'Fun and Games' at Mercedes

[veeten]

Well, after today's events, both prior to and proceeding the race, it looks like the bloom is officially off the rose and Lewis & Nico will be going after the WDC on their own terms. Outside of what the team gets in base info, there may very well be no sharing between the two of any ancillary information during the race weekends.

It's what happens when you have drivers of similar stature and capability, and we have plenty of previous examples of this between teammates in recent F1 history. Why shouldn't this have been any different...

[steveaki13]

Exactly

This is just another situation where two evenly matched drivers are in the class car and are fighting between themselves for the title.

Its going to be fun for the remainder of the season.

[MacFeegle]

Nico nice guy. Lewis nice guy. They soon get heads sorted and fight clean. Nico did silly this weekend but lewis still pull through with good points and canada will sort men from boy.

[Doc Austin]

Sad to see because they have always claimed to be "friends." Once Lewis started thumping Nico the war of words started, but it was fuelled by the media. Neither one of them was saying much about the other until they were asked. Perhaps they need to think about that.

Probably the most interesting person to watch now will be Lauda.

[Doc Austin]

This is just another situation where two evenly matched drivers are in the class car and are fighting between themselves for the title.

It might be a good time for them to simply take turns like Bruce and Denny, and then when they are out of reach of the others, then they can race for it. We have seen Williams throw away a championship with Mansell and Piquet, and Ferrari throw one away with Villeneuve and Pironi. Red Bull almost lost Vettel's first championship letting him fight with Webber.

This is why for so many years almost all of the teams have had a #1 and a #2. Ferrari were not even that secretive about it during the Schumacher era. When you have the dominant car, there is little to gain by having your drivers knock each other's brains out.

[Mark]

Not to mention McLaren throwing one away with Alonso and Hamilton!

[Mark]

In this case the Merc is the best car and one of their drivers is going to win. So let them race!

[veeten]

Not to mention McLaren throwing one away with Alonso and Hamilton!

Hammer. Nail. Hit it on the head... It made me wonder, didn't Denis learn from the Prost/Senna debacle... :dozey:

[driveace]

Let them race ! I think Lauda favors Rosberg and that is pretty obvious,but Hamilton will be on pole a lot more than Rosberg i feel and have more race wins too .
Just hope that Paddy Lowe makes sure there is NO favorite in the German team ,and i hope that Lewis gets his head down and talks on the track with results !

[steveaki13]

To be fair I think Lewis may have won if this wasn't such a strong track for Nico.

Remember Canada should be a Lewis track. He has a brilliant record there. Also Mercedes were 0.7-1.0 clear in Spain and Red Bull pulled that back in Monaco to 0.1-0.4 but in Canada I fear the gap will be back to aroun 0.6-0.9 so Mercedes should win that race a bit easier and Hamilton should be ahead based on form around that circuit

[Mark]

Yes Canada is definitely a Lewis track so expect him to do well there. But, that being the case if Nico shades him there then he really is in trouble!

[Tazio]

I think the WDC will be a close fight all season, and I'm afraid one of them is going to get jacked by the x2 points race which will really suck imo.

[steveaki13]

I kind of agree with what Damon Hill said earlier.

He said and I am paraphrasing: "Maybe the driver who will beat Lewis Hamilton wont be Nico Rosberg but Lewis Hamilton himself"

Being honest I think Lewis will win more races than Nico and thus win the Championship (not counting the double points) That could screw Lewis too.

However if this all gets to him we have seen he can crack up a bit. I personally hope Lewis can hold it together.

[steveaki13]

I think the WDC will be a close fight all season, and I'm afraid one of them is going to get jacked by the x2 points race which will really suck imo.

This.

Its so S***

[Tazio]

I kind of agree with what Damon Hill said earlier.

He said and I am paraphrasing: "Maybe the driver who will beat Lewis Hamilton wont be Nico Rosberg but Lewis Hamilton himself"

Being honest I think Lewis will win more races than Nico and thus win the Championship (not counting the double points) That could screw Lewis too.

However if this all gets to him we have seen he can crack up a bit. I personally hope Lewis can hold it together.

