Nico Punished

[RasputinLives]

The bit that bothers me about the apology is the bit where he says sorry for spoiling the race for everyone to watch. This is a sport and that really shouldn't matter.

Apologise to your team and team mate yes but apologising for spoiling the show? This implies this should be part of a drivers decision making process when he takes any action on the track.

"Oh look someone is trying to go round the outside of me here. I can easily stop him doing that. Hang on though it would be better for 'the show' if we had an overtake around the outside"

No no no no.

 

[Kewee]

RasputinLives .... Someone else pointed out F1 is not Stock Car racing. Not taking out your teammate, or another top driver as far as that goes, shouldn't be a part of the decision making process of any top level driver. At the pinnacle of motorsport the thought that taking another driver out will better their own result doesn't normally form a part of the thought process though there have been occasions when this has happened, Senna/Prost is the obvious example. The obvious answer for me is if the top three or four drivers started taking each other out and were getting away with it, they would collectively destroy the sports spectacle and the fans wish to see the top drivers fighting for the win and would owe a lot more than an apology to the fans and the sport.
I was very aware Rosberg had spoiled what could have been a fantastic race. Having excitedly looked forward to the GP I was more than a little pissed of with Rosberg when I was blurry eyed at midnight so I went to bed. A fantastic race would have woken me up.

 

[RasputinLives]

I see your point Kewee but I'm not saying he shouldn't apologise to his team mate and team or that drivers should be allowed to take each other out.

An apology for endangering the life of another driver yes but an apology for ruining the TV spectacule? We're on a slippery slope.

 

[KekeTheKing]

We've officially entered "The Twilight Zone" since Rosberg's mea culpa was printed by the Daily Mail yesterday. When the driver at fault accepts responsibility for his actions, yet individuals with no knowledge of his decision making process tell us he's lying, how can we move forward in a serious manner?

Rosberg ruined the race that many thousands of people traveled traveled to Belgium to see. I believe his apology to the fans was directed at those who he summarily dismissed as ignorant British fans after the race.

The only people dissatisfied with the conclusion of this affair are the ones wishing to apportion blame to Hamilton. The fact that he has the full support of his team in this ordeal seems to have irked them to no end.

 

[snowy]

RasputinLives if you disregard the spectators of any sport, it ceases to be a viable sport. I don't know what the definition of sport is but in the context of society it is fundamentally dependent upon participants and spectators. There aren't that many sports that are not wholly dependent upon spectators for their existence. Is there a current sponsor that would have anything to do with F1 if there were no spectators?

 

[RasputinLives]

I completely agree with you sentiments snowy however isn't what happened actually part of the sport (for good or bad) and therefore part of the viewing experience for the fans anyway? For all we know the race might have been less interesting to watch if Rosberg had pulled out of the move.

You can't have a sportsman in the heat of competition considering the 'viewing public' as part of his decision making process as that would take away the whole nature of the competition and what made people want to watch it in the first place. I know thats not what has happened here but the apology for 'ruining the show' starts us on a dangerous path. If we hold the drivers responsible for entertaining us and they believe they have too then what was a competitive sport suddenly becomes a piece of thearte.

F1 has increasingly pushed towards 'gimmicks for entertainment' and I think they could be in danger of getting so focused on that part that they lose sight of why people watch F1 in the first place.

 

[Jen]

We've officially entered "The Twilight Zone" since Rosberg's mea culpa was printed by the Daily Mail yesterday. When the driver at fault accepts responsibility for his actions, yet individuals with no knowledge of his decision making process tell us he's lying, how can we move forward in a serious manner?

Two way street - how do we know that any of this is anything other than a PR exercise?

Rosberg ruined the race that many thousands of people traveled traveled to Belgium to see. I believe his apology to the fans was directed at those who he summarily dismissed as ignorant British fans after the race.

Goodness, did he really say that?

The only people dissatisfied with the conclusion of this affair are the ones wishing to apportion blame to Hamilton. The fact that he has the full support of his team in this ordeal seems to have irked them to no end.

