Bit of a rant incoming but I’ve been struggling to put this to words
The problem Mercedes have had in the past couple months is they’ve hit an unstoppable force (fan frustration at their behaviour) and decided to be an immovable object (refuse to accept their view and thus do anything to change their behaviour), an insane stance when anyone who watched the McLaren debacle from last year would know it doesn’t work.
The frustration Mercedes has, is to them, they’ve done nothing wrong. And it’s logically, it’s likely true, favouring a driver does them almost no favours, and teams don’t make mistakes on purpose because it costs them money. If you’re Bradley Lord, deputy team boss, you cannot fathom people thinking you would willingly lose the chance at the constructors prize at the end of the year. Mercedes LOVES money. They’ve also cultured George for years, and there IS a lot going on behind the scenes we will never get to see, in terms of inner support.
But because to them, what fans are saying isn’t true, they’ve completely refused to engage with the fact it’s the way THEY BEHAVED that made fans feel that way, and they’ve refused to make any changes to curtail it, and just keep talking down to them. Double empathy is hard— it’s hard for people to empathise with others who have had a different experience to them, and we don’t want to empathise with them when they don’t ever take steps to empathise with us. Continuing to tell fans “you’re wrong” doesn’t tackle the root feeling, and just makes them madder.
You can’t keep telling fans “hey you’re insane for thinking we don’t like George” when your team principle slags him off in interviews, you can’t keep a story straight about the problems with his car (is it wind is it battery deployment is it balance is it George), he’s both unlucky but suddenly his luck has only been bad once compared to poor Kimi, you let Kimi mouth off to Italian media and then let said Italian media insult George in ways that damn near justify a boycott, you don’t show up VISIBLY for podiums, you send your team principle out on Antonelli’s Win but for George’s win he doesn’t even get the guy he requested, George’s home race merch collection is the other drivers colours, Kimi is made a focus at George’s home race, and your social media strategy is so bad because it’s trying to be a quirky brand pop star account and not what it needs to be right now, more locked down than a politicians mid election.
None of these things mean that Mercedes hate George, but they’re the ONLY public image they’re presenting. When the only puzzle pieces your hand fans are the worst parts, you can’t be surprised when they put them together and assume that’s the entire picture. Telling them they’re idiots for not getting that there’s more that you never showed them, doesn’t get them to go “gosh you’re right mister, gee wizz”, it gets them telling you to fuck off under every post.
As someone whose previous title was head of communications, you’d think Bradley would KNOW all this.
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