flyboy10 wrote:So, what I'm having trouble with even feeling like it needs to be discussed is, what is it that Rosberg should have done differently? He's made a fantastic start and is leading on the first lap of the grand prix and he decides to take a very early and tight line for the right hander (because I suspect that he knows Hamilton is trying to lunge up the inside - big in his mirrors) so he shuts the door into the corner. is he supposed to just leave a gap for his title rival to go up the inside? Before anyone answers that, read the regs on when you DO have to leave a cars width. It isn't all the time! Drivers are allowed one move to defend but must leave a cars width if they then move back across the track to take the line for the corner.
Everything you wrote goes against what my eyes witnessed. The fact is that Rosberg saw Hamilton coming faster than he was and knew there we nothing he could do to stop it and decided to cut all the way across the track and blatantly shut the door in an attempt to scare Hamilton into braking and pulling out of the attempt. Rosberg misjudged Lewis' speed and by the time he got all the way over HE LEFT NO ROOM AT ALL, WHATSOEVER.
The normal line is all the way to the left and drivers try and take the line as Lewis did to try and get a run on the guy ahead to make the pass on the inside. Rosberg bailed on his line when he realized Lewis was shooting down the inside and made a desperate attempt to block.
I have always been steadfast on talking up Nico's awareness and ability and this is one instance where he simply screwed the pooch in the worst way. He's got a solid lead in the championship and he could have coasted to 2nd and extended that lead even farther but his disdain for being bested by Lewis got the best of him here and it ended in disaster for him, Lewis and the team. I hat got demoted for incidental contact with his teammate and someone lifting on him in a hard acceleration zone resulting in an almost brake check and he ran into a rival driver for a 2nd time. Nico committed the greatest cardinal sin of racing today, period. There's no way anyone can say otherwise if they're looking at the video of the incident from all angles. Put yourself in Hamilton's shoes... I bet you'd be just as tiddled off and disgusted as he was, and if you say you wouldn't, you'd be lying.
He deserves a grid place penalty and points on his super license and I'm sure the team realizes this and I hope they curb his attitude. With his contract coming up at the end of the year, he just might have bought himself a first class ticket out of Mercedes.