Mercedes have shed new light on the problem which forced Nico Rosberg to retire from the Singapore Grand Prix.
The team revealed on Twitter that “Forensic analysis has revealed that the steering column electronic circuits were contaminated with a foreign substance.”
“The contamination was not visible and did not manifest itself until Sunday as Nico went to the grid,” the team added. “The result was an intermittent short circuit in the electronic circuits meaning Nico Rosberg could not command clutch or engine settings.”
“Fresh parts will be used at the forthcoming races. Our hard work on reliability processes will continue at the same intensive level.”
Rosberg’s retirement was his second and the fifth for Mercedes this year, all bar one of which were directly caused by technical failures. He lost the championship lead to team mate Lewis Hamilton, who won the race.
Mercedes motorsport director Toto Wolff said the team were trying to get on top of their technical problems and does not want them to interfere with the outcome of the drivers’ championship.
“These things take time to get a grip on – but we will not stop until we stop suffering these DNFs,” he said. “We have had four of them now and it would not be satisfying at all to have the championship decided because one car let the driver down.
“We need to refocus, get our heads down and keep concentrating on preventing these reliability problems reoccurring.”
Mercedes later added the contaminant was “a substance used in normal pre-event servicing of the component”.
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Image © Singapore GP/Sutton
RyanDixon (@ryandixon)
26th September 2014, 18:46
And waiting for conspiracy theories in 3..2..1..
Jokes a side, it shows how much of a fine detail these cars are if something so small and seemingly so insignificant could do such damage.
LosD (@losd)
26th September 2014, 19:36
There’s a LOT of connections, AFAIK. It doesn’t take much conductive material to make a short somewhere. Carbon fibre is an excellent conductor, and if you’ve ever worked with the stuff, you’ll know that carbon fibre dust can get in everywhere.
Diego (@ironcito)
26th September 2014, 20:51
Imagine if it had happened to Hamilton instead of Rosberg. Or to Webber last year, haha.
OmarR-Pepper (@)
26th September 2014, 22:17
Roscoe contaminated the circuits
@HoHum (@hohum)
26th September 2014, 22:54
I blame the quiet exhaust noise:
ROS.” this squeak in the steering is driving me crazy, I cant concentrate on my driving , can you do any thing about it ?”
JUNIOR MECH. ” Of course Herr Rosberg, I can fix anything, a little graphite powder will fix it.”
Marc Thielke (@motor)
27th September 2014, 0:52
A few puffs of graphite powder works magic on a Pinewood Derby car. Obviously you would think it would make an F1 car really fly. he he
Leggacy (@leggacy)
26th September 2014, 23:01
someone probobaly spilled a cup of coffee on it…..
Coffeegate!
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
27th September 2014, 2:48
@leggacy
Ah, that comment was the perfect way to start a Saturday!
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
26th September 2014, 18:48
Didn’t know Nigel Stepney worked at Mercedes now…
Carlitox (@carlitox)
26th September 2014, 19:24
Comment of the year! :-D
Robert (@gicu)
26th September 2014, 19:31
A bit dark, tbh.
Lars
26th September 2014, 20:40
As a ghost then since he has left us.
Vettelfanboy
26th September 2014, 18:52
Sounds a bit suspicious , those cars are assembled under sterile conditions .Maybe Lewis had something to do with this , just saying .
Chris (@cgturbo)
26th September 2014, 23:04
Yes… I’m sure Lewis snuck into the high security strongholds of the Mercedes base on Saturday night to sabotage Nico’s car.
NEW JUST IN: Lewis is actually a ninja.
Mark Thomson (@melthom)
27th September 2014, 4:33
he’s gay
BOSS
27th September 2014, 6:45
Invisible Man
Woody (@woodyd91)
27th September 2014, 11:37
Why are comments like yours approved? The add nothing to the discussion.
iAltair (@)
26th September 2014, 18:59
Oh dear, Rosberg, you must have offended some thug.
Yuriy
26th September 2014, 19:17
what kind of foreign substance?
LosD (@losd)
26th September 2014, 19:43
My guess would have been carbon fibre dust, as I wrote above. However, Autosport says it’s some kind of pre-event servicing substance, that they’ve used since 2008.
caci99
26th September 2014, 19:57
Not German, obviously :)
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
26th September 2014, 21:45
The driver, or the substance?
