The inside line .

[Bagwan]

“I didn’t feel it was particularly that close. The inside line is the inside line so it was my corner. We were very close – I was understeering, running out of grip. I imagine Nico ran out of road but that is what happens when you’re on the outside.”

Am I wrong in thinking that a driver who knows he's got another beside him is obligated to leave enough room for that car ?

He was "understeering, running out of grip" , but rather than correct it by slowing slightly so that the arc of the car would leave room for the car beside , he just ran it through , as if by divine right .
He was saved from a catastrophic first lap cock-up by his team-mate , who knew exactly what Lewis would do .

Hamilton ran out of grip , and ran Rosberg out of road .
And , that's ok .
Hell , more than ok , as it's what you can expect if you're on the outside !
It's just what happens , isn't it ?

Well , no .
But , it is what you can expect from some drivers , though .

Others you can trust to leave room for a fair fight .

"I imagine Nico ran out of road..." .
I'd imagine so , since you ran him off it ,Then made up rules to justify the move .

The inside line is the inside line .
There will be no passing outside from now on .
Everybody got that ?

[Big Ben]

It just goes on to prove how a wasteful society we are. They made the tracks so wide when in reality the only track that counts is 'the racing line'. I don't see the point of making the track wider than 2 meters in corners since most of the times one's not really allowed to use the track outside 'the racing line' beside another car. I hope that when Bernie strikes a deal with Kim Jonk-un for the North Korean GP they'll make the corners the proper size and we'll stop having these confusions.

[dj_bytedisaster]

It stopped being a question of racing line or not after last year's Belgian GP. Hamilton has gotten away too often with chopping across Rosberg's bow or running him off the road. Only once Rosberg didn't back off and that was in Spa 2014 and he was pilloried in public by Lauda and Wolff before even being given a chance to explain his side of the story. Since then he MUST back off or he'll get the same crap again. Hamilton knows that and uses it to his advantage.

[Jag_Warrior]

Since then he MUST back off or he'll get the same crap again. Hamilton knows that and uses it to his advantage.

Yes, Rosberg is being established as the de facto #2 driver, whether he likes it or not... whether that is fair or not. Not only do the head to head race results reflect that, but I think Rosberg's demeanor is beginning to reflect that as well. He has become Hamilton's Berger, Irvine or Massa.

IMO, this was Rosberg's year to break out of that role. But he has failed. By next season, I figure that Ferrari will be hot on Mercedes' heels. And I don't think Rosberg has shown that he can be counted on to defend the Silver Arrows from the attack that the red squad is going to bring. So as Hamilton continues to establish racing and psychological dominance over Rosberg, Nico is realizing that if someone has to yield, it must be him... much like Berger had to with Senna, Irvine had to with Schumacher and Massa had to with Alonso.

In watching the start, knowing that Nico has had more issues with the starts than Hamilton of late, why didn't he aim his car (in full Schumacher style) toward Hamilton's side of the track? That really struck me as odd, unless he was told by the Merc bosses not to do that. But I recall Hamilton doing it more than once. So...???

[dj_bytedisaster]

In watching the start, knowing that Nico has had more issues with the starts than Hamilton of late, why didn't he aim his car (in full Schumacher style) toward Hamilton's side of the track? That really struck me as odd, unless he was told by the Merc bosses not to do that. But I recall Hamilton doing it more than once. So...???

Would have been pointless. According to Toto Wolff, Rosberg's engine had overheated on the formation lap and therefore a power deficit.You can make of that what you want. I think after last year Merc don't really want a title fight between their drivers, especially not when a Ferrari can interfere on a good day.

[Bagwan]

So , you guys are intimating that the loss of power at the start was a wee bit too convenient ?

Given that he was able to get back up to second , I guess that's not too far a stretch .


But , really , I was hoping the focus here would be whether the move is "cricket" or not .

[dj_bytedisaster]

So , you guys are intimating that the loss of power at the start was a wee bit too convenient ?

Given that he was able to get back up to second , I guess that's not too far a stretch .