I have to agree with Hill, The Boss has in the past shown a propensity for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and the pressure of the x2 points race may bring out his evil twin, I hope not :crazy:

[donKey jote]

Let them race ! I think Lauda favors Rosberg and that is pretty obvious,but Hamilton will be on pole a lot more than Rosberg i feel and have more race wins too .
Just hope that Paddy Lowe makes sure there is NO favorite in the German team ,and i hope that Lewis gets his head down and talks on the track with results !
Whether it's Merc or Red Bull, you seem to have a thing about German this or German that... Why is it pretty obvious? Lauda is Austrian, not German ;) :p :vader:
Seriously, Lauda is the guy who brought Lewis to Merc and I doubt very much he brought him with a #2 on his forehead. I think it's pretty obvious he doesn't necessarily favour either. :sailor:

[donKey jote]

the pressure of the x2 points race may bring out his evil twin, I hope not :crazy:
You mean the one that pushes the wrong buttons on the steering wheels? :sailor: :andrea: :p

[Tazio]

Don't recall :dork: :stareup: :p: :angel:

[N. Jones]

Hey,

They both have a car capable of winning. I expect nothing less than them fighting each other all of the way until the end.

No worries from here.

[veeten]

The real problem, in all this, is that it comes not from the drivers but the team & pitlane management. After all, it was the two races after Australia where Lewis & Nico put on some pretty spectacular jousting.
Management, sensing a really great marketing coup, then decided to add some 'juice' to the preceding races by subtle acts to bring the two drivers closer on the track, some of which both of them began to suss out slightly, as previous radio communications during races began to show.

I'm sorry, but I see manipulation being played out, in order to make the season more lively. The problem is that it could backfire, causing a rift within the team, and leaving the same management with a mess of their own making to own up to and sort out.

[journeyman racer]

I have to agree with Hill, The Boss has in the past shown a propensity for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and the pressure of the x2 points race may bring out his evil twin, I hope not :crazy:Can he be called "The Boss" with this character?

[Mia 01]

Don't recall :dork: :stareup: :p: :angel:

I do, Canada 2008!

[henners88]

Two competitive drivers both wanting the advantage from the team is always going to cause a bit of tension at some point. The important thing is how they move forward. They are only human and even we have the odd disagreement with our close friends in real life and in a drivers environment it will be no different. I thought both Merc drivers drove brilliantly this weekend and I'm still none the wiser as to how the championship will pan out. Monaco is like no other event on the calendar and I think Nico still has work to do heading into the next event. Lewis comes across as being the stronger of the two mentally and I think with two drivers fairly evenly matched with speed, it'll come down to how they each handle the pressure. Lewis has previous experience of fighting for a WDCo at this point has the upper hand. It could all change though and thankfully the championship is starting to get interesting!

[henners88]

I do, Canada 2008!

That puts Lewis and Nico on a par as they both crashed in the pits that day lol. :)

[Bagwan]

Two competitive drivers both wanting the advantage from the team is always going to cause a bit of tension at some point. The important thing is how they move forward. They are only human and even we have the odd disagreement with our close friends in real life and in a drivers environment it will be no different. I thought both Merc drivers drove brilliantly this weekend and I'm still none the wiser as to how the championship will pan out. Monaco is like no other event on the calendar and I think Nico still has work to do heading into the next event. Lewis comes across as being the stronger of the two mentally and I think with two drivers fairly evenly matched with speed, it'll come down to how they each handle the pressure. Lewis has previous experience of fighting for a WDCo at this point has the upper hand. It could all change though and thankfully the championship is starting to get interesting!

While I agree on most of that , henners , I'm not so sure Lewis is stronger "mentally" as you put it .
He does have WDC experience . That's true .
And , that's important .

But , Nico just got into his head .
He was off-balance from that moment in qualifying , and it must have been killing him to not really get a sniff , despite Nico trying to save fuel .
He was mad at Nico .
He was mad at the team .

Now , don't get me wrong here , because I certainly love it when drivers speak their minds freely , but it wasn't a show that I would say was "mentally strong" .

It came out that Lewis used an engine mode against team instructions earlier in the year .
And , Nico did the same not long later in another race .

So , it's already been "dirty" behind the scenes .
And that's probably why Hamilton automatically thought of the worst case scenario when Nico botched it down the hill .

This is going to be great .
Monaco was Nico's track , and Lewis really wanted that one . That's clear , I think .
Had he won it , it would have really deflated Rosberg .

Next is Montreal , and Lewis owns that one .
He needs to win it , and Nico will be looking for any opening to toss in a few words to upset his team-mate , so Lewis had better try to stay calm and focused .

Lewis should also take care not to toss in his own comments of dealing with the situation in the way Senna would have , as if the first corner in Canada turns into a big shatter of carbon fiber , something like that could come back on a guy .

Just as Nico's nice guy rep likely played in his favour when facing the stewards , a comment like that could change the tone at the worst possible moment .

[henners88]

Let's not forget we were saying Nico was rattled for 4 races on the trot so I don't think it is clear yet. Hamilton hassled Nico around Monaco which kept him true so it wasn't a bad performance by Lewis at any stretch. Monaco is very much a leveller especially on a Saturday.


