Head To Head Nico Rosberg vs Lewis Hamilton

[Fenderman]

Indeed. Two time winner and multiple podiums in Le mans 24 hours and three time winner in ALMS.
F1: 2002 race driver for Toyota and 2003 was test driver for Renault.

 

[The Pits]

And he kicked Hakkinens bottom in F3, both for WSR, I believe. At least, in the races I was at.

 

[Vortex]

I remembering him having a monster of a crash in 130R at Suzuka. Went right through the barrier, luckily backwards or I fear it could have been tragic.

 

[sushifiesta]

The one thing that hasn't really been mentioned much, at least to my memory, and that Ross Brawn has just alluded to is the time it will take Lewis to settle in to the team. If Rosberg is going to beat Hamilton at any point then now is the time to do it as he has the advantage in having been involved with developing the car, knowing his engineers and the team as a whole etc. Nico has even been in F1 longer than Lewis, although he is less accustomed to being at the front.

Ross Brawn said after qualifying today that he is seeing Lewis gain understanding with the car and familiarity with his engineers as every race goes by. If Nico can't beat him on a regular basis now I don't think he ever will, not that most people expected anything different. Granted, they have been pretty much neck and neck so far this season until perhaps qualifying today.

 

[Fenderman]

So far we've seen Lewis build incrementally throughout each race weekend to edge in front of Nico at the last moment. Today we saw that same incremental progression only more so. I actually think it quite striking that Ross Brawn said that Lewis is "starting" to settle into the team. If he sees that as starting what have they got in store for us later on?

 

[siffert_fan]

I, for one, have never bought into this "equal number one" status hogwash. Whichever driver is paid more is the defacto number one and will receive preferential treatment, statements to the contrary notwithstanding. When Brawn state that he dislikes team orders, but won't hesitate to employ them again in the future, it seems like a clear indicator to me that Hamilton can expect more orders to benefit him "for the good of the team" in the future.

 

[downforce]

Rosberg will be rightly pissed at how the first 3 races have gone.

Race 1 he gets a mechanical failiure and his teammate doesn't

Race 2 he gets a team order to stay behind his teammate, when he would otherwise have beaten his teammate and got the podium, maybe even the win.

Race 3 he gets a mechanical failiure while his teammate takes his 2nd consecutive podium.

 

[siffert_fan]

Downforce

It all sounds almost Webber-like, doesn't it?

 

[GeoffP]

Downforce

It all sounds almost Webber-like, doesn't it?

siffert_fan - You just don't care, do you !

 

[sushifiesta]

I don't think he had any hope of victory in Malaysia and last year it was Schumacher who had terrible reliability at the start of the season (and Hamilton wasn't having much better luck at McLaren) so these things even out I guess.

I don't think Rosberg will be too bothered about the points difference, in the first two races he was right with Lewis so I think he'll be quite pleased about that. This weekend the mistake in qualifying and getting stuck behind a slow starting Raikkonen as a result cost him, so even if he didn't have the failure he wasn't really in the same race as Lewis. This weekend is the first one where Rosberg will be doing a bit of head scratching I think.

 

[Speshal]

Rosberg will be rightly pissed at how the first 3 races have gone.

Race 1 he gets a mechanical failiure and his teammate doesn't

Race 2 he gets a team order to stay behind his teammate, when he would otherwise have beaten his teammate and got the podium, maybe even the win.

Race 3 he gets a mechanical failiure while his teammate takes his 2nd consecutive podium.

Nahhhh, hes just got Shumi's old car.

 

[Brogan]

Rosberg begins the fightback, scoring his first win in qualifying over Hamilton.

 

[EvilWhippet]

A pretty decisive one too.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Nico finally hooks it up on the last go. Blistering lap!

 

[Senna's_right_foot]

Oh. Emm. Jee.

Nico out-qualified Lewis!!1111!!!!!11one

Sam Bird must be fancying his chances of getting a drive this season, Lewis must be watching over his shoulder now, surely. I'm surprised there isn't a 'did Mercedes jump the gun with Hamilton' thread yet.

 

[Mephistopheles]

What's that got to do with anything?

Edit

Oh right sarcasm I get it, very good...

 

[teabagyokel]

If Hamilton's career falters in Brackley, the Jacques Villeneuve comparisons will skyrocket!

Can't see it, though!

If Rosberg does well in comparison, his reputation will be much improved for it.

 

[Jos the Boss]

Mephistopheles I have a stat to prove against that! Lewis was quicker in FP3 and that's about it! It's all about the race though and Nico must be fancying his chances with Lewis in a newly rebuilt car

 

[racecub]

Delighted for Nico! Love this pairing! When one driver has a problem the other driver is there.That's a good pairing! And I reckon Lewis will be pleased the Merc has the pace. I'm sure he'd rather it was him but he'll be happy the Merc performed. Be interesting to see if that Merc has pulled up on its race pace.

 

[Brogan]

Rosberg's superb pole fails to translate into a superb race.

Very disappointing from him and he loses more ground to Hamilton.