Nico Rosberg to retire from F1 (!)

[Unc1eM0nty]

Lewis was raised on a council estate in Stevenage so he's anti middle class, he's made his fortune all by himself, that's the American dream isn't it, his fortune might get up some peoples noses, this and the partying.

He used to point out that Nico had it easy coming through the ranks and that's why he wasn't as hungry as him, Nico born into money with a father who a world champ, that must have opened lots of doors for him.

[A-Bap]

Lewis was raised on a council estate in Stevenage so he's anti middle class, he's made his fortune all by himself, that's the American dream isn't it, his fortune might get up some peoples noses, this and the partying.

He used to point out that Nico had it easy coming through the ranks and that's why he wasn't as hungry as him, Nico born into money with a father who a world champ, that must have opened lots of doors for him.

Yet Lewis is the Diva.

[Unc1eM0nty]

Haha, I can't argue with that.

I'm a Hamilton fan but I'm not blind, the party pictures and some of the things he wears make me cringe, however, some of the things he can do on track, the overtakes, watching him chase down the car in front, this is all something to behold and for this reason only, I'm a fan.

[PlatinumZealot]

Well i'm going to thread some touchy grounds here, but there is also the issue of 'Racism'.
Lewis is black, and to be fair, rather the 'first' black man - afaik - to enter F1,
or at least on this level. It's a rather 'white men' dominated sport.

I think nobody in this world can say racism doesnt exist anymore - especially 'undercover racism' ('don't say, but do think').
As for 'hate crimes' against black people in the US - just look at police brutallity. Keeping in mind that there are a good amount
of 'nationalistic pride'. Let's just put it like this; there are enough 'fans' that only support a driver because he's from 'their' country.
enough flags in the crowds, obviously. Yes, it is a world championship of various nations, but you'll get the point.
Extreme nationalistic pride [which doesnt make one a nazi] in actually a multitude of cases show a presence of discrimination
against ethnicities that arent 'the nations own' so to speak.

long story short; i think there are sufficient people that dislike hamilton becuase of the color of his skin, and more when he dresses like an arab.
the other tail end though is that because he's black, all of a sudden you have a black fanbase that wasn't there before..........

Lewis has brought F1 to 'crowds' where no other driver has done before due to his skin color. Rosberg can't bring Germany anything that Schumacher
or Vettel has not been doing the past years.
For example , if Sergio Perez were to become WDC, there would be a huge rise in F1 fans/crowds and 'possibilities' in Mexico and other LatinAmerican countries,
though Fernando Alonso would have a good result there too, though he has been WDC twice before.

Same would go for an Asian driver to become WDC in F1, or a Arabic/Middle Eastern driver to participate in F1, or even become WDC.

Good post. This goes for most sports. We saw so many celebrity connections being made in the Mercedes guest area. So many celebrities and aristocrats drawn by Lewis in part due to what he is and the culture he brings to the sport. Mercedes won't be the same without him just like Mclaren (remember Ice-T and coco saga? and Rihanna?).. Mercedes will still be a winning team, but it won't be the "cool team" anymore.

[TAG]

I think a lot of people fall into the trappings of judging a driver by their off track performances. We tend to find facts for conclusions we've already made. The reality is that Hamilton takes heat for things others get a free pass on.

Hamilton is moody and a sore loser.
Ricciardo post race in Monaco this year, gets a free pass.

Hamilton shows up with stupid hair cuts and stupid clothing
Ricciardo shows up with fun hair cuts, beards, mustaches, hats.... he's cool

Hamilton is a tattooed thug wannabe rapper
Ricciardo fills his instagram account with his Cali antics with his posse and has a crapload of tattoos.

Hamilton is disrespectful with his taking selfies during media interviews
Ricciardo well... you see where I'm going with it.

Don't take this as an attack on Ricciardo, he's probably the second best promoter or the sport we've got today and I am a big fan of his racecraft. It's just that I find it hilarious how we're all drooling for a big name challange driver like Alonso to come into the team, but when Vettel had an opportunity to get a new teammate at Ferrari everyone was just swell with keeping good ol' compliant number two driver Kimi as the best choice. Because we wouldn't want to test Vettel's mettel and have another 2014 on our hands.