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[Bagwan]

Was I saying Nico was rattled ? I don't recall .

He might have been , but it sure didn't show like it did with Lewis .

Roll on Montreal .
I wish I was going .

[steveaki13]

Some good points Bagwan

I think in a normal fight especially in Canada, Lewis would win the race.

However with this weekends goings on he may not. Either because he is rattled or he just pushes too hard to pummel Nico and he crashes.

Can't wait already.

[Mifune]

I kind of agree with what Damon Hill said earlier.

He said and I am paraphrasing: "Maybe the driver who will beat Lewis Hamilton wont be Nico Rosberg but Lewis Hamilton himself"

Being honest I think Lewis will win more races than Nico and thus win the Championship (not counting the double points) That could screw Lewis too.

However if this all gets to him we have seen he can crack up a bit. I personally hope Lewis can hold it together.

Damon Hill, like all poor biographers is saying more about himself than his subject. What a strange world, Hill WDC lousy pundit, Johnny Herbert 3 wins lousier pundit, Brundle nuttin, and just about the only voice in F1 I respect, some kind of inverse ratio at work here?
Aside from Monaco (not a level playing field after all's said n done) I've not seen Rosberg beat Hamilton in a straight fight this year, Ive no doubt he will sooner or later but it wont be enough, only the double points thing can defeat LH. Either way its all good, whichever dog you have in the fight you have to at least appreciate its going to be interesting right down to the last race, so not much point whining about that driver that you hate on a crappy Internet forum huh?

[henners88]

Was I saying Nico was rattled ? I don't recall .

He might have been , but it sure didn't show like it did with Lewis .

Roll on Montreal .
I wish I was going .
I don't believe Lewis is rattled now so perhaps this whole conversation is pointless? I think we've had instances where both drivers has been p!ssed off, but they've driven consistently to their potential so far this season.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Tazio]

Can he be called "The Boss" with this character?The nicknames I use seldomly involve logic! ;)

[Tazio]

I do, Canada 2008!
I was actually referring to China and Brazil 2007. I don't want, or mean to try and degrade The Boss, and I admire his tremendous skill. For every boner he has pulled there are 3 examples of great performance. I just think that it will be interesting if the situation arises how he will handle it.

[Doc Austin]

Mercedes really needs to get a grip on this. Since Lauda suffers no foolishness, I'm sure he will sit the two of them down and lay it out for them. I have no doubt Lauda will tell them exactly how he wants them to play it.

I think I would probably make them have breakfast and dinner together at every race for the rest of the year. When you have to sit across the table and look the other guy in the eye, the underhanded stuff isn't as easy to get away with, at least for for an honest person.

I don't believe Hamilton when he says they are not friends. I think the reason he is so upset is exactly because they are friends and perhaps he feels betrayed.

Something worth considering is that Mercedes can't lose this if Rosberg and Hamilton co-operate just a little. Maybe Mercedes should make them take turns like Bruce and Denny until they have clinched a 1 and 2, and then turn them loose on each other. Once the championships are clinched it doesn't matter how many times they knock each other off the road.

[Mia 01]

When you got a strong belife in your own selfpicture and that picture cracks some people try to find rationale explanations, over and over again. The radio traffic explains some.

[henners88]

Fingers crossed Lewis crashes or bursts into tears in front of the camera then. I question why I bother discussing f1 online any more. It's so much easier watching it and discussing it with physical people and it makes more sense.

Second place and written off.

[steveaki13]

Fingers crossed Lewis crashes or bursts into tears in front of the camera then. I question why I bother discussing f1 online any more. It's so much easier watching it and discussing it with physical people and it makes more sense.

Second place and written off.

Never write Lewis off. He was a strong 2nd and for most of the race was probably a smidge faster but couldn't get past. I just wonder if he could have got his head a bit straighter after the race. He looked unreasonable angry still.

I hope in Canada he storms back and quietens any doubters

[airshifter]

I don't think there is really going to be much to it. I expect that over the season Hamilton will continue to win more races than Rosberg, and as seasons end I don't even think the double points race will matter much without a DNF. Hamilton does get hot headed at times, and only time has changed that, and only changed it but so much. But he was the quicker driver who got his lap ruined by his team mate, and many drivers would be angry.

