2016 Malaysian Grand Prix - Sepang, 30th-2nd October

[TwanV]

edit: confirmed in an interview for Dutch TV, VES was going to run until the end on the hard tires until Hamiltons demise changed their strategy in favour of (in my view) a safe 1-2 handing it to RIC.

well, he could have stayed out I guess, but a stop under VSC conditions costs only 10 seconds or something like that, so Ricciardo on new soft tires would have closed that gap immediately and take the win anyway.

...with Hamilton parking that car at an appropriate place, not resulting in a VSC, it would have been a different story, sure

good point, I agree

[Edax]

I don't think Verstappen hits him. He is just taking avoiding action

Pretty clear Verstappen hits Vettel, you can see it in the lines his car is going and also in the line Vettels car is going.

Edit// From above (bad quality I know), but look at the angle of Verstappen car...
It is very clear that he bounces of Vettel before Vettel hits Rosberg:

http://i64.tinypic.com/6fyr7n.jpg

Posting a set of stills where he didn't hit Vettel perhaps isn't the most convincing evidence that he did.

I don'see him hitting Vettel, what I do see is that Vettel is braking extremely late, has his inside wheel locked up and never in a million years would have held the apex. In fairness to Vettel, what I also see is that Rosberg is extremely optimistic in taking the corner, cutting across VES before collecting VET.

But perhaps VET is right that VES is playing a role in this. It is clear that VES has gotten under the skin at Ferrari. He has taken their win in Barcelona, their second place in Austria. And he hasn't missed one opportunity to rub salt in their wounds with his "thoughtfull" comments. Would Kyv be still around Ferrari would be cruising around in second spot. And now the whole team is coming apart.

I wonder whether VET was so occupied with VES that he overlooked ROS.

[Redragon]

With so many Mercedes engines Why only me is having problems? says Hamilton and Brundle straight up goes to speculate about that too.
Maybe is not Mercedes engine but how you drive it or do with it. It could be equally Hamilton fault if you look at it from the Mercedes engine point of view.
Imaging for a moment if Toto was saying we have so many Mercedes engines but only Hamilton blows up, he might be doing something wrong.
Sometimes luck is not with you and that's it.

Doing something wrong??? Please..... This is a high performance vehicle and when pushing the limits of performance/reliability sometimes things happen. It's a racecar, do you have to drive it easy/pussyfoot the car?? I'm just glad it didn't happen in the last race to determine the championship.

Read my post again, I am not saying he is doing something wrong. I just saying is wrong to play the conspiracy bit specially with the team that help you to win two worldchampionships.

[Manjhi]

Amazing race =D> =D>

Mercs not winning the race is always treat to watch, esp Lewis, Amazing racing instinct shown by the RB guys, that 3-4 corners of wheel-to-wheel racing was just amazing

Mclaren has made some serious gain with the engine, 2017 will be interesting for them. Alonso was unchaseable by Hulkenberg.

Saw some pathetic comments by Lewis fan boys here ,they never notice the pit stop time and Penalties given to Rosberg ever, according to them whole world is against their beloved champion.

Nice recovery drive from Nico Rosberg.

Force India & Williams battle is getting very interesting with the end of season.

[basti313]

I don'see him hitting Vettel, what I do see is that Vettel is braking extremely late, has his inside wheel locked up and never in a million years would have held the apex.

I think this is a quite strange accuse. We heard these accuses for many races now with someone t-boning across the whole track like Ric, Ros, Ves...but here we have Vettel within half a meter to the apex, nicely parallel to the apex beyond the point where you hit the throttle. Just see the gap to Ham and you can see, that the turn was done, he just needed to accelerate to the next corner.
He is not exactly on the apex, but a bit off, so this may be the small error the FIA is talking about in the penalty. But this is far different from "never in a million years".

In fairness to Vettel, what I also see is that Rosberg is extremely optimistic in taking the corner, cutting across VES before collecting VET.

Yes, when watching it I thought "this will not end up good" as soon, as I saw Ros starting to cut across. No idea, why he was going to the apex there, maybe to go for Ham? Defending the position would mean to stay on the outside.

By the way: Vet and Ros touched in the same corner at the start in 2015.

I wonder whether VET was so occupied with VES that he overlooked ROS.

I do not think Vet could see Ros or Ros could see Vet. Simply too different trajectories due to different lines. For me this was a clear racing incident, I do not understand the penalty at all. I am not a fan of penalties, but if this one is a penalty, I do not understand why so many crashes and blocking moves this season did not cause penalties.

[GoranF1]

No excuse for Vettel, penalty way to mild.

[holeindalip]

With so many Mercedes engines Why only me is having problems? says Hamilton and Brundle straight up goes to speculate about that too.
Maybe is not Mercedes engine but how you drive it or do with it. It could be equally Hamilton fault if you look at it from the Mercedes engine point of view.
Imaging for a moment if Toto was saying we have so many Mercedes engines but only Hamilton blows up, he might be doing something wrong.
Sometimes luck is not with you and that's it.

