Monaco 2016

[The Black Knight]

Which Team Orders has Hamilton ignored in the past? Just as many as Rosberg I'd venture. At least the THREE TIMES CHAMP has never pulled the 'let's end Q3 early by spinning' trick.
What you saw yesterday was a driver who simply doesn't have the cojones for a wet race and one that comes into his own when balance and touch become a premium rather than gizmo management. Hulk rubbed that fact in when he decided tippy toe driving wasn't warranted with just a few spits!!
To address points made elsewhere, clearly the Merc chassis is behind the RBR -witness the inability to make the tyres perform from cool - the reason for Hamilton's very slow out lap on the US and how RIC almost jumped him on the restarts.
As for the chicane incident - at least it was consistent with the Barca decision though on this occasion RIC needed to realise that Hamilton was in an unstable state exiting the chicane - I don't think there was a deliberate squeeze in the manner that the aquaphobic one did 2 weeks ago.
It would have been interesting had Hamilton been behind RIC after the stops. Given the clear power advantage the Merc had in the DRS zone it isn't a given that the Red Bull would have kept ahead.
I thought it was a great 'race' and agree that it showed up the men from the boys from the over the hills from the never wills.

I'd save your fingers for trying to reason with DJ here. He will take any incident he can involving Lewis and find an excuse to lay blame on him.

Regarding your chassis analysis, I am afraid you are incorrect in your assessment that RBR have the best chassis. They might have had a package better suited to Monaco but that alone doesn't and never has been a standard by which to assess best chassis.

Barcelona is where everyone sets their stall out. In fact, you can very clearly see the pecking order in terms of chassis in qualifying there:

Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari.

Ferrari's engine is better than RBR's but couldn't out qualify them because their chassis isn't as good.

The 7 tenths and 1 second to pole of both Ricciardo and Max respectively can't be explained off by engine alone. The RBR might be better in slow corners requiring great traction but in the medium to high speed corners Mercedes sets the standard and this is why they have the overall best chassis on the grid but RBR isn't far off.

[The Black Knight]

Rosberg's car was hardly wounded. Pure lack of confidance...

Yup, sometimes one driver drives around a problem better than the other. On this occasion it was Hamilton, there have been occasions where Rosberg has managed car problems better. It Ebs and flows!

Nothing more to see here!

[dj_bytedisaster]

I'd save your fingers for trying to reason with DJ here. He will take any incident he can involving Lewis and find an excuse to lay blame on him.

I beg to differ. You completely take my words out of context. In fact if you actually read the thread, you'll know that it started with me criticising Rosberg for moving over in the first place, because we all know that his team mate wouldn't do the same if the roles were reversed. And rolling over that easily is certainly not winning him the title.

[Starter]

I beg to differ. You completely take my words out of context. In fact if you actually read the thread, you'll know that it started with me criticising Rosberg for moving over in the first place, because we all know that his team mate wouldn't do the same if the roles were reversed. And rolling over that easily is certainly not winning him the title.

You may have forgotten that, while the drivers are in it for the title, the teams are in it for the money. There is no profit in accepting lower place finishes which affect both end of season payouts and next season's sponsorship. Rosberg was going to get passed by several drivers when he made a pit stop no matter how wide his car was up to that point. And the longer he held up the train the more cars would be bunched up to pass. It was much better to let Hamilton go for a try at the win.

[dj_bytedisaster]

You may have forgotten that, while the drivers are in it for the title, the teams are in it for the money. There is no profit in accepting lower place finishes which affect both end of season payouts and next season's sponsorship. Rosberg was going to get passed by several drivers when he made a pit stop no matter how wide his car was up to that point. And the longer he held up the train the more cars would be bunched up to pass. It was much better to let Hamilton go for a try at the win.

That is correct from a team's point of view, but not for the viewers and Bernie-money aside, F1 first and foremost is a spectator's sport and most viewers root for a driver, not a team (except perhaps the Tifosi). I woulod have understood that if Mercedes would be in any danger of not winning the WCC this year, but that isn't happening and it makes no difference in money if you win it with a 200 points margin or a 300 points margin. That is exactly the reason why Mercedes are extremely unpopular in Germany of all places. Many people feel like they stage-manage things way too much, especially given their hugely dominant position. Their car always struggled a bit on twisty tracks, but those are rare on the calendar.

And, as I said earlier, the internet would have melted down had it been Lewis in Rosberg's shoes. Just remember the multitude of conspiracy theories when Lewis didn't win any of the first seven races. Everybody and his dog kept harping on about how the team had given Lewis's mechanics to Nico and how that was the reason why his car kept on breaking down. Funnily enough it were the same mechanics who ballsed up Nico's car. Suddenly nobody demands anymore that Lewis gets his old mechanics back.

From a team perspective, I agree. But for most spectators it was unnecessary given how far ahead the Merc is on most tracks. This isn't 2012 or 2013 where RB can suddenly out-develop everybody as the engine disparity makes that practically impossible.

[henners88]

After Spain I think both Mercedes drivers would have been reminded they work for the team and not themselves. Toto made no secret that if they don't get along then one of them will have to leave too. No doubt Lewis will find himself in a position later this season where he has to give up his position so there is no point crying about it.

Lewis would have either passed Nico in the pit stops or forced a pass anyway so the order made sense in this instance and meant the team had a victory rather than just a podium, or at worse no points at all.

[dj_bytedisaster]

No doubt Lewis will find himself in a position later this season where he has to give up his position so there is no point crying about it.

Are you trying to imply that Lewis would follow such an order? That would be the day hell freezes over. When he was asked something like that the last time, he didn't do it.

[driveace]

There is only one dirty driver out there,who couldnt perform in the best machinery on the track in the wet on Sunday And there is no defence

[The Black Knight]

Are you trying to imply that Lewis would follow such an order? That would be the day hell freezes over. When he was asked something like that the last time, he didn't do it.

He didn't ignore anything the last time. He would have left Rosberg pass had he gotten close enough to not compromise Lewis race should Lewis have slowed down. Nico didn't. Completely different situations both of them.

[dj_bytedisaster]

He didn't ignore anything the last time. He would have left Rosberg pass had he gotten close enough to not compromise Lewis race should Lewis have slowed down. Nico didn't. Completely different situations both of them.

How come then, that as soon as he was reminded that he was expected to let Nico pass, his lap times went down? He knew very well that the 2014 tyres were shot immediately if you did run too close behind another car. I understand that you as a Lewis fan try to spin it other way round, but he did ignore what had been a standing order within the team from the very start. He might not have blatantly said 'no' on the radio, like Verstappen did not too long ago, but on a track like Hungary it would have taken at least some slight lifting from Hamilton to let Nico pass. He didn't do that and it was deliberate and cost the team a possible double-podium.

They finished less than 2 seconds apart, which was about the minimum required distance to prevent the tyres from dying, so it wasn't like Rosberg was too slow. What Lewis achieved was gaining three measly points on the back of ignoring team interests, as he failed to overtake Alonso, something that Nico might have had a better chance at with his much fresher and softer tyres. So, all those who say letting Lewis past was better in the interest of the team, would have to criticise Lewis for ignoring the teams interests there. Rosberg was in a much better position to catch Alonso and perhaps even Ricciardo, who only finished some 5 seconds ahead of Lewis.