A racing incident, is that apportioning blame? "Ordeal" - hardly. I suspect that they both have the full support of their team.

 

[KekeTheKing]

In every post race interview Rosberg specifically blamed "British Fans" for the harsh reception on the podium. On Sky, BBC, and NBCsports.

Even Nico has conceded this WAS NOT a racing incident. It was HIS incident. And he clearly did not have the support of his team with those actions.

 

[snowy]

F1 has increasingly pushed towards 'gimmicks for entertainment' and I think they could be in danger of getting so focused on that part that they lose sight of why people watch F1 in the first place.

Their biggest marketing blunder was to stop killing themselves...

 

[Jen]

KekeTheKing, once again, whatever.

You will never concede that it was a racing incident and I will never accept anything other, plus a malfunction in PR from the three tweedles. (There used to be only two but Mercedes always has to top everything!)

You can bang on if you want, I have had enough for now.

 

[KekeTheKing]

But you do realize that the driver who created the accident has accepted full responsibility. Or do you honestly believe this to be a Mercedes orchestrated PR charade to satisfy us "rubes" ?

 

[Hamberg]

RasputinLives I don't think it will be part of the decision making process but addressing the boos was probably a good idea. He talks about the fans a lot and it seems more important to some drivers than others that they maintain the respect of them (or at least for marketing/sponsorship).

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

RasputinLivesAt the pinnacle of motorsport the thought that taking another driver out will better their own result doesn't normally form a part of the thought process

*cough* Schumacher *cough*

 

[RasputinLives]

Their biggest marketing blunder was to stop killing themselves...

Well the mob love that don't they.

I'm not drivers taking each other out is right (actually I'm saying its wrong) I'm just objecting to the fact that drivers appear to be being held responsible for our entertainment.

That is not a competition. That is WWE.

 

[teabagyokel]

Part of the joy of sport is that the competitors believe sincerely that it is all terribly important.

 

[snowy]

 

[Kewee]

*cough* Schumacher *cough*

True Chad Stewarthill, I slipped up there. Mentioned Senna/Prost but forgot...... well you said it all.

 

[Dario Resta]

We've officially entered "The Twilight Zone" since Rosberg's mea culpa was printed by the Daily Mail yesterday. When the driver at fault accepts responsibility for his actions, yet individuals with no knowledge of his decision making process tell us he's lying, how can we move forward in a serious manner?

Rosberg ruined the race that many thousands of people traveled traveled to Belgium to see. I believe his apology to the fans was directed at those who he summarily dismissed as ignorant British fans after the race.

The only people dissatisfied with the conclusion of this affair are the ones wishing to apportion blame to Hamilton. The fact that he has the full support of his team in this ordeal seems to have irked them to no end.

The problem for me is not one of Nico's misjudgement, it's the way he been made out to have done it deliberately. I don't think his article or any other correspondence from him or Mercedes suggests he did. He's apologised for ruining the spectacle, Lewis' race, Mercedes 1-2, etc and for misjudging his move. Fine - it was an avoidable incident but not one with malice. Did Nico say something in the heat of the meeting that may have been interpreted as meaning it was deliberate? Probably, but most likely out of being hounded by several members of management and Lewis himself.

I don't see how anyone can blame Lewis for the accident, and I certainly don't, but all these accusations of Nico being a cheat and a liar are unfounded. I think there will probably be worse incidents this year.

 

[Wombcat]

He should have done this at Hungary though, then there would have been something to talk about during the summerbreak. It's almost a shame that there is another race this weekend

 

[KekeTheKing]

Dario- There isn't a single post about Rosberg being a 'cheat' or a 'liar' in this thread until you came in and threw a (factually incorrect) bomb into the room, which provoked a response from someone other than myself.

I've already said that Nico can have the final word here. His explanation yesterday seems sincere. Lewis, Mercedes, and now Nico are on the same page about what happened. The same stance that I've maintained since two weeks ago Sunday.

Wombcat - I think he should have too actually. Then he wouldn't have carried that anger into Belgium and we could have had a proper race again finally.