[henners88]

Never write Lewis off. He was a strong 2nd and for most of the race was probably a smidge faster but couldn't get past.
I'm not writing Hamilton off. I think it is absurd to write of a driver that has had 4 out of 6 pole positions and has won 4 out of the 6 races so far this season. Lewis does lose his cool when things don't go his way and maybe doesn't employ PR robot mode as well as other drivers, but his on track performances have not faltered this year yet. It was clear to see in qualifying that Lewis had the better pace and would possibly have gotten pole, but for the unfortunate misjudgement by his team mate. Lewis appeared faster than Nico during the early part of the race and we all know how difficult it is to get past at Monaco. Its ok to slap it down the inside in the midfield, banging wheels as we saw with quite a few drivers, but for a World Championship contender these things have to be a little more calculated IMO. Lewis drove calmly and finished in second place, one place behind his team mate which is another reason I don't understand why his temperament is being questioned. I think Lewis was right to be angry on Saturday and Sunday. I would have been more vocal had I been in his position, but I haven't had PR training. Its great to see their passion shine through.

It seems Lewis only has to have one performance where he doesn't win for his title challenge to be questioned. Nico on the other hand can be a tenth slower, spin it in Q3, and win a third of the races yet be considered the stronger driver. I say give these guys the credit they deserve and enjoy what is becoming a close season up front. At this moment in time I think Lewis is extracting slightly more out of the car with Nico a fag paper behind. It'll be close and I believe Lewis is lucky to have been in this position before and succeeded.

[henners88]

Another thing we have to consider is something DC said about this apparent tense situation at Mercedes. Of course it was always going to reach a point where tension would come to light, but this is also a perfect scenario for Mercedes. This will raise the profile of the team and take away from the fact the season is relatively boring in terms of competition. The fact the team are being open and honest about the heated meeting behind the scenes suggests they welcome a bit of media interest.

I'm sure these guys will be fine by Canada and a tense rivalry is perfect for the Mercedes marketing machine in more ways than one. Lewis may well claim pole at the next race and perhaps it's Nico's turn to heat this up a bit more? We may be buying into something here that is being carefully controlled. ;)

[Whyzars]

Whatever started the blue was already bubbling in Spain. Maybe they were in training for the main event.

They've been mates for a long time. How's this, I think some marketing guru has convinced someone that they need to stop the cars being the focus and get it back on personalities.

The number of posts show how popular a good and meaty bitch fest is in our modern world. More posts than Driver and Donkey of Monaco.

If its good enough for the tabloids and magazines why would we see any other modern commercial operation as being any different.


Bring on Canada, I can't wait to see how this soap opera turns out... :beer: :cheese:


...We may be buying into something here that is being carefully controlled. ;)

You beat me to it...

[steveaki13]

I'm not writing Hamilton off. I think it is absurd to write of a driver that has had 4 out of 6 pole positions and has won 4 out of the 6 races so far this season. Lewis does lose his cool when things don't go his way and maybe doesn't employ PR robot mode as well as other drivers, but his on track performances have not faltered this year yet. It was clear to see in qualifying that Lewis had the better pace and would possibly have gotten pole, but for the unfortunate misjudgement by his team mate. Lewis appeared faster than Nico during the early part of the race and we all know how difficult it is to get past at Monaco. Its ok to slap it down the inside in the midfield, banging wheels as we saw with quite a few drivers, but for a World Championship contender these things have to be a little more calculated IMO. Lewis drove calmly and finished in second place, one place behind his team mate which is another reason I don't understand why his temperament is being questioned. I think Lewis was right to be angry on Saturday and Sunday. I would have been more vocal had I been in his position, but I haven't had PR training. Its great to see their passion shine through.

It seems Lewis only has to have one performance where he doesn't win for his title challenge to be questioned. Nico on the other hand can be a tenth slower, spin it in Q3, and win a third of the races yet be considered the stronger driver. I say give these guys the credit they deserve and enjoy what is becoming a close season up front. At this moment in time I think Lewis is extracting slightly more out of the car with Nico a fag paper behind. It'll be close and I believe Lewis is lucky to have been in this position before and succeeded.

I know you were not writing him off. I was referring to those that have. :)

[SGWilko]

Did this not all begin in Bahrain. I recall reading in one of the news sites that Nico used an unauthorised power setting to try to get by.

Tit for tat, and Lewis does the same in Spain.

Both apologise to each other.

The mistake in Monaco was probably not the issue, but reversing up while your teammate is right behind isn't really very sporting.

Still, it adds to the flair.

[Doc Austin]

Lewis dealt pretty successfully with Alonso, so I don't think Nico is going to demoralize him.

Nico has won twice this year. Once was when Lewis was on pole, but the car failed. The other was Monoco, a place where passing is notoriously impossible, after Nico started from pole under dubious circumstances. Both times Nico has won, it's only been after everything went wrong for Lewis.

