Head To Head Nico Rosberg vs Lewis Hamilton
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snowy
Champion Elect
On the thorny subject of the first corner clash and Nico's assertion that Lewis has gone too far.
While it is clear Lewis wasn't using full lock to make the corner it is also clear that the guy on the outside has the option to get off the throttle. Nico wasn't going to win the corner in Suzuka but persisted and lost places, in Austin it could be argued that had Lewis given him racing room then they would still have been side by side through turns two and three. It would have been fabulous to see but is it illegitimate to use all the track when exiting a corner just because the guy on the outside is not prepared to concede the corner?
Nico really needs to consider the facts:
He himself repeatedly used the block pass on the Ferrari's in Bahrain to very good effect in 2015.
He used the block pass - again in Bahrain - in 2014 on Lewis twice to little effect, Lewis simply broke harder and earlier and undercut.
Lewis used the block pass in Suzuka earlier this year, Nico persisted with the outside line and ended up losing three places.
Lewis used the block pass in Austin and Nico persisted with the outside line, they made contact and he ended up losing three places.
Education! Education! Education!
While it is clear Lewis wasn't using full lock to make the corner it is also clear that the guy on the outside has the option to get off the throttle. Nico wasn't going to win the corner in Suzuka but persisted and lost places, in Austin it could be argued that had Lewis given him racing room then they would still have been side by side through turns two and three. It would have been fabulous to see but is it illegitimate to use all the track when exiting a corner just because the guy on the outside is not prepared to concede the corner?
Nico really needs to consider the facts:
He himself repeatedly used the block pass on the Ferrari's in Bahrain to very good effect in 2015.
He used the block pass - again in Bahrain - in 2014 on Lewis twice to little effect, Lewis simply broke harder and earlier and undercut.
Lewis used the block pass in Suzuka earlier this year, Nico persisted with the outside line and ended up losing three places.
Lewis used the block pass in Austin and Nico persisted with the outside line, they made contact and he ended up losing three places.
Education! Education! Education!
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I don't think anyone can count the number of times a car has been forced to yield like Nico had to at turn one. It's a very, very common and legitimate racing move. I don't even know why there's a debate here.
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Spinodontosaurus
Points Scorer
Usually I would agree, and defended Rosberg in Hungary for pulling this trick on Ricciardo. But those are all instances where the guy on the inside is still ahead of the guy on the outside. However, this time around the two were roughly level, if anything Rosberg was an inch or two ahead until Hamilton hit him off. The move probably falls into the grey area where neither driver is in the wrong, but it was very close to overstepping the mark imo.
Fenderman
Rooters Reporter
If ever there was a demonstration of missing ingredients from Nico's racecraft, that first corner was it. Nico seems not to have learned from the previous encounters and does not appear to factor in the probable trajectories of his opponents. As every race driver knows (or should know), a tight entry to a corner will lead to a wide exit and visa versa. The guy on the inside entering a corner effectively "owns" it as he has covered off the apex and regardless of steering input* his car will be going wide on exit. The driver on the outside will be remiss if he does not understand that on an instinctive level and respond accordingly.
*Steering input was mentioned in the TV commentary, i.e. that Lewis was not steering fully into the corner. We should remind the commentators that the track was wet and that if more or full lock is applied one will spin!
The art of the pass around the outside is reliant on a combination of speed differential and room for manouvre. If neither factors are clearly in one's favour the corner is lost and the only sensible option is to back off and go for the undercut. However, one should recall that it was Lewis who was on fact performing an overtaking manouvre from the outset of the start. Therefore, Nico's manouvres were in defense of his own position. Thus it was Nico's responsibility to concede that first corner.
The rules on overtaking and defending position do not actually address these situations since the above is actually commonsense and very basic racecraft knowledge, otherwise known as "the unwritten rules".
27.6 More than one change of direction to defend a position is not permitted. Any driver moving back towards the racing line, having earlier defended his position off-line, should leave at least one car width between his own car and the edge of the track on the approach to the corner.
27.7 Any driver defending his position on a straight, and before any braking area, may use the full width of the track during his first move, provided no significant portion of the car attempting to pass is alongside his. Whilst defending in this way the driver may not leave the track without justifiable reason.
For the avoidance of doubt, if any part of the front wing of the car attempting to pass is alongside the rear wheel of the car in front this will be deemed to be a ‘significant portion’
27.8 Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are not permitted.
From the FIA 2016 FORMULA ONE SPORTING REGULATIONS
*Steering input was mentioned in the TV commentary, i.e. that Lewis was not steering fully into the corner. We should remind the commentators that the track was wet and that if more or full lock is applied one will spin!
The art of the pass around the outside is reliant on a combination of speed differential and room for manouvre. If neither factors are clearly in one's favour the corner is lost and the only sensible option is to back off and go for the undercut. However, one should recall that it was Lewis who was on fact performing an overtaking manouvre from the outset of the start. Therefore, Nico's manouvres were in defense of his own position. Thus it was Nico's responsibility to concede that first corner.
The rules on overtaking and defending position do not actually address these situations since the above is actually commonsense and very basic racecraft knowledge, otherwise known as "the unwritten rules".
27.6 More than one change of direction to defend a position is not permitted. Any driver moving back towards the racing line, having earlier defended his position off-line, should leave at least one car width between his own car and the edge of the track on the approach to the corner.
27.7 Any driver defending his position on a straight, and before any braking area, may use the full width of the track during his first move, provided no significant portion of the car attempting to pass is alongside his. Whilst defending in this way the driver may not leave the track without justifiable reason.
For the avoidance of doubt, if any part of the front wing of the car attempting to pass is alongside the rear wheel of the car in front this will be deemed to be a ‘significant portion’
27.8 Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are not permitted.
From the FIA 2016 FORMULA ONE SPORTING REGULATIONS
He just does not learn, does he? How many times has he attempted to hang around the outside of Hamilton around a corner in the opening laps? How many times has it actually worked?
He talks a good game, but it just makes him look stupid when he gets beaten by a more aggressive move... again!
He talks a good game, but it just makes him look stupid when he gets beaten by a more aggressive move... again!
Ineed teabagyokel - was that time he overtook Lewis later in the race the only time he's made one stick as well?
Road of Bones - Yeah, and Hamilton was on tyres that were edging him towards the pit-lane gravel trap.
Dartman
Pole Sitter
Rosberg is stuck with Merc for at least one more season, but at the moment they are his best chance of a championship ( not a good one while Lewis is there) Possibly Ferrari in 2017 or McLaren if Ron will have him and the car is good and Jensen goes ( or Fernando gets the boot)
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