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]

"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.

[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.