Nico has used up his one dirty trick for the year. If he does anything else suspicious, few people will give him the benefit of the doubt.

We will see what happens when they get back to tracks where you can actually pass each other. I think there are probably few people who would pick Nico over Lewis in a straight fight.

[MacFeegle]

You right Mr Doc

Lewis win been when he win. Nico when Lewis car fail or weird qualify.

Now straight fight and I put dollar on Lewis all days

[journeyman racer]

Rosberg was mainly quicker than Hamilton at Albert Park, but Hamilton benefitted from the changeable conditions.

[MacFeegle]

Yes he benefit from car alive to car dead :D

[Mia 01]

I would like Nico to get his first WDC this year, I think he will.

[journeyman racer]

Yes he benefit from car alive to car dead :DI was talking about qualifying.

[dj_bytedisaster]

Did this not all begin in Bahrain. I recall reading in one of the news sites that Nico used an unauthorised power setting to try to get by.

Tit for tat, and Lewis does the same in Spain.

Both apologise to each other.

The mistake in Monaco was probably not the issue, but reversing up while your teammate is right behind isn't really very sporting.

Still, it adds to the flair.

Nico reversed back when the yellows were already out and reverse was the only way to rejoin the track, which is vital as this years rules say that you have to bring the car back unless you have a mechanical, which he hadn't. He would have risked a penalty by parking a perfectly healthy car and the yellows stay out as long as a car is in the escape road anyway.

[dj_bytedisaster]

Lewis dealt pretty successfully with Alonso, so I don't think Nico is going to demoralize him.

Yeah, he dealt so well with him that the whole team was DSQ'ed in Hungary because the two of them behaved like school children.


Nico has won twice this year. Once was when Lewis was on pole, but the car failed. The other was Monoco, a place where passing is notoriously impossible, after Nico started from pole under dubious circumstances. Both times Nico has won, it's only been after everything went wrong for Lewis.

Lewis did not make a single attempt at overtaking Nico the whole race. At Bahrain and Spain it could have gone either way. In fact in Bahrain he employed some rather questionably hard defending. Schumacher in his day was blasted for less. His only decisive win was China.


Nico has used up his one dirty trick for the year. If he does anything else suspicious, few people will give him the benefit of the doubt.

According to the Stewards the was no dirty trick involved. According to one of the Stewards, it was quite the opposite: http://www.formula1blog.com/f1-news/warwick-rosberg-most-honest-driver-in-grand-prix-racing/
The only ones still harping on about foul play are Lewis himself and some disgruntled fanboys, who can't accept that someone else had the audacity to beat their love interest.



We will see what happens when they get back to tracks where you can actually pass each other. I think there are probably few people who would pick Nico over Lewis in a straight fight.

We will see indeed. Lewis has made one big mistake. He has provoked Rosberg with some of his less intelligent statements. He might have opened a can of worms. Rosberg willingly obeyed team orders last year at Malaysia, gifting Lewis a podium. Looks like his team mate is a lot less charitable.

[henners88]

Lewis did not make a single attempt at overtaking Nico the whole race. At Bahrain and Spain it could have gone either way. In fact in Bahrain he employed some rather questionably hard defending. Schumacher in his day was blasted for less. His only decisive win was China.
I've had a little chuckle reading your posts especially this one whilst remembering how angry you got last year when Vettel was being discussed in a critical fashion. Here you are portraying the same level of bias you were so firmly against back then, you've joined the dreaded club it seems.

Back to the quoted part and my reasoning for Lewis not attempting an overtake at Monaco was because he is fighting for a championship in an identical car. The likes of Bianchi, and Magnussen banging wheels around Rascasse was an appropriate risk due to track position and position in the championship. Surely Lewis keeping a cool head behind the wheel and holding second is better than the risk of taking his team mate out, even if the latter would help his campaign? In Bahrain it could have gone either way you are right, but only after Hamilton's 30 second lead over Rosberg was slashed due to a late safety car. Nico on fresher option tyres had the advantage in the dying laps and Lewis pushed the limits of the sporting code keeping him behind, true, but Nico is no stranger to those tactics on the same track 2 years previous. It was rather hypocritical to complain about that and something Lewis would have been reminded of, or perhaps his fans would on forums alike.

