F1 season 2016 comments here

[Jimmy]

For the reasons I mentioned above, there'll be no 'punishment' for Hamilton, just like there wasn't for the incidents when they collided in the past. The team know full well they are onto a good thing with having both Rosberg and Hamilton in the team. Merc would be the net losers if Hamilton defected to someone like Ferrari or Red Bull.

As for Hamilton defying orders... before the race, Toto et al said that they wouldn't interfere and would just let their drivers get on with it - sorry, but giving Hamilton an instruction is not letting them get on with it. IMO, Lewis was right to do what he did, he just isn't the sort of driver to give up and gift it to his teammate, it's not in his nature.

As they've done all season, at the end of the race - saying what they did re 'punishments' - Mercedes and their management have toed the corporate line to keep the company bigwigs happy.

 

[Big Ben]

If you turned the TV on at the start of the race and watched it with the commentary off then turned it off immediately at the end of the race I wonder if people's perspective of the Hamilton and Rosberg saga would be different?

No media bias. No girly trash talking. No pictures of them with their bling etc...

Just a race with fast cars.

It's going the same way as football in my opinion... That's not positive

 

[Siliconsteve]

If you turned the TV on at the start of the race and watched it with the commentary off then turned it off immediately at the end of the race I wonder if people's perspective of the Hamilton and Rosberg saga would be different?

No media bias. No girly trash talking. No pictures of them with their bling etc...

Just a race with fast cars.

It's going the same way as football in my opinion... That's not positive

My opinion is that f1 is there to show the best drivers going as fast as poss. endurance racing is for pacing yourself . so if I'm lined up ready to race the 100 m and Mr bolt is holding me back to stop me winning that's cheating. that's my perspective

 

[Johnny 99]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with what Hamilton did yesterday. The team had already won the WCC, and one of the team's drivers was going to win the WDC. Therefore, weighing up the potential for losing the team one race win (if Vettel had got past both of them) versus him losing the WDC, then it was a no brainer. The fact is he needed to do something as if he'd just driven off into the distance and won the race (which he could have done easily) then Rosberg would have followed him home and easily finished second, which was of no use to Hamilton.
The talk of Hamilton being 'punished' by Mercedes is bullshit, he's their biggest asset and going by news reports he already threatened to quit after Spain, so Mercedes won't do anything to rock that boat, and rightly so in my opinion.
Rosberg drove well this season when the opportunities arose, and for that he should be rightly congratulated. However, when it comes down to details, if Hamilton's engine hadn't gone in Malaysia, he would have won the title. So in that respect I think Rosberg can count himself very fortunate.
In terms of 'liking' Hamilton, I don't pay attention to 'personalities' off the track. I'm a motorsport fan, so I concentrate on the on-track stuff, at which there's little doubt Hamilton is the best. I've just never been the Hello magazine type.
Anyway, hopefully next season Red Bull and McLaren build decent cars and we can see Hamilton vs Verstappen vs Alonso.

Pretty much sums up my own thoughts.

 

[Jimmy]

There was nothing to stop Rosberg attempting an overtake on Hamilton - if Hamilton was going that much slower than the rest, why did Rosberg not try and get round him? Why did the team not encourage him to go for the overtake, instead of whinging at Hamilton to speed up. Nico was no doubt worried that he would balls it up and potentially lose the championship.

Rosberg took the safe option, which Hamilton knew he would - Hamilton took the only viable choice he had in order to give himself a chance of winning the championship. After qualifying, Rosberg said he was going to go for the race win.... Didn't look like it to me.

 

[Siliconsteve]

Would you overtake someone who has everything to lose? I don't think I would. remember Alonso spun on the same track in an attempt to cheat? would Hamilton nudge rosberg in the hope he took him out? I think so

 

[Sean197]

Would you overtake someone who has everything to lose? I don't think I would. remember Alonso spun on the same track in an attempt to cheat? would Hamilton nudge rosberg in the hope he took him out? I think so

There's only one of the Mercedes drivers with a record of crashing into the other to protect their position, and it isn't Hamilton... You could just as easily ask what was to stop Rosberg firing into the side of Hamilton and ending both their races to win the championship, he could have just said 'I tried to overtake him as he was going too slow'. No doubt Hamilton would have been vilified for that too.

 

[Sean197]

My opinion is that f1 is there to show the best drivers going as fast as poss. endurance racing is for pacing yourself . so if I'm lined up ready to race the 100 m and Mr bolt is holding me back to stop me winning that's cheating. that's my perspective

It isn't anywhere near cheating. Alain Prost said he always tried to win going as slowly as possible. The race isn't timed, it's who sees the chequered flag first. If he was holding anyone up they could have overtaken him.

 

[Siliconsteve]

I'm off back to Aussie v8 supercars anyway, proper drivers. got four hours of bathurst to catch up on

 

[Chris]

Plus the fact that the cars are strung so tightly, running them at a reduced power gives you less risk of them failing.

 

[Jimmy]

I'm off back to Aussie v8 supercars anyway, proper drivers. got four hours of bathurst to catch up on

Do they still show the V8 Supercars on Motors TV? The last time I watched it was a year or so ago, but not sure where to watch it now. The races were always good, quality drivers as you say Steve. That Bathurst track is immense, love watching them go round there.

 

[Siliconsteve]

Do they still show the V8 Supercars on Motors TV? The last time I watched it was a year or so ago, but not sure where to watch it now. The races were always good, quality drivers as you say Steve. That Bathurst track is immense, love watching them go round there.

It's live on BT sport 1 or highlights on Eurosport. Yeah would love to see Bathurst live , epic track. I've no idea how they race for three hours, must be hard work.lol.

 

[Rick]

Nico Rosberg had announced his retirement, didn't see that coming.

 

[Beany]

Nico Rosberg had announced his retirement, didn't see that coming.

Just seen this on sky sports! Completely out the blue... wonder who they'll get as a 2nd driver? Alonso..?

 

[Chris]

Maybe he's been thinking of purchasing a Clio with his championship money and then came on here for some advice.... hmmmm

 

[Beany]

Maybe he's been thinking of purchasing a Clio with his championship money and then came on here for some advice.... hmmmm

Maybe he's going to convince Renault and use his money to release the R.S.16 under general sale ...?

 

[Jimmy]

Yeah big shock to hear that! I can see why he's doing it now though - he's probably unlikely to win it again and so he's going out on a high. Fair play to him I say - best way to do it.

It will be very interesting to see who fills that seat - it'll be hot property! I imagine Hamilton will have a fair bit of say in it... You'd imagine they'd go for a top level driver, but they're all spoken for - Merc would have to throw a lot of money to buy someone out of their contract, i.e. Verstappen! It could be a big gamble if they chose to go for a more junior driver, to act as Hamilton's second.

Exciting stuff!

 

[Chris]

could hamilton give less of a shit??

 

[Johnny 99]

Just seen this on sky sports! Completely out the blue... wonder who they'll get as a 2nd driver? Alonso..?

My 1st thought, but then I remembered what happened last time Alonso & Hamilton were in a team together!

 

[Jimmy]

could hamilton give less of a shit??

I still don't know whether the whole tension thing between those two is for the benefit of the media. They've been friends for so long, and although they've clearly had their moments, I find it hard to believe they'd fall out so spectacularly. The fact he says it wasn't a surprise suggests he knows Nico a lot more than most people.