If Rosberg wins the WDC this year..

**The Black Knight** · 4th November 2016, 07:01

Originally Posted by AndyL

If you subtract Kimi from the 2007 equation, it's actually a more similar situation to now. Bitter team-mate rivalry and all! In 2007 Hamilton led Alonso by 12 points with 2 races to go - more than 1 win, proportionally 1.5x bigger than Rosberg's lead over Hamilton now. That lead reduced to zero in the last 2 races.

Yeah but unfortunately McLaren weren't as dominant as Mercedes were then.

I think that RBR can be super competitive in Brazil though. It's going to be interesting to see what happens there. Lewis's only realistic chance is interference from RBR, a mistake from Rosberg or a mechanical failure.

**AndyL** · 4th November 2016, 09:11

Originally Posted by The Black Knight

Yeah but unfortunately McLaren weren't as dominant as Mercedes were then.

It's true, it's a lot easier for a Mercedes driver to have a bad weekend and still finish 2nd or 3rd now. Certainly we won't see a Williams and 2 Saubers getting between them as happened to the two McLarens in the last race of 2007. But their superior car won't save them from a moment of ill luck or judgment like Hamilton's ignominious end in the pit lane gravel trap in China 2007. I don't think this championship is over yet.

**Nitrodaze** · 4th November 2016, 13:17

Originally Posted by Tazio

Hamilton finished 7th in the last race of 2007!

Of course he did finis 7th in Brasil. The gearbox DNF happened in the previous race in China. You know ur F1 history bro.

**Tazio** · 4th November 2016, 13:39

Originally Posted by Nitrodaze

Of course he did finis 7th in Brasil. The gearbox DNF happened in the previous race in China. You know ur F1 history bro.

The gearbox malfunction did happen in Brazil, but it was electronic and Hamilton was able to reset it after dropping almost all the way to the back of the field. China was a DNF, but it was the result of Hamilton beaching it in the small gravel trap at pit in.

**Nitrodaze** · 10th November 2016, 17:12

Originally Posted by Tazio

The gearbox malfunction did happen in Brazil, but it was electronic and Hamilton was able to reset it after dropping almost all the way to the back of the field. China was a DNF, but it was the result of Hamilton beaching it in the small gravel trap at pit in.

I knew there was a gearbox problem in Brasil, l somehow thought it resulted in a DNF for some unknown reason. But l should have googled like everyone else. My point was the gearbox problem was the main reason that Hamilton missed out on winning the driver's title in his rookie year. If he had finish 4th behind Alonso, he would done enough to win the title which Raikonnen won by a sole point ahead for Hamilton who also finished by one single place ahead of Alonso in the championship.

Brasil has not been a great hunting ground for Hamilton for various reasons. But he has a great opportunity to set things straight this year. It has been all too easy for Rosberg, hence l would hope it properly goes to the wire. I read somewhere that Rosberg would be a lucky champion if he pulls it off. With what we have seen this year, most drivers on the grid would have won it with those sort of luck in a Mercedes car. That said, you still have to cross the line to win and Rosberg did alot of that to put himself in poll position for the driver's title of 2016. I cannot begrudge him his speed and calm head that has seen him through. Especially after blowing an earlier 43 points lead.

The fact remains that the drivers title was not seriously contested for this year. It seemed a breeze really?

**Tazio** · 11th November 2016, 00:02

Originally Posted by AndyL

It's true, it's a lot easier for a Mercedes driver to have a bad weekend and still finish 2nd or 3rd now. Certainly we won't see a Williams and 2 Saubers getting between them as happened to the two McLarens in the last race of 2007. But their superior car won't save them from a moment of ill luck or judgment like Hamilton's ignominious end in the pit lane gravel trap in China 2007. I don't think this championship is over yet.

The darndest thing about that DNF was (if I remember correctly) The Boss was pitting after running inters down to the cord. That was his only DNF of the season. Of course this was in the middle of a three year engine freeze, and I think each engine only had to last 2 races. Fred also had only one DNF in the sister MP4-22 when he crashed out at Fuji in the rain. Very reliable, yet simpler PU back then!

**Tazio** · 11th November 2016, 00:07

Originally Posted by Nitro'

Hamilton who also finished by one single point ahead of Alonso.

Boss and Fred both finished with 109 points. Boss was given second on the count back!

**steveaki13** · 13th November 2016, 15:36

This is it then. A critical day for the Championship and its raining..... edge of the seat stuff.

**keysersoze** · 13th November 2016, 21:56

In my view the least great (I know--oxymoron) WDCs have been:
1. Keke R: Villeneuve's death, Pironi's season-ending injury, and turbo unreliability handed it to him
2. Damon Hill: never won in F3000, lucked into a Williams ride, had a dominant car and a rookie teammate in '96.
3. James Hunt: Lauda missed 2 races and still almost won.

**Rollo** · 13th November 2016, 23:46

Originally Posted by Alfa Fan

Will he be the least deserving champion of all time?
I can't think of another time where a driver has been so clearly inferior and won the championship due to reliability / other factors.

1982?
Keke Rosberg won the championship after only having one 1 race all year and because his nearest rival in Didier Pironi got smashed up so badly in Germany that he never raced again.

1976?
James Hunt won the championship after only Niki Lauda had crashed so badly that he suffered severe burns in the fire. Niki Lauda is so hard core that he came back and drove six weeks later. Then he won the 1977 championship and after a period of retirement, won the 1984 championship as well.

1988?
Ayrton Senna literally won the championship by being worse that Prost.

Even if Nico comes third and Lewis wins the last GP, Nico Rosberg will have still won 9 Grands Prix. I think that this thread follows Betteridge's law of headlines; which says that "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word 'no'."

Will he be the least deserving champion of all time? No.