The fact you feel his only 'decisive' win was China this year I find almost unbelievable. You either refuse to consider giving credit where it is due, or genuinely do not draw the same conclusions as most of the rest of us watching. Mercedes have a ridiculously superior car to any other team this season and even myself, a Hamilton fan am not impressed with a one team fight, but like Vettel before them they are driving to the maximum in a car that Mercedes have done an extremely good job with. I know Hamilton is arguably the least liked driver on the grid, especially with fans of other drivers, but there is no denying he has the talent to win. His mindset can be questioned when the chips are down and it can go either way, however so far this season he has had the edge over Nico and the results back that up. He is 4 points behind Nico who has finished every race yet has won only 2 of the 6 races so far. Lewis has the pace and this is where he will need to improve if he wants to have a realistic chance of taking this championship. I don't think Nico is far behind and despite the Monaco qualifying suspicions, I still like him. I think it is still possible to admire and respect our favourite drivers rivals even if some here feel they need to unfairly question ability in order to boost their chosen ones.

[TheFamousEccles]

According to the Stewards the was no dirty trick involved. According to one of the Stewards, it was quite the opposite: http://www.formula1blog.com/f1-news/warwick-rosberg-most-honest-driver-in-grand-prix-racing/
The only ones still harping on about foul play are Lewis himself and some disgruntled fanboys, who can't accept that someone else had the audacity to beat their love interest.






QED.:smash:

[Tazio]

QED.:smash:

Yes, I think it is time for some of ya' 'awl boys to call back the dogs of war. Nico aint no Rosie Ruiz, I don't think. :confused:

[driveace]

Nico is not going to win the world F1 championship ,neither is Seb your favorite drivers dj.
As said above Nico has had a privileged life ,son of Finlands Keke Rosberg ,and has know wealth from an early age ,and only the rich can live in Monaco without working .
Seb too has a had a very comfortable life too ,son of a wealthy upper class family ,and very close connections to Michael Schumaker ,so both have had friends OR family with F1 ties .
Lewis on the other hand was brought up by his father ,after his parents divorced,brought up in a council house,and his father had to work long hours to afford to take Lewis Go Cart racing ,with not the money to buy the best equipment that to Seb and Nico would have been no problem .
Nico,s qualifying at Monaco was dodgy ,most people agree ,BUT they are prepared to give him the benefit of doubt .But his card is marked !
Different drivers have very different temperaments ,so they are not all out of the same mould,some take defeat easier than others ,i am afraid if I felt that the guy I was competing again was cheating ,then I too would feel aggrieved too

[MacFeegle]

Lewis hunter and unhappy if not win. What wrong that? I Like Lewis for racing, not to love him for person profile. That reserve for talent program, not racing.

Hunger comment misjudged. He say when with keky and nico, they have big house and big yacht. Not worry about money and he do at time. That why he greater hungry than nico in lewis opinion.

I understand Mr Dj. You choose not?

[Zico]

Does anyone still have any doubts whether Nicos mistake was intentional or not? I saw these lap comparisons on another forum..

Let's compare Rosberg's driving during his pole lap, to his aborted lap shall we?

Pole lap below.

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/5-24-2014/EU3_7m.gif



Note how Rosberg calmly and smoothly drives around the bump on approach to Mirabeau, and how close he gets to the fence on entry, just a few inches away, like he would have done a million times before.


Aborted lap below.

http://giant.gfycat.com/SnappyEquatorialBabirusa.gif



Note how Rosberg goes around the bump in exactly the same manner, but then stays much straighter, goes no where near as close to the fence as his pole lap, and then he starts sawing at the wheel which upsets the balance and induces the tiniest of brake lock up. The outside shot shows how wide he was from the fence, and the back end of the car is planted until he saws at the wheel then hits the brakes which makes the back end slide around under brakes, and front right lock up. It's almost as if he was trying for a Scandinavian flick!


Still think it wasn't intentional?

[dj_bytedisaster]

You don't really believe that, do you? Lewis was signed up by McLaren before he was old enough to learn about the birds and the bees. In terms of racing development he's had a very privileged life. He had McLaren backing and the best possible material in any junior formula he entered. Hardly sounds like a hard life to me.


Nico is not going to win the world F1 championship ,neither is Seb your favorite drivers dj.
As said above Nico has had a privileged life ,son of Finlands Keke Rosberg ,and has know wealth from an early age ,and only the rich can live in Monaco without working .
Seb too has a had a very comfortable life too ,son of a wealthy upper class family ,and very close connections to Michael Schumaker ,so both have had friends OR family with F1 ties .
Lewis on the other hand was brought up by his father ,after his parents divorced,brought up in a council house,and his father had to work long hours to afford to take Lewis Go Cart racing ,with not the money to buy the best equipment that to Seb and Nico would have been no problem .
Nico,s qualifying at Monaco was dodgy ,most people agree ,BUT they are prepared to give him the benefit of doubt .But his card is marked !
Different drivers have very different temperaments ,so they are not all out of the same mould,some take defeat easier than others ,i am afraid if I felt that the guy I was competing again was cheating ,then I too would feel aggrieved too

[rjbetty]

Don't forget dj, that Rosberg spends a lot of time studying Lewis's data to try to learn how to drive as fast as him. I think this has probably been a help.

