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Ex-Mercedes chief Norbert Haug believes the Silver Arrows outfit should accept the outcome of the Abu Dhabi GP and concede. While the former motorsport executive feels the team needs to drop its protest, he believes that most of it is out of an emotional reaction.
Speaking to German publication Speedweek, Haug said:
“Sh*t happens. I understand that sometimes you freak out. I don't know what it would be like if it had gone the other way around. A word on it afterwards, the motorsport fan doesn't want to see that. It's about having the size to shut up. It wasn't always easy for me either.”
According to Haug, such defeats are part of motorsport and as much as he empathized with his old team, he felt legal proceedings could be a tedious affair and not necessarily work in their favor. The German was Mercedes chief the last time Lewis Hamilton faced legal proceedings in his rookie year with McLaren in 2007.
Former Mercedes boss believes his old team’s protest is an emotional reaction to the sequence of events
Referring to Nicholas Latifi’s crash In the Abu Dhabi GP, Norbert Haug feels the fact that another Mercedes-powered sister team driver crashed made the defeat more infuriating for his old team. The exec-turned-journalist believes it was known to all teams that the Safety Car at that stage in the race was going to create a difficult scenario for many.
Empathizing with the team and trying to understand their scenario, Haug said:
“It is clear that something comes out of the emotions. Then your partner team slams against the wall. Everyone knew that when the safety car came it would be difficult. No matter what you do, it becomes problematic. Then of course the anger comes out.”
While Mercedes is yet to lodge a formal protest over the stewards' decision, their clock is ticking when it comes to the time window for appeal. So far, the FIA Annual Prize Giving is scheduled to be held in Paris on December 16, where the Silver Arrows outfit has won titles in both Formula 1 and Formula E.
