2014 Russian GP - Sochi

[SiLo]

I get the feeling Rosberg might take them both out soon, which as annoying as it would be, wouldn't be bad for Hamilton.

[Ronac]

Well to be honest and unbiased, ROS has pressured HAM into quite a few mistakes in qualifying. Whether Rosberg's Monaco incident was an error or a Schumacheresque move, we'll never know.

[Jano11]

Unless JT just missed him. I cant see why he would blank him

Because of spygate, but its utterly unprofessional from Jean Todt.

Todt did nothings positive for racing since he became FIA president.
I was one of his supporters for this position, and I am deeply disappointed by his actions.

[ringo]

Yes rosberg has pressured lewis in qualifying inditectly. But i think that wascwhen the team has been giving him tips on everything lewis was doing. So lewis maybe delt some vulnerability ans tried to go beyond in q3. He certainly was at his lowest points in the middle of the season.
speaking to abu dahbi i wonderb8f double points can be repealed? Its starting to look like it makes no sense, even for the midfield.

[condor]

- Great comeback race against the odds by Rosberg, as good as Hamilton's Austria or Great Britain, if LH had some Lowe's "next level" servicing substance contamination or gearbox failure he could have won this
- Ferrari equalised Alonso backwards through pitstop and he still finished 15+ s in front of Raikkonen
- Kvyat is really a supertalent deserving best cars, this race proves it. Same for Magnussen slower than Button (again) and Ricciardo who went backwards at the start (again) and couldn't get past Alonso.
- Perez = driver of the race, fighting faster cars and evil fuel consumption which is strange because according to Todt problem doesn't exist

Nico's move on Bottas was close and showed some bravery. Other than that, he mostly overtook back markers. The comeback was nowhere close to Austria or Silverstone. Nico managed the tyres well but the car was quick and there was almost no degradation. Nico himself admitted that in hindsight he could have pushed harder. He drove a very good race but the extraordinary tyre life simply negated the consequences of his first lap mistake and subsequent pitstop. The pitstop created the illusion of a fight through the field, but the reality is that effectively in relation to the other drivers, Nico got his 1 pitstop out of the way early and the lack of tyre degradation didn't present the usual disadvantage of a very early pitstop. So while he was behind quite a lot of cars on track, they were yet to make a stop.

[Ronac]

I agree, I think Nico has been aided by the team giving him tips. It is a two way street however and I'm sure Lewis has benefited from it as well. I have to give props to Nico for qualifying so well against Lewis. He beat Lewis by two tenths in Suzuka which was after the radio ban.

However, this season has shown that Nico's race pace and racecraft isn't quite as good as Lewis'. Of the 11 races where both Mercedes finished, Nico has won just 3. Monaco, where we all know what happened. Austria, were Lewis started 9th and Germany, where Lewis started 16th.

[absbeginner]

Unless JT just missed him. I cant see why he would blank him

Because of spygate, but its utterly unprofessional from Jean Todt.

No, it's just the way in which a short video is confused with reality.
The former has nothing to do with the latter:

Speaking during a stopover on his return from Russia, Todt told AUTOSPORT: "When a guy is fighting for his life, it is so sad that people can suggest something like this.

"Before the race I had walked from the back of the grid and had already greeted a number of drivers.

"I had hugged Alonso shortly before they lined up, so there was no need to shake his hand.

"I have never been so close to Fernando as in this moment, as we think of our friend in hospital."

From Autosport.com

[SectorOne]

Plot twist: "i never got a hug" - Alonso

[Just_a_fan]

Vettel looking very average again.

There were races this year when you could say that, this one wasn't one of those. Unless you've got an ulterior motive.

He was beaten, yet again, by his "unknown" young team mate even after having held him up for several laps. For a four times champion I would say that is "average", yes.

[Phil]

I just hope we don't see this in the next 3 races:
HAM: P1, P1, RET
ROS: P2, P2, P1

That'd be quite a catastrophic way to end the season - not for anyone, especially Lewis to lose it like that nor for Nico.

Another interesting fact is, is with Lewis's 9 wins this season, Rosberg wont be able to match him, even if he wins all remaining races.

[Regle]

Lol, accusing Rosberg of sniffing information regarding driving performance from Lewis 'tell me where to go faster' Hamilton is quite amusing.

[Moose]

I just hope we don't see this in the next 3 races:
HAM: P1, P1, RET
ROS: P2, P2, P1

That'd be quite a catastrophic way to end the season - not for anyone, especially Lewis to lose it like that nor for Nico.

Another interesting fact is, is with Lewis's 9 wins this season, Rosberg wont be able to match him, even if he wins all remaining races.

No one has even won 9 races before and not won the championship. In fact, no one has ever won 7 races before and not won the championship. For Hamilton to manage 11 race wins and then lose the championship would be laughable, especially with Rosberg only winning 5.

Of course, it's not happened, and it might not. But the double points end makes this a distinct possibility.

[RicerDude]

I just hope we don't see this in the next 3 races:
HAM: P1, P1, RET
ROS: P2, P2, P1

That'd be quite a catastrophic way to end the season - not for anyone, especially Lewis to lose it like that nor for Nico.

Another interesting fact is, is with Lewis's 9 wins this season, Rosberg wont be able to match him, even if he wins all remaining races.

No one has even won 9 races before and not won the championship. In fact, no one has ever won 7 races before and not won the championship. For Hamilton to manage 11 race wins and then lose the championship would be laughable, especially with Rosberg only winning 5.

Of course, it's not happened, and it might not. But the double points end makes this a distinct possibility.

I can imagine the team intervening if this situation were to unfold.

[ScottB]

I just hope we don't see this in the next 3 races:
HAM: P1, P1, RET
ROS: P2, P2, P1

That'd be quite a catastrophic way to end the season - not for anyone, especially Lewis to lose it like that nor for Nico.

Another interesting fact is, is with Lewis's 9 wins this season, Rosberg wont be able to match him, even if he wins all remaining races.

True, but Lewis could win 11 and still lose the title in Abu Dhabi if he retired and Nico won. Basically the worst situation predicted when the double points crap was announced; Nico's championship in that circumstance would be somewhat hollow for me.

[Shrieker]

Only 'somehwhat' ?

Nevermind, we got 2 races to go before that, maybe Nico will regroup and in abu it will be all out do or die ftw. We'll just have to wait.