[henners88]

You don't really believe that, do you? Lewis was signed up by McLaren before he was old enough to learn about the birds and the bees. In terms of racing development he's had a very privileged life. He had McLaren backing and the best possible material in any junior formula he entered. Hardly sounds like a hard life to me.
Is that really something that can be held against Lewis? All drivers are privileged if they reach Formula One and they all have different routes. Lewis wouldn't have made it all the way through on his McLaren journey if he wasn't good enough. Hamilton's early career before he was 13 was funded by his father and yes they lived in a council house in Stevenage. His father took a gamble and invested a lot into his son's start. He won and impressed in categories where his small size made up for the disadvantage he had in regards to inferior karts (due to limited funds from Anthony). When he was 11 years old he was racing against and beating 16 year old's. When he asked Ron Dennis for sponsorship it didn't come immediately but a long time later and only after an interest was taken into his ability, and lets face it Ron Dennis doesn't invest time and money into ventures that don't have a fair chance of giving him a return. So yes Lewis did have a privileged journey to F1, but this was supported by hard work and achieving the results. Now he is in F1, a World Champion and people like you attempt to discredit his position by exaggerating his past to give the impression he had it all handed to him on a silver platter. How unfair is that?! If you don't know enough about the subject, its foolish to use it whilst making things up.

[journeyman racer]

Haha. I knew a bit about Rosberg's upbringing. But when it's written in such detail, he'll have a heck of a time trying to convince the regular folk that he can relate to them, if he ever chose to become a politician! Wow.

Anyway, I mainly agree with dj_bytedisaster on this issue. Fro whatever advantages Rosberg has had, it's been a steady rise to the top. You also can't hold it against them for being Keke's son. It's also not necessarily an advantage to have an F1 champ for your father (Isn't that right, Josh?)

But with Hamilton, it was a very peculiar rise to the top, from my pov. dj's best point was when he said "In terms of racing development he's had a very privileged life." There are a lot people attempting to make a career out of F1/motorsport, almost all have been denied one way or the other. Not getting the budget. Choosing a particular team (in lower classes) that just wanted your money, and wasn't really worried about your career. Being led up the garden path by F1 team owners/managers, saying you should do one particular thing to get ahead, but then burning you for an unacknowledged reason (There are drivers out there that think Eddie Jordan is a mangy dog, for similar reasons like this). People are fickle, not everyone is going to want to help you live your dream, and may attempt to deny you without you knowledge.

So when you're 13, get a 'driver development" role at McLaren, and Ron Dennis likes you (the kind of guy who looks for any reason not to like you), then it's just free gold pass to F1. That fly's in the face of what has been understood to get into F1. Hamilton has never been allowed to fail. I'm not fully aware of Vettel's progression, but Hamilton's had the easiest path to F1/success I reckon. He wasn't given a couple of years in a lower F1 team. Straight to the top "Yeah, why not?" "There's no one else" "We've got Alonso if he stuffs up anyway". No pressure. No one has had it that easy. It's a poor reflection on him, that his best season in F1 so far, has been his first.

It's only fair. Can you imagine if the other great drivers of that past had it as easy as Hamilton?

[journeyman racer]

Urgh...The point is. From early on, Hamliton knew what to do to get into F1. He knew that if he did everything right, he'd get there. Everyone else? Even if they accounted for every outcome and did everything right, they still might not have got a look in. The frame of mind is different.

[driveace]

So your saying it does not help to have a relative in F1 ?
Jack Brabham =David Brabham
Keke Rosberg =Nico Rosberg
Michael Schumaker = Ralph Schumaker
Michaerl Schumaker=Seb Vettel
Gilles Villnuerve= Jaques Villnuerve
Jonathon Palmer = J Palmer Jnr in junior class of F1
There are lots more,you either have a good contact that is in F1 or loads a money ,or a good sponser like Maldonado,and many others or you work your balls off like Lewis had to do .How many kids who were brought up in a council house could ever dream of getting into F1 ?

[truefan72]

So your saying it does not help to have a relative in F1 ?
Jack Brabham =David Brabham
Keke Rosberg =Nico Rosberg
Michael Schumaker = Ralph Schumaker
Michaerl Schumaker=Seb Vettel
Gilles Villnuerve= Jaques Villnuerve
Jonathon Palmer = J Palmer Jnr in junior class of F1
There are lots more,you either have a good contact that is in F1 or loads a money ,or a good sponser like Maldonado,and many others or you work your balls off like Lewis had to do .How many kids who were brought up in a council house could ever dream of getting into F1 ?

bruno Senna
Nelson Piquet Jr
Kevin Magnussen
Michael Andretti
Damon Hill
Markus Winkelhock
Kaz Nakajima

[dj_bytedisaster]

S
Michaerl Schumaker=Seb Vettel


Woot?!?