Doing something wrong??? Please..... This is a high performance vehicle and when pushing the limits of performance/reliability sometimes things happen. It's a racecar, do you have to drive it easy/pussyfoot the car?? I'm just glad it didn't happen in the last race to determine the championship.

Read my post again, I am not saying he is doing something wrong. I just saying is wrong to play the conspiracy bit specially with the team that help you to win two worldchampionships.

Understood

[Raleigh]

We need video but to me obvious Vettel and Verstappen tripped before Vettel hit Rosberg. Afterward Max was straight on radio trying (apparently successfully) to put all blame on Vettel.

[Edax]

I don'see him hitting Vettel, what I do see is that Vettel is braking extremely late, has his inside wheel locked up and never in a million years would have held the apex.

I think this is a quite strange accuse. We heard these accuses for many races now with someone t-boning across the whole track like Ric, Ros, Ves...but here we have Vettel within half a meter to the apex, nicely parallel to the apex beyond the point where you hit the throttle. Just see the gap to Ham and you can see, that the turn was done, he just needed to accelerate to the next corner.
He is not exactly on the apex, but a bit off, so this may be the small error the FIA is talking about in the penalty. But this is far different from "never in a million years".

Maybe "a million years" is a bit overdramatic.

But bot VES and VET braked really late. VET even a bit later than VES. With VES you can see the smoke as his wheel locks up. With VET his wheel is on the curb so you dont get the smoke, it does look like it stops rotating as well. At the point you describe he is indeed half a meter from the outside but if you look at the steering angle it is pointing outward away from the apex ( and towards rosberg). He had to open the corner up because he started sliding.

Let's say was just a bit too much to ask from cold tires.

[Wynters]

...with Hamilton parking that car at an appropriate place, not resulting in a VSC, it would have been a different story, sure

Just how long do you want people to drive burning cars around for? Perhaps he could have kept the engine running until he was able to get back to the pits, then it wouldn't get in the way of the racing?

Great race by the Bulls and Alonso. Solid driving and very entertaining.

A shame we didn't get to see Hamilton battling Verstappen.

Bad luck at the first corner for all three drivers but, as instigator, I can see why Vettel needed to explain himself to the stewards. From our perspective, there's plenty of onboard footage showing what happened in the run up to it so there shouldn't be much debate about it. Sadly, as Spain showed, people often only see what they want to see so 'shouldn't' doesn't mean 'won't'.

Rosberg again crashes into the driver he's battling with. I'm not sure making the other car act as his brakes is a long term solution but, kudos to Rosberg, he keeps trying it. Still, 5-second penalty is pointless outside of the last couple of laps of the race so it's all gain. I wonder if the FIA is surprised that it keeps happening.

Most importantly, Rosberg confirms his maiden championship win. Sure, five races to go but this year already has the same feeling of inevitability that most championships have*. As previous champions have showed (Prost, Senna, Schumacher, etc) doesn't matter how you win, it only matters that you win.

On to Japan where I think Rosberg will extend his lead past the crucial 25 point mark.

*No, there isn't a conspiracy against Hamilton.

[Sonador]

Actually Vettel didn't blame anyone but himself only.

Later he did, but right after it had happend he stated that it was because of Rosberg and Verstappen.

It is just a shame to see a 4time World Champion, being under this much pressure and falter a bit.

Proof? Which exactly is the part that he blames somebody else? https://streamable.com/o6qm

What the hell are you talking about? First corner incident just get over this lol

Calm down man .. .. i have no issues with the first corner accident, or Vettel.
It was just a racing accident to me.

He said it on German television, later he toned/calmed down in the same intervieuw.
Jeez, don't get your panties in a twist ...

[Sonador]

No excuse for Vettel, penalty way to mild.

Why do you think so?

A think the penalty is harsh, he got enough of a penalty by not scoring any points.

[basti313]

Later he did, but right after it had happend he stated that it was because of Rosberg and Verstappen.

It is just a shame to see a 4time World Champion, being under this much pressure and falter a bit.

Proof? Which exactly is the part that he blames somebody else? https://streamable.com/o6qm

What the hell are you talking about? First corner incident just get over this lol

Calm down man .. .. i have no issues with the first corner accident, or Vettel.
It was just a racing accident to me.

He said it on German television, later he toned/calmed down in the same intervieuw.
Jeez, don't get your panties in a twist ...

Which interview are you referring to? In the first Sky interview he said, that he got squeezed, but has not seen it yet on video, so he does not want to accuse anyone.

I think it is strange that we are even discussing what Vet said after the stupid Ves outburst.

[PlatinumZealot]

We need video but to me obvious Vettel and Verstappen tripped before Vettel hit Rosberg. Afterward Max was straight on radio trying (apparently successfully) to put all blame on Vettel.

Redbull and ferrari confrimed no contact. Even Vettel didnt mention any contact with max

It was all down to an overambitious sebastian... Losing his shine every race... He pretty much is out of the top six drivers now.

[Sonador]

I think Verstappens "outburst" must be taken with a pinch of salt.
A bit of "payback" of all the critisism he has had over Spa?