But , really , I was hoping the focus here would be whether the move is "cricket" or not .

Without any hard facts to back it up, it's a bit harsh to say they did it deliberately, but Merc have a history of stage-managing results, so you can't fault a long-time observer for being suspicious.

As for the move. It was brutal and at the ragged edge of legality, if not beyond it. But people seem to get away with stuff like that lately, following the motto "no crash, no penalty"

[steveaki13]

What do you guys think of this? Is this the same sort of thing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F55uHToDu24

[steveaki13]

"no crash, no penalty"

and as stupid in my mind Crash then a penalty.....

Look at some incidents and they are clearly racing incidents on lap 1 or even Hulk v Massa in Singapore. At no angle would Nico's mirrors have seen Massa.

[dj_bytedisaster]

Same thing. He wasn't far alongside enough to claim the corner and then ran his opponent off.

[steveaki13]

My view is that Hamilton was OK until he under steered into Nico. Not sure what the answer is for that.

Nico could have done an Vettel like in Monza and kept his foot in or made contact with Lewis and hoped that he came off best. Or failing that just eased off into second.

I would say the same if it was Nico on Lewis, but for me it is rude driving but not illegal. I also saw no issue with Nico slicing Lewis tyre and Schumi moving around back in 2011? at Monza. I think F1 is a bit soft these days.

[Jag_Warrior]

What do you guys think of this? Is this the same sort of thing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F55uHToDu24

To me it is. As soon as I saw Hamilton firmly inside him, I knew what was about to take place: either Nico was going to tuck back behind him or he was going to get run wide. I think that Nico was the only guy who had to stick his hand in the water to find out that it's wet.

Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Schumacher of old, Senna... that's how all of the drivers of the "ruthless class" race(d). Button might be one guy who wouldn't do that. Old Raikkonen (clearly) would. New Raikkonen, I don't know about. To preserve 2nd place, and maybe be able to challenge Hamilton later, Nico should have tucked in. It's not like Hamilton hasn't done that to him before. And he's going to do it again, if the circumstances line up in the future. So will Vettel. So will Lil Maxie Verstappen, if he has a car with an engine in the back next year.

Nico needs to read Sun Tzu's The Art of War and learn the lesson: "know your enemy."

[Bagwan]

Without any hard facts to back it up, it's a bit harsh to say they did it deliberately, but Merc have a history of stage-managing results, so you can't fault a long-time observer for being suspicious.

As for the move. It was brutal and at the ragged edge of legality, if not beyond it. But people seem to get away with stuff like that lately, following the motto "no crash, no penalty"

It's , I guess , because they get away with it that it happens .

They weren't about to protest their own driver .

Is another team allowed to protest if they have no driver involved ?

Since this particular driver has stated that the rules by which he conducts himself are different to the rules of the series , being that you are obligated to allow room for other drivers , whether they be on the inside line or outside line , should the FIA not be investigating this ?
His team-mate said he had to take avoiding action .
As a result , he ran off track and lost 2 positions .

I think we might see a different Nico from here on .

[dj_bytedisaster]

I think we might see a different Nico from here on .

He already tried something different once. In return he was bent over the nearest piece of furniture and given a jolly old rear-end seeing-to by Lauda and Wolff. The Nico you're hoping for was neutered in Spa 2014.

[The Black Knight]

It stopped being a question of racing line or not after last year's Belgian GP. Hamilton has gotten away too often with chopping across Rosberg's bow or running him off the road. Only once Rosberg didn't back off and that was in Spa 2014 and he was pilloried in public by Lauda and Wolff before even being given a chance to explain his side of the story. Since then he MUST back off or he'll get the same crap again. Hamilton knows that and uses it to his advantage.

It was Rosberg's second saw of the wheel last year that got him into shit! Had he not done that it could have been out down to a racing incident.

This time, though, I do agree it was borderline cheeky from Hamiltonx my initial thought was he did understeered into him, but only he know the absolute truth. Either way, I've no issue with it, as I regard it as another by of payback for Spa last year and I think Rosberg was very lucky to escape in race punishment for that, very lucky indeed!

