrong. There are two highly complex driving machines made up of around 10,000 individual parts in the garage. 1,400 people in the factory and 60 on-site direct, maintain, fine-tune and direct them for four days for that one moment on Sunday that condenses into 98 minutes of high tension. It's like a huge orchestra that seems to be playing in several places at the same time without a conductor. On the track, in the pits, at the command post, in the meeting rooms. There is no coach on the edge of the field, no explanation boards, no notepads, no reserve bench and certainly no rush. Only processes in which one gear meshes with the other. And team boss Toto Wolff, who oversees everything.

A victory to preserve his chances. “When Vettel pushes into Rosberg's slipstream, Tony Ross reminds his driver that third place is enough, and Verstappen already 1.4 Seconds behind Vettel lies “That was just an invitation to do it, not an instruction. As a potential world champion, he must be able to make this decision himself. ”

Despite all the disruptive maneuvers, Mercedes celebrates its eighth double victory. The World Cup decision messes things up a bit. The interviews last longer, the briefings shorter. It still has to be dismantled. Six Boeing 747-800s with Formula 1 luggage will take off on Monday for London and Milan. The team dismantles the garage and makes the cars transportable. Everyone has to help, including the engineers and the marketing team. That strengthens the cohesion of the team. Meadows: “We can do it in six hours.” The cars and engines were back in the factory on Tuesday. The test carrier for the 2017 tires was still turning its loops two days after the World Cup final in Abu Dhabi. It was sent home by sea and didn't hit the UK until mid-December.