Where does Nico Rosberg go from here?

[Bagwan]

OK Look at it from another perspective. If it was Alonso or Vettel in Hamilton's position what do you think they would do?
I would bet my last dollar on them doing what it takes to get ahead after the corner. This, l guarantee you, would include running Rosberg off the track. This is racing, not a popularity contest. What you saw there was what separates the great drivers from the rest.

If look at the advantages of the relative positions of both driver as they approached the apex of the corner and then through the corner, you would see that Rosbergs positioning was increasingly becoming weaker as they got to the apex. But he had over-committed, hence had no choice but go through the corner with the hope of getting a better drive out of the corner, but doing so knowing his position was increasingly at risk of being vulnerable to the Redbull behind.

I think in the damp conditions of Austin, a tighter line through the corner would have been problematic for Hamilton and may have cost him more than a loss of one position. The wider path was the optimum path through that corner. As it went, that incident had very little bearing on the outcome of the race. This is not a Hamilton thing, any driver worth anything, in Hamilton's position would have done exactly the same thing. Be it Alonso, Vettel or Ricciado. It is simply racing.

If you see the other guy braking longer , you can let him overspeed wide and try to get him inside .
If you are right beside him , and you know you have both the wider trajectory , and the grippier line , you know he cannot run through the corner at your speed , or he will slide into you .
It's kinda basic , the idea that you want to avoid other cars on track , as these machines are pretty fragile , and if you know (as Lewis said he did) the other guy is on the grippier line , and right beside you , you must be aware that you are likely going to hit him if you don't slow a little , to keep a tighter line , leaving space .
Lewis , as I see it , never had any intention of leaving that required space .

You have to trust the guy in the other car at the speeds they drive .

The way it looks to me is that every time Nico sees this behavior , and sees it essentially unpunished , it lets a little more air out of his balloon .


Is it simply racing ?
That's what Kimi wants to know , too .

And , hey , I guess if it's clarified and I'm told it's just racing , then fair play to Lewis , and congratulations on a hard fought championship , by all means .