2015 Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka

[GPR-A duplicate2]

Ferrari's pace on Mediums was awful as Nico closed down on Vettel in the second stint on hards. Although the pace looked like equal on hards between Nico and Vettel, but when you compare the quicker Merc and quicker Ferrari, the gap was quite large on a circuit is not the biggest on the calendar.

In the second stint Ferrari were on hards, nico on mediums, so not sure what you mean. It's hardly surprising that they were much slower.

Edit: sorry, both were on hards.

What I really don't understand is why they didn't go to mediums on the final stint. Yes, they probably wouldn't have lasted to the end pitting when they did, but they already got jumped by rosberg on the undercut (was never likely to cover it off) so why not go a bit longer and do something different? I thought that was a missed opportunity, not for the win, but for a chance of 2nd + for the spectacle.

My bad. I thought Vettel was on mediums. But Nico was indeed on hards.
Raceday at Suzuka / F1 2015 Japanese Grand Prix

11:01 The race leader takes another set of mediums (the opposite of Vettel, Rosberg and Raikkonen, but the same as Bottas in third), and emerges comfortably still in the lead.

[Tom145145]

Last time Ros was muscled out of the way by Ham it didn't go so well...spa 2014...Today Ros yielded. Ros was pummeled with criticism for his not moving over and letting Hamilton through in Spa. Today many say he should not have moved over for Ham, and darn near guarantee a crash because we know Hamilton was not about to stop pushing him off the track.

So whats the right thing for Ros to do then? Hold his ground and guarantee a crash, or move over and just let Hamilton push him out of the way?

SPA 2014 was completely different, not off the start and Rosberg simply misjudged in that instance. As for this race, he had no ground to hold...you can't hang it out on the outside of T2 and expect to not be run out of road.

[PlatinumZealot]

@ Iotar - it is not cutting across into the other car, it is defending your line.

Rosberg knows how the game is played so he cannot complain too much:

[gray41]

Why is it only an issue when Hamilton takes his line?

[Jordan44]

Why is it only an issue when Hamilton takes his line?

Well, this is iotar we're talking about. The ultimate Hamilton basher. There was nothing wrong with what Lewis did. Drivers do the same left, right and centre, including Nico, in Canada, for example.

[Edax]

Last time Ros was muscled out of the way by Ham it didn't go so well...spa 2014...Today Ros yielded. Ros was pummeled with criticism for his not moving over and letting Hamilton through in Spa. Today many say he should not have moved over for Ham, and darn near guarantee a crash because we know Hamilton was not about to stop pushing him off the track.

So whats the right thing for Ros to do then? Hold his ground and guarantee a crash, or move over and just let Hamilton push him out of the way?

Hamilton was always going to drift to the outside. He was taking the same corner with a higher velocity and with a tighter entry. Hamilton committed himself to that outside line at entry, as did Rosberg. It's not like these guys leave themselves a lot of margin. You cannot expect them to brake, steer left and right in the middle of a corner etc.

Rosberg knew that if he wasn't able to clear Hamilton on the outside line he would be driving himself in a wedge and took the risk. Actually I like it when drivers do that, if it works it is a very ballsy move, if it doesn't it is always a bit difficult on exit.

Of course he could have kept the car there and crash, but to what point? To be on the outside in a corner and slightly behind usually is not the best position to have contact. You easily end up in a situation where Rosberg breaks his front suspension and is out while Hamilton completes the race with a bit of floor damage. And then he would be miles behind Hamilton in the championship and eve behind Vettel.

I don't see any point which would be worth that.

[Traction]

Why is it only an issue when Hamilton takes his line?

Well, this is iotar we're talking about. The ultimate Hamilton basher. There was nothing wrong with what Lewis did. Drivers do the same left, right and centre, including Nico, in Canada, for example.

I just can't help thinking that if the roles in this incident were reversed Rosberg this place would be absolutely losing its proverbial.

In saying that I think it was just hard racing and it seems that with Rosberg actually backing off to me it's a sign that he's resigned himself to been the number two driver.

[ismail1991]

Although I am Hamilton fan, I want to see a stronger Rosberg. The guy deserves to be a champion. He is good in my opinion but he lacks the determination that Schumacher, Hamilton and Vettel have for winning races and championships. Last year he was much better than this year. I don't understand why his performance dropped a lot this year. By the way, I don't like how Vettel tries to humiliate Rosberg or speak sarcastically to Rosberg at press conferences. These are my opinions I just wanted to share

[PlatinumZealot]

I think Rosberg deserves to be a champion just as much as the great drivers, but he is going to need luck to achieve it being Hamilton's teammate. The only chances for him are to pray for a Hamilton off year, move into another top team and hope for the best or just hope Hamilton leaves Mercedes.

[PlatinumZealot]

Changing gears a little bit. I hate and like Verstappen at the same time. He is a real jerk but I like his guts. Good entertainment. =D>

[MercedesAMGSpy]

Funny how people always moan how Formula One has changed and that they want to go back to the old days with drivers as heroes taking risks. Well ladies that was exactly an oldskool move by Hamilton in turn one. As the man himself said: it's do or die and how much you want to win the race.

[basti313]

You judge this with a faultless race in which the car just did not have the pace for P4? The car was overtaken on mediums by Merc doing a later stop...even magic Ham or Alo would have lost ground with that car.

Doesn't matter if he lost ground, it was bad defending and a weak move. Rosberg was right there, he positioned himself far too wide and left himself painfully open for that move. It was very much not a faultless drive. At a track where passing is incredibly difficult he pretty much moved out of the way for Rosberg, that is a huge mistake.

Well...Rosberg pulled a Hamilton there. Maybe even a Verstappen . If Bottas would have defended anything, the crash would have been unavoidable. Rosberg was just too far away and relied on his better grip and Bottas leaving space. Bottas just taking "his line" (what a stupid wording...) would have caused a safety car and (hopefully) a big penalty for Ros.

Although Lewis got a good start, but he was still behind by the first corner. What Nico should have done, was to close the door hard on first corner itself rather than moving out to go on racing line.

Closing the door in turn 1 would have ended in contact.

Although I am Hamilton fan, I want to see a stronger Rosberg. The guy deserves to be a champion. He is good in my opinion but he lacks the determination that Schumacher, Hamilton and Vettel have for winning races and championships.

That's it. No "big" driver would ever jump to the runouts just because someone is next to them. And every driver knows that it does not work to start understeering into Schu, Alo, Ham or Vet just to try if they are moving out of his way.

By the way, I don't like how Vettel tries to humiliate Rosberg or speak sarcastically to Rosberg at press conferences. These are my opinions I just wanted to share

This was a "normal" joke. Other cultures may have their problems with it, but for us nazi robots this is astonishingly not humiliating.

[Moose]

Sometimes I wonder if iotar just wants Hamilton to be compared to Senna...

Rosberg should have closed the door into turn 1.

https://youtu.be/foiswIS44AM?t=8

[dans79]

What Rosberg should have done, was realized part way through turn one that he needed to concede P1, and position himself to take P2. If he would have done that he would have had all race to fight with Hamilton, instead of having to fight with Bottas & Vettel.

[i70q7m7ghw]

What Rosberg should have done, was realized part way through turn one that he needed to concede P1, and position himself to take P2. If he would have done that he would have had all race to fight with Hamilton, instead of having to fight with Bottas & Vettel.

This.

But, unfortunately I think his mindset now is he can't beat Hamilton in a straight fight, he needs to make the best of opportunities that arise, such as the pole position he got this weekend because the yellow flag at the end of Q3. In Rosberg's mind, the only way to win at Suzuka was to start in front of Hamilton, and stay there.