[driveace]

If Rosberg had not stopped qualifying last year so questionably at Monaco ,and the incident at Spa last year I could have taken his side more.But both are no angels Hamilton is a better racer and may be a bit more aggressive . But as said by others Vettel and Vestappen ,would have been just as ruthless.Then again had Nico had a better start,the situation would not have arisen

[steveaki13]

Lets face it. Senna, Schumacher, Vettel and many more are aggressive and push the rules. Thats why they win and are good.

Hamilton is better than Rosberg and always seems to edge ahead in these moments. I think had the situations been reversed Nico would not have dared pull that move.

[Bagwan]

He already tried something different once. In return he was bent over the nearest piece of furniture and given a jolly old rear-end seeing-to by Lauda and Wolff. The Nico you're hoping for was neutered in Spa 2014.

Nico certainly did get the message that the laundry shouldn't be aired in public , and he was very dutiful regarding that , but I'm pretty sure that it was on the agenda at the debrief .
Given his nervous demeanor , Lewis knew he'd overstepped .

And , to me , it looked like Nico was very much in control , which is why I think he's turned a corner on how he needs to fight this .

[Mintexmemory]

Nico certainly did get the message that the laundry shouldn't be aired in public , and he was very dutiful regarding that , but I'm pretty sure that it was on the agenda at the debrief .
Given his nervous demeanor , Lewis knew he'd overstepped .

And , to me , it looked like Nico was very much in control , which is why I think he's turned a corner on how he needs to fight this .
Really? I just saw the same little boy who wonders why daddy's money hasn't got him a cart that's easily faster than the nasty boy who keeps beating him!

[Rollo]

Nico needs to read Sun Tzu's The Art of War and learn the lesson: "know your enemy."

The Nine situations:
13. On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.
14. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight.
- The Art of War, Sun Tzu

Nico didn't keep steadily on the march. If he'd stayed on line, Lewis might have looked foolish and put them both off the road. On desperate ground, fight. Nico didn't fight.

[dj_bytedisaster]

Really? I just saw the same little boy who wonders why daddy's money hasn't got him a cart that's easily faster than the nasty boy who keeps beating him!

That's easily the biggest load of BS I've ever read. If one of them came into F1 with a boot-load of money, it's Lewis, because he was supported by McLaren since he was 14. The only influence that Keke had on Nico's career was, that he owned some of the teams Nico drove for in junior formulae and Team Rosberg has always been just a small privateer team.

[dj_bytedisaster]

The Nine situations:
13. On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.
14. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight.
- The Art of War, Sun Tzu

Nico didn't keep steadily on the march. If he'd stayed on line, Lewis might have looked foolish and put them both off the road. On desperate ground, fight. Nico didn't fight.

What would have been the point to have a crash? Lewis would have kept his large gap on him, Vettel would have taken 2nd in the WDC from him and I don't even want to think about what unspeakable acts Lauda and Wolff would have done on him.

[Bagwan]

"We have set rules from the team on how we are to behave in duels and I behaved accordingly."

Another very measured response from Nico , that pretty much tells the story .
Very well played .
He drove as the team player , and showed once again how selfish his team mate is , saving the one-two finish at the second corner , and then talking the team game in front of the microphone .

And Lewis nervously made up rules for the microphone to justify his rudeness .

[Mia 01]

Yeah, I saw the race live, and also several replies of the incident between Rosberg and Hamilton. Hamilton clearly squezeed Nico out on the grass which caused him two places. Ruthless and against the regulations of Hamilton.

[Mintexmemory]

That's easily the biggest load of BS I've ever read. If one of them came into F1 with a boot-load of money, it's Lewis, because he was supported by McLaren since he was 14. The only influence that Keke had on Nico's career was, that he owned some of the teams Nico drove for in junior formulae and Team Rosberg has always been just a small privateer team.

Read what I wrote - Hamilton has always had the drop on Rosberg, long before junior formula backing from McLaren.