Poll Did Hamilton do the right thing?

[KekeTheKing]

I think the extent to which Hamilton actually backed up Rosberg "into traffic" is being exaggerated. Nico only had the final five laps where Seb was within two seconds and he never even looked like making an attempt to get by. The narrative of some sort of wrongdoing has largely been driven by the panicky calls from the pit wall. And these calls are really extraordinary if you take them at face value. Ostensibly they were concerned that the win was at stake, but since they knew Lewis had pace in hand then this really was not an issue. I honestly cannot imagine a single (unbiased) person taking umbrage with Hamilton's race if Mercedes hadn't acted like they were about to piss away the WCC or WDC.

The notion that any racing "spirit" rules were broken is ludicrous. The man who might feel most aggrieved had this to say about the way the race was controlled, "I don't think it's something that needs to be discussed much."

Nico Rosberg defends Lewis Hamilton tactics in race for F1 crown

And as I posted elsewhere this was a giant feather in Rosberg's cap thanks to Lewis. I'm pretty sure Nico realizes it as well. It was a remarkable conclusion to the season and it would not have been nearly as memorable if he had trundled home 20 seconds back.

If there was even a single instance of Hamilton driving dirty or making a junior formula blocking move then I suppose I could understand a quarter of respondents finding a reason to condemn the way he controlled the pace, but this is just not the case. Whether it was due to Rosberg's unwillingness to try and find a way by or to Hamilton's remarkable efforts to invite pressure while keeping everything above-board, it was a picture perfect drive in every aspect.

 

[Caramba]

I think it's no-brainer. If a team order is wrong a driver must have the freedom to overrule it, think of Max' "No!" last year, or even better, that's what Nelson Piquet jr should have done in 2008.
And in this case it was wrong. The constructors chamionship was in the pocket, so all that was left were drivers interests.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Its hard one for morals because tactically yes but sportsmanship wise no

 

[TR]

Its hard one for morals because tactically yes but sportsmanship wise no

Even from a sportsmanship point of view Hamilton did the right thing: He was trying to win the championship, and yes sometimes (but rarely) that involves something else than trying to get to the finish as fast as you can. This was the case for both Hamilton and Rosberg on Sunday. Neither of them was totally focussed on winning the race, paying more attention to their relative positions.

What Hamilton did on Sunday was the motorsport equivalent of laying a snooker in, well, snooker. I.e. he was in the position that in order to win the championship (frame) he needed his opponent to make a mistake. Consequently, instead of focussing just on winning the race (potting balls) he opted to put pressure on his opponent to increase the chance of a mistake. In snooker, laying snookers is accepted as a (crucial) part of the game, and certainly not "unsportsmanlike". I don't see why this should be different in motorsport.

 

[Rutherford]

I voted "yes". Hamilton rightly chose to back Rosberg up.
You have got to ask yourself, "what would you have done in his situation?"
My answer is, that I would have backed him up too. He had no other option than to driver as fast as he could and hope that Rosberg suffers a technical defect or back Rosberg up into the pack and hope that he cracks under pressure and gets overtaken by the cars running behind him.
Logically, he chose the latter option because it was unlikely that Rosberg would fail to finish due to a technical error and Hamilton could control the pace at front without having Nico threaten him as he slowed the pace in specific sectors.

Furthermore, Hamilton forced Rosberg to prove all the people who thought he was an undeserving WDC wrong, as he had to withstand the pressure from behind.

 

[The Pits]

Lewis Hamilton rules out backing Nico Rosberg up in F1 title decider

 

[cider_and_toast]

That's what happens when you don't spend half a press conference using Snap Chat.

 

[siffert_fan]

Opinion: Hamilton's defiance has given Mercedes a 2017 headache

Interesting article, as it covers both sides of the argument.

 

[Olivier]

It's all Horner's fault, he has an evil influence in his surroundings and Hamilton fell fall it, against his will. Red Bull wants to beat Mercedes next year and this is the very first step, getting in their minds ...

 

[Incubus]

Did Hamilton "do the right thing" then?

Only one person probably knows the answer to that question. Spike Lee of course.

 

[teabagyokel]

Arguably, of course, it was only ever an option because Rosberg let him go in Monaco.

 

[KekeTheKing]

One must remember that this was not an ordinary Grand Prix. It was an incredibly rare scenario that rarely (if ever) gets to play out as it did. With the Constructor's sewn up by a mile and countless victories collected over the last 3 years, it truly beggars belief why Mercedes brass behaved as they did. Everyone realizes the win was never in doubt. So why the panic? And I know many believe these guys to be metronomes, but are we really at the point where a team can tell their driver a lap time, and if he doesn't deliver then that is considered defying team orders?

I see literally no concern in any of this carrying over to 2017. They'll drive their balls off in what are expected to be pretty beastly machines. If they're squabbling alone at the front again I would be very surprised. Therefore I do not see Mercedes having to handle any of these "problems" they think they've encountered/created. In fact, they'll likely be yearning for such "troubled" times.

 

[Incubus]

They'll drive their balls off

-------------------------

So THAT' s where all those marbles on the tracks came from?

 

[cider_and_toast]

It's cause for concern if the Mercedes management cause controversy when they're the only horses in the race, imagine what they'll do under real pressure. It's easier to control things when you only have to think about yourself.

After 3 years, Rosberg and Hamilton have gone from childhood chums to just about being civil to each other.

Next year could get messy.

 

[The Pits]

If red bull and ferrari had been quicker it wouldnt have been a discussion.

 

[Hamberg]

Perhaps they were thinking about the reputation, relationships and repercussions if Lewis' tactics paid off.

Look how we feel about it, might not be technically against the rules but enough neutrals found it unsavoury so imagine how those with an emotional and professional investment would feel. Added to that another TP suggested he do it.

This wasn't about wanting Nico to win, it was about keeping the team in tact. They should have played it down in public afterwards and never told us about the undercut.

 

[TR]

This wasn't about wanting Nico to win, it was about keeping the team in tact.

If that was their goal, they should have just kept their trap shut, instead of issuing completely pointless instructions.

 

[siffert_fan]

Wasn't Nico ordered to let Lewis pass at Monaco this year? Did he comply?

 

[teabagyokel]

siffert_fan - He was, and he did. Had he not done so, he'd have cost Hamilton serious time. At best, he'd have lost 7 points as he would not have beaten Ricciardo. At worst, those that managed to clear Rosberg could have got him too.

I think he knows never to ever let Hamilton past for any reason now. Could bite him on the arse in a close title race...

 

[TR]

siffert_fan - He was, and he did. Had he not done so, he'd have cost Hamilton serious time. At best, he'd have lost 7 points as he would not have beaten Ricciardo. At worst, those that managed to clear Rosberg could have got him too.

I think he knows never to ever let Hamilton past for any reason now. Could bite him on the arse in a close title race...

Don't be ridiculous. Monaco was a completely different situation.