However, that's just it. I keep my opinions of drivers by how they act in the car. Their skill, their craftsmanship and how they react to a give situation. Seriously (rhetorical questions) can anyone imagine the reaction from the interwebz if Hamilton had gone off on Charlie the way Vettel did? But it's Vettel, that incidence will never be mentioned in a forum argument five years from now. But the Ali G joke sure comes into the forefront from many people that don't like Hamilton because (insert rationalized hateful reason here)

People pick and choose and what they choose is easy to see when you see enough of it. Can anyone challenge the fact that part of the exodus of iconic sponsors from McLaren has nothing to do with them losing the biggest attraction in the sport at the moment? I believe that Nico and Lewis despite all the crap, were comfortable with one another, they were each a known quantity to the other because of their history together. Friends if not frienemies but it was that comfort with one another that allowed them to hit the reset button after each blowup. I'm not sure Mercedes realizes how much of a situation they'll have on their hands when they are unable to press that reset button should they bring in a driver that's making the preferred status demands, if not initially, a few races in.

I'm already eager for the 2017 season to start.

[Pierce89]

I think a lot of people fall into the trappings of judging a driver by their off track performances. We tend to find facts for conclusions we've already made. The reality is that Hamilton takes heat for things others get a free pass on.

Hamilton is moody and a sore loser.
Ricciardo post race in Monaco this year, gets a free pass.

Hamilton shows up with stupid hair cuts and stupid clothing
Ricciardo shows up with fun hair cuts, beards, mustaches, hats.... he's cool

Hamilton is a tattooed thug wannabe rapper
Ricciardo fills his instagram account with his Cali antics with his posse and has a crapload of tattoos.

Hamilton is disrespectful with his taking selfies during media interviews
Ricciardo well... you see where I'm going with it.

Don't take this as an attack on Ricciardo, he's probably the second best promoter or the sport we've got today and I am a big fan of his racecraft. It's just that I find it hilarious how we're all drooling for a big name challange driver like Alonso to come into the team, but when Vettel had an opportunity to get a new teammate at Ferrari everyone was just swell with keeping good ol' compliant number two driver Kimi as the best choice. Because we wouldn't want to test Vettel's mettel and have another 2014 on our hands.

However, that's just it. I keep my opinions of drivers by how they act in the car. Their skill, their craftsmanship and how they react to a give situation. Seriously (rhetorical questions) can anyone imagine the reaction from the interwebz if Hamilton had gone off on Charlie the way Vettel did? But it's Vettel, that incidence will never be mentioned in a forum argument five years from now. But the Ali G joke sure comes into the forefront from many people that don't like Hamilton because (insert rationalized hateful reason here)

People pick and choose and what they choose is easy to see when you see enough of it. Can anyone challenge the fact that part of the exodus of iconic sponsors from McLaren has nothing to do with them losing the biggest attraction in the sport at the moment? I believe that Nico and Lewis despite all the crap, were comfortable with one another, they were each a known quantity to the other because of their history together. Friends if not frienemies but it was that comfort with one another that allowed them to hit the reset button after each blowup. I'm not sure Mercedes realizes how much of a situation they'll have on their hands when they are unable to press that reset button should they bring in a driver that's making the preferred status demands, if not initially, a few races in.

I'm already eager for the 2017 season to start.

I see very little similarity between Ricci and Hamilton off track. Hamilton tries to portray a specific "hip hop" image, whereas Ricciardo just has fun.

[NathanOlder]

Great post TAG. Very well put.

[alexx_88]

The big difference between the two is that Ricci doesn't take himself seriously, which makes him more like-able. Always laughing when he's out of the car, pretty much the perfect competitor when he's in the car. On the other hand, Hamilton doesn't smile that often in interviews, has quite a passive-aggressive attitude a lot of the time and that, along with the the pseudo-philosophical things that he normally says makes him less likely to be disliked. To put it mildly

[MGJohn]

What about that.
If you look at all time list:
1. Schumacher with 91 wins
2. Hamilton with 53 wins

If we assume these two are the best drivers in F1 ever. Then I must say Rosberg's move is pure genius. In theory that means Rosberg is the best driver of all time, he beat both Hamilton and Schumacher in the same car. So in other words, the more wins Hamilton gets in upcoming years, more will that suit Rosberg. So at the end we can say Rosberg is the best driver of all time! Haha.

