F1 News, Reports and Race Results

No brake problems for Mercedes in Singapore - Lowe

Mercedes tech boss Paddy Lowe shed some light on the brake issues which appeared to worry the team and its drivers Sunday evening in Singapore.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were urged by the Mercedes pitwall to pay close attention and manage brake wear during the 61-lap event, but Lowe insists the recommendation was simply a question of avoiding reaching a crucial threshold.

"They didn't have any problems with brakes, it's a question of management," Lowe explained to Motorsport.com.

"The quickest race car we can build doesn't allow the driver to brake flat out every lap, so they have to manage their brakes the same way they manage tyres and manage fuel. So you can't do qualifying laps every lap.

"But you can't do that anyway, from a tyre point of view. At some circuits like this one the brake issue becomes more dominant. It's lift and coast, the same thing you do for tyres, fuel and brakes, just lift at the end of the straight a little bit."

In the closing stages of the race, as Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo turned up the heat on Nico Rosberg, the  German admitted to be worried about extreme solicitation of the Mercedes braking power.

"When you have to manage the brakes and it costs performance, it becomes difficult," Rosberg said.

"All the way through I had to manage the brakes. This is the track where the car is going to be on the limit, we knew that was coming, and we got it right. It's just pushing everything to the limit, as you do in F1."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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