Where does Nico Rosberg go from here?

[Bagwan]

To borrow a line from Jean Pierre Sarti, in the great movie, "Grand Prix": "there is no terrible way to win... there is only winning."

When Lewis said last year that he was hungrier, Nico's tendency to choke while under pressure last year and this year, pretty well demonstrates that that is true. But I've always found Nico to be a likable and sympathetic character. He is a good driver, just not a great driver. He clearly has game, or race craft. But IMO, he lacks the ability to hold it together and apply pressure to Hamilton, in particular. Maybe because Hamilton has been coming out on top against him since they were kids, Hamilton, more than any other driver, is able to "get inside his head". And maybe that self-doubt causes Rosberg to lose focus at inopportune moments.

I was a HUGE fan of the old CART series. It held my interest about as much as F1 back in the day, even when Senna was still with us. But I accepted that one of the reasons that many of my favorite CART drivers couldn't really make it in Formula One was because team politics and psychological gamesmanship were (and are) factors in F1, more so than CART.

Anyway, my guess is, based on how Ferrari has come on recently, the main battle next year for the WDC will be between Hamilton and Vettel. Nico needs to up his game just to hold off Vettel (I don't see Kimi as a threat to anyone but himself). Lewis can race wheel to wheel with Vettel. I don't believe that Nico can, not over the course of a season anyway. And next year, Mercedes may need all the points that it can get to capture another Constructor's title.

Maybe you're right , Jag , that it doesn't matter at the end of the day whether the Stetson you end up wearing is black or white , but rather if if it says #1 on it .

What I don't particularly like like here is that Lewis , like a few others , is pushing it too far here .

I guess it's a clever gambit , however , because he's figured out that he's got a free pass to do it because he team mate can never make formal protest .
All he has to do is take his scolding behind closed doors , with a little wink when he leaves .


It's the catch 22 for Nico , that he can't protest .
And , it's that fact that has been the Achilles heel for him , I think .
It would sure yank my chain if I were in his shoes , because I've seen lots of guys , including Lewis , allowing room for the others and not pushing people off .

You can race both hard and cleanly .


One last point that bugs me is that Lewis doesn't have to do stuff like this .
He could still win with a white hat .