Robert (@gicu)
26th September 2014, 23:20
LOL, +1.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
26th September 2014, 19:57
Mercedes have now said it was something they use when servicing the component between races – have updated the article.
PhilEReid (@philereid)
26th September 2014, 20:03
My money is on WD40.
Marc Thielke (@motor)
26th September 2014, 21:43
A lubricant with graphite in it would do the trick.
@HoHum (@hohum)
26th September 2014, 22:57
exactly @motor,.
Mick Nicholson (@submick)
27th September 2014, 19:50
Many solvents and oils can break down some insulation plastics. It is possible that they have used the wrong wiring.
Cedar
26th September 2014, 19:33
That’s why drivers have to be nice to everyone on the team. Offend a mechanic and you get a “foreign substance” in your steering column. Offend the team cook, and you got a “foreign substance” in your lunch.
Callum Hosty (@hosty96xd)
26th September 2014, 20:23
There is no conspiracy going on here.
Frankly, it’s clumsy unreliability issues causing Mercedes problems. If they’re not careful, a certain Aussie’s smile will explode in total glee and sweep up at this Godsend. And, the mistakes by the drivers (nothing dodgy about their errors!) haven’t helped either.
Saying all this, seems like this steering rack issue is very easily to slip through the system you know, so I will refuse to criticise the team this once. And from a pH7 viewpoint… This championship has electrified! No pun intended!
cdavman (@cdavman)
26th September 2014, 20:24
And that’s why you go for a pee before you get in the car…
KeithR (@)
26th September 2014, 20:57
Seems a bit not-joined-up to use a contaminant in servicing a component??
I daresay there’s more to it, but still…
Alex Brown (@splittimes)
27th September 2014, 8:33
A contaminant is simply something that’s where it shouldn’t be. Like butter in the jam pot if you didn’t clean the knife first.
Simon (@s162000)
26th September 2014, 21:14
Nico reacts to Mercedes findings:
“DAAAMMMMITT!!”
LAK (@lak)
26th September 2014, 23:21
Haha maybe he jammed the steering wheel when screamed “Dammit” after Quali.
Mark in Florida
26th September 2014, 21:20
A little dash of Vaseline on a connection does wonders for your opponent. Hmmm makes you wonder about ole Toto and his Machiavellian ways trying to take Rosberg out of it while trying to appear neutral.
cjpdk (@cjpdk)
27th September 2014, 22:41
No it doesn’t
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
26th September 2014, 21:48
Hope it wasn’t chewing gum or someone’ll be doing time.
Any news on what happened to Bottas’ steering late in the race? Any connection to this?
Mathers (@mathers)
26th September 2014, 23:16
Wasn’t Bottas just squirming around because he’d worn away all of the compound on his tyres and was down to the base rubber that provides nearly no grip?
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
27th September 2014, 11:50
He was reporting heavy steering & lack of feel (in the radio transcript) as early as lap 35, so the tyres would’ve still had plenty of life in them.
I wish TV had played those messages (or at least the commentators passed them on) as his strategy makes more sense – with dodgy steering, even with fresh tyres, he couldn’t have made the moves Vergne did.
andae23 (@andae23)
26th September 2014, 22:08
Really interesting, great that Mercedes decided to make this public.
Robbie (@robbie)
26th September 2014, 23:07
Yeah, the more complicated the systems the more foreign/strange/new are the problems that can arise. They’ll be thrilled that at least they found the problem and mystery solved.
dragoll (@dragoll)
27th September 2014, 0:02
@andae23 It seems that Mercedes has embraced “transparency” as a philosophy this year. However, things like this are just going to stir people that are extremely passionate about Rosberg or Hamilton, so not sure it is really helpful to anyone. But full credit, Merc believe in their stance and are sticking with it.
Ian Stephens (@ians)
27th September 2014, 1:44
+1.
It is good of Mercedes to share with us just how dependent an F1 car is on every team member. All the (now banned) team radio was good for the same reason.
