Mercedes’ Bradley Lord discusses a key communication misstep in 2021 and revisits the dramatic announcement of Nico Rosberg’s unexpected retirement.
Bradley Lord acknowledges that one of Mercedes F1’s key mistakes occurred at Silverstone in 2021. Toto Wolff had already expressed regret about the incident, and the team principal’s sentiments are echoed by the communications director.
Max Verstappen suffered a 51G impact during the opening lap of the race after a collision with Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes relied on the word of a Red Bull employee, who assured them that the Dutch driver was fine, and did not thoroughly consider Verstappen’s condition, which came across as highly insensitive.
“If there is one thing we regret, I think it is trusting the word of a Red Bull team member—and therefore somewhat taking Max’s condition for granted—after his accident at Silverstone in 2021,” Lord told Planet F1.
“I believe the way we were perceived in handling the aftermath of that incident marked the beginning of a dramatically deteriorating relationship over the course of that season.”
“We could have managed it differently, in a way that better reflected the concern we genuinely had for Max’s well-being at the time, irrespective of our stance on the incident itself and the rights and wrongs it entailed.”
Lord also laments the impact of this incident and Mercedes’ reaction on social media: “There was that aspect of it, and then, even though it wasn’t intentional, the fact that the relationship—and the relationship with fan bases—was upset in such an extreme way as it happened.”
“It’s probably the moment. If we could go back and change things, I think we would change our responses and what we did at that time, on that afternoon.”
However, he believes Mercedes’ communication was excellent following the controversial Abu Dhabi finale: “The decision to say nothing and not communicate was, I hope, a powerful and elegant way to handle such a difficult situation where no words could have expressed what we were feeling.”
Lord also reveals that one of the most interesting and amusing moments of his career was the secret announcement of Nico Rosberg’s unexpected retirement at the end of the 2016 season: “Another highlight was Nico’s retirement. It was a situation where you knew a bomb was about to go off, and no one had any idea what was coming.”
“It was truly a memorable moment. In our sport, it’s rare for a story not to leak in advance. When he announced his retirement, it was a genuine shock for everyone in the room, with no prior indication.”
“It was fascinating to witness and be part of. Writing press releases late into the night after he told us the news was also an amusing experience.”
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Lord on Mercedes’ Regrets and Rosberg’s Shock Retirement Lord on Mercedes’ Regrets and Rosberg’s Shock Retirement