Since when are Vettel and Schumacher related? Schumacher had absolutely nothing to do with Vettel's arrival in F1. Vettel was signed up by Red Bull's junior program at the age of 13, similar to Lewis being signed up by McLaren at the age of 14. Schumacher had nothing to do with that.

[journeyman racer]

So your saying it does not help to have a relative in F1 ?
No, I'm not saying that.




.How many kids who were brought up in a council house could ever dream of getting into F1 ?
If they had a direct link to a leading F1 team owner/manager, one of the most influential people in the industry? All of them.

[driveace]

Tell me that Seb Vettel never knew Michael Schumaker before he got signed up at 13 then ! He knew them through the Go Cart track in Kerpen,owned by Schumaker Snr
And although he is NOT a relative they are very good friends ,and they are a team in the Annual Driver of the Year event usually.
And journeyman says Lewis knew what to do to get into F1 ,well so did Seb ,and as Lewis had NO pot of gold as many others who get into F1 have,then he had to graft !! And he knew he had to do that .There are 22 or so drivers in F1 ,some get there on merit some by knowing somebody of influence in F1 or by having a good sponsor

[journeyman racer]

Fair enough about Vettel. Having done a little research, he did have a hugely influential contact. If the point is that Hamilton is a more legitimate talent to be an F1 driver, than most/all who have bought their way in, I don't think anyone would deny that. However, I don't buy the argument about working hard. Almost everyone works hard, not just in an attempt to make it in F1. But the value Hamilton got for that hard work was way more disproportionate to what people normally get in any industry.

To be fair, I'd say the help from Dennis would be more influential that Schumacher. Dennis is involved in the process of selecting drivers. I bet the criterion of his has changed over the years, to the detriment of some inexperienced drivers who thought otherwise. It doesn't matter that Hamilton was from a housing commission flat, he could've gown up in the basement of a house in Austria. When a team owner is guiding your career, and makes it hard for you to stuff up, it's a fairly easy path. Not something you could reasonably expect to happen.

[andyone]

to be honest if hamilton didnt have any problems on the first race. then i wont say drivers of the same class.. in monaco if there wasnt yellow flag it would have been another story. its for Hamilton to loose. Nico is no match to Hamilton.

[henners88]

Perhaps its a sorry state of affairs when we are going back 17, 18, 19 years to criticise how a driver started out on his journey to F1 when they are clearly good enough to be where they are now. The likes of Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso etc are World Champion's and are regularly winning races. They have already justified their existence at the highest level. They have all had to work hard regardless of their connections and that really isn't up for debate.

Lewis has officially confirmed that himself and Nico are back on good terms after discussing their concerns. He posted a picture of them riding unicycles as teenagers together.

"We have been friends a long time & as friends we have our ups and downs. Today we spoke & we're cool, still friends #noproblem"

The racing will still be tense, but they've made up like mature people it seems. I suggest we enjoy the coming racing for the action on track.

[steveaki13]

Perhaps its a sorry state of affairs when we are going back 17, 18, 19 years to criticise how a driver started out on his journey to F1 when they are clearly good enough to be where they are now. The likes of Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso etc are World Champion's and are regularly winning races. They have already justified their existence at the highest level. They have all had to work hard regardless of their connections and that really isn't up for debate.

Lewis has officially confirmed that himself and Nico are back on good terms after discussing their concerns. He posted a picture of them riding unicycles as teenagers together.

"We have been friends a long time & as friends we have our ups and downs. Today we spoke & we're cool, still friends #noproblem"

The racing will still be tense, but they've made up like mature people it seems. I suggest we enjoy the coming racing for the action on track.

Spot on Henners

It appears as you say they are back on terms. Lets hope the racing between them two and hopefully Red Bull is exciting in the coming racings.

[journeyman racer]

Who was talking about Alonso?

[Triumph]

I can see Lewis losing out to Nico this year if he has any more car problems. All that work he did with his four wins to make up for the first breakdown he'll have to do again now - and he has just missed out on the first chance to get to work on reducing Nico's lead. I hope he gets his act together for Silverstone.

I expect Nico is feeling very confident at the moment. We might expect him to have his share of the technical problems this year though, so Lewis could easily be right back in close contention in the space of one race.