It sounds as if Mercedes could learn from the aviation industry, where every unserviceable part has a big red ribbon hung from it until it is fixed. That way a pilot can walk round the plane and quickly spot if it is not ready to go.
pSynrg (@psynrg)
26th September 2014, 23:16
Oh to be low paid/unpaid intern mechanic’s assistant who was told to clean some dust from the steering column…
D Winn
27th September 2014, 4:17
Nico only has himself to blame – over doing it with the hair spray !
Mark Thomson (@melthom)
27th September 2014, 4:32
why not just say they spilled coffee on it
Formula Indonesia (@)
27th September 2014, 6:44
what substance??
Maksutov (@maksutov)
27th September 2014, 14:30
“a substance used in normal pre-event servicing of the component”.
Maksutov (@maksutov)
27th September 2014, 14:22
Alright….. dont wanna jump to any conclusions. This whole situation smells a bit fishy to me.
tmax (@tmax)
27th September 2014, 15:40
Contamination …did I hear “Discipline”
Interestingly I was looking back at 2008 Singapore GP. On the race report article in the F1 Fanatic Forum, a fan said that the Nelson Piquet crash might have been orchestrated. Lot of People made fun of him :) Looking back I am having a good laugh at people who think they know everything about F1 and make fun of others . Even if it is a conspiracy theory, give that a due respect.. After all it is an opinion. None of us know what actually happens behind the screens in those garages !!!!! While some might feel they are the learned one; in truth i actually i feel really sorry for them and I am having a good laugh at those “I know all” fans.
For Fun reading … The comment stating Piquet might have done it intentionally.
https://www.racefans.net/2008/09/28/fernando-alonsos-bad-luck-turns-good-for-win-2008-singapore-grand-prix/comment-page-2/#comment-217592
Responses to the Comment
https://www.racefans.net/2008/09/28/fernando-alonsos-bad-luck-turns-good-for-win-2008-singapore-grand-prix/comment-page-2/#comment-217595
https://www.racefans.net/2008/09/28/fernando-alonsos-bad-luck-turns-good-for-win-2008-singapore-grand-prix/comment-page-2/#comment-217610
The last comment of the topic is also a bit of irony
https://www.racefans.net/2008/09/28/fernando-alonsos-bad-luck-turns-good-for-win-2008-singapore-grand-prix/comment-page-7/#comment-284100
tmax (@tmax)
27th September 2014, 19:24
Contamination …errr ahem ahem “Discipline”
Interestingly I was looking back at 2008 SGP GP. On the race report article in the F1 Fanatic Forum, a fan named @Mahesh said that the Nelson Piquet crash might have been orchestrated. Lot of People ridiculed him :) There was a lot of talk about karma et all…. Looking back I am having a good laugh at people who think they know everything about F1 and ridicule others . Even if it is a conspiracy theory, give that a due respect.. After all it is an opinion. None of us know what actually happens behind the screens in those garages !!!!! While some might feel they are the learned one and they go ahead and ridicule others, in truth i actually i feel really sorry for them and I am having a good laugh at these “I know all”
For Fun reading … [ @Mahesh ‘s Comment ] stating Piquet might have done it intentionally.
https://www.racefans.net/2008/09/28/fernando-alonsos-bad-luck-turns-good-for-win-2008-singapore-grand-prix/comment-page-2/#comment-217592
@Paty ‘s rebuttal of @Mahesh ‘s Comments
https://www.racefans.net/2008/09/28/fernando-alonsos-bad-luck-turns-good-for-win-2008-singapore-grand-prix/comment-page-2/#comment-217595
https://www.racefans.net/2008/09/28/fernando-alonsos-bad-luck-turns-good-for-win-2008-singapore-grand-prix/comment-page-2/#comment-217610
The last Ominous comment of the topic by @Hatebreeder
https://www.racefans.net/2008/09/28/fernando-alonsos-bad-luck-turns-good-for-win-2008-singapore-grand-prix/comment-page-7/#comment-284100
mrvco
28th September 2014, 0:31
Probably lighter fluid from Nico’s Zippo.
Richard Ntwa
29th September 2014, 8:51
I am sure this is not the end of reliability problems, let’s wait for Hamilton’s loose wheel after the pit stops.
medman (@medman)
30th September 2014, 3:44
Nico spilled juice from his sippy cup into the steering rack.