It says rather a lot about how uneventful a Grand Prix was when the biggest talking point post-race is an inability to talk during it.
Mercedes had a harder afternoon with both its cars as was perhaps obvious in Baku.
We all knew Lewis Hamilton had engine issues as he spent much of the race complaining about them but afterwards, Niki Lauda revealed Nico Rosberg also had the same problem.
Twitter: Niki Lauda confirms to #C4F1 that Rosberg had the same issue as Hamilton, but fixed it earlier
#EuropeGP
#C4F1 https://t.co/NiMepoSY4m (@C4F1)
That final point was taken by those on #TeamLH as a sly dig towards Hamilton by Lauda – suggesting Rosberg was perhaps better because he solved the issue sooner, but ultimately it highlighted an area the fans had argued they wanted to see back in F1.
Over the past few years, the combination of telemetry and unrestricted team radio had taken an element of skill out of driving the cars.
At its worst drivers were told which corner on a circuit they were losing time at compared to those around them and as a result, it left engineers looking like parents telling their kids how to drive.
Also, thanks to advances in technology, it seemed any problem with the car that could have been terminal or at least a hindrance in years gone by could simply be fixed with a quick message to the pit wall.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, if the technology exists you should absolutely use it, to the fans it was taking the sport away from the days when drivers were the ones who got the most from what they had not the guys in the pits.
They voiced this on social media and indeed for this year a much stricter code of conduct was introduced limiting what could be said over the airwaves.
What it has led to is most broadcast messages comprising of drivers swearing at their engineers because of blue flags or close moments with other cars on track.
However in Baku, it did lead to that desire of fans wanting to see the best drivers come through when their car isn’t 100% and those who can’t be found out.
Sadly for F1 you feel it favoured the wrong driver at Mercedes as Rosberg, known for his thorough approach, was able to deal with a glitch in his power unit system much better than Hamilton, a man who himself admitted just a few days ago, he didn’t see as much benefit in simulator work.
I say sadly because now there is some talk about whether there needs to be a reconsideration of the radio limits.
Some will argue it is unfair that a driver can’t get the help he needs when it can be offered, however, reversing the current stance would be undoing the work that has been done to put greater emphasis on the driver.
It will have been that time spent getting to grips with the ins and outs of the Mercedes engine in the sim that enabled Rosberg to cope with what could have been a race win threatening issue, while Hamilton languished down in fifth unable to move forward.
If there is a safety issue or a problem that could cause a retirement then yes in that scenario it should be permitted to tell the driver. But if the only impact of an issue is lowered performance then the restriction should stay in place and it should be up to the driver to know the procedure.
Kimi Raikkonen, another driver known for his arrive, get in and thrash it approach, also had a similar issue towards the end when he was unable to get help on an engine problem in his Ferrari.
He was angry when told he couldn’t be advised after saying it was an issue similar to what happened in Canada, but surely he should have taken the time to know exactly what to do in the event of a re-occurrence.
What the debate on radio limits comes down to is two things, first, how big of a role should advances in off-track technology be allowed to influence what happens on it, and secondly how strictly the FIA should enforce rule 20.1 that states a driver must drive their car alone and unaided.
Just because it happened to hinder arguably the most popular driver on the grid shouldn’t be a catalyst for the stricter stance to be changed.
Instead, Rosberg should be praised for his ability to react and Hamilton should learn and move on.
I’m not always a fan of the sport reverting to or sticking with what could be considered ‘old-school’ ways, but on this issue, it is correct to do so.
Without it, the sport would be left with 22 cars driven by 22 drivers who can correct almost any problem by calling on outside interference.
That would take away a key skill, lead to bulletproof reliability and leave only the weather as an outside factor that could alter a clear pecking order.
And that would lead to a sport as dull as much of Baku’s first Grand Prix.