Them's the facts and will be so for all time as the records will always show....

Some say, not me, that the "second coming" is easier on his cars and uses half the fuel of his fellow competitors. That does not equate with me. When both Mercs suffer the same ills during a race, more often, Rosberg manages to get his car to the end. I prefer to believe that on track evidence of my own eyes. Hamilton IS far harder on his cars in all aspects of his racing except when deliberately slowing obviously. Even allowing that until his alleged last GP, "safe hands" Button appeared to suffer mechanical "failure". He created his own self-inflicted DNF as subsequent camera footage clearly shows. Lost count the number of times Hamilton has done that over all the years he has participated in F1. To my eyes, despite what some would have you believe, Hamilton IS hard on his cars.

On that basis, luck does play a part in all its various forms. Because as we all should know, you can make your own luck. After all I had a nice few quid on Hamilton to secure his fourth WDC this 2016 season. I like to celebrate British Successes which do not come along all that frequently. Rosberg's careful driving ensured my bets were losers. He is a worthy Champion.

Long time to wait until my next F1 fix... Here's to next season and by then, we all will know who Hamilton's Team Mate will be.

Finally.....

..... who's that a knockin' on the door ... is that you young Seb ... you rascal ...

Bring it on.

[Shakeman]

The big difference between the two is that Ricci doesn't take himself seriously, which makes him more like-able. Always laughing when he's out of the car, pretty much the perfect competitor when he's in the car. On the other hand, Hamilton doesn't smile that often in interviews, has quite a passive-aggressive attitude a lot of the time and that, along with the the pseudo-philosophical things that he normally says makes him less likely to be disliked. To put it mildly

Hamilton has actually had the temerity to win the WDC 3 times, with that comes intense scrutiny and even more opportunities to answer the same bloody question from every news outfit on earth. When Ricciardo is as high profile and has been barraged with the same tedious questions lets see how big his smile is.

Much is made of HAM's social media which is for the benefit of brand Hamilton and his marketing contracts rather than his ego.

If I could drive a car as fast as him, have as much fame and money as him I would be utterly insufferable let alone passive aggressive. I think he does well to contain himself.

[Shakeman]

To my eyes, despite what some would have you believe, Hamilton IS hard on his cars.

Hamilton was always said to be hard on tyres by 'observers' on this forum, turned out to be complete horseshit.

There's very little a driver can do to screw up the car himself since most of it is flybywire.

[GrandAxe]

I'm still puzzled by some of your remarks concerning the marketability of either driver. Maybe we're venturing too far into the offtopic here but how can you as "Hamilton supporter because of his skill and talent while absolutely disliking what he stands for in his 'private' life" argue that a described with the traits above is better to promote Mercedes' brand promises?

Even the line the best driver in F1 drives the best performing cars off track as well does not count as the Mercs are regularly beaten by BMWs driving pleasure machinery.

I'm looking forward to whoever is going to replace Rosberg at Mercedes. I hope they give a young talent a chance. Drivers are sitting in their top cockpits for way too long and do not make way for the many many young talents that are waiting for a spot in F1. I consider Wehrlein to be ready for that Cockpit. He proved to be quick in two completely different kinds of cars, something many drivers going the reverse way struggled with massively.

The perceived conflicts in peoples accounts of opposing levels of admiration for Lewis on and off track, is most likely because average F1 fan is an older male. The ways of younger people often clash with those of older ones, especially if carried to a colourful degree; on the other hand, Lewis driving talent is the transparent to all age groups, hence the conflict.

I don't think many younger people have the same aversion for his lifestyle as the older ones do. In fact, many young people want to be just like him, he is just the sort that Mercedes would want in order to appeal to a younger demographic.

Its a brave new world for us oldies and "nearly" oldies.

[GrandAxe]

Well i'm going to thread some touchy grounds here, but there is also the issue of 'Racism'.
Lewis is black, and to be fair, rather the 'first' black man - afaik - to enter F1,
or at least on this level. It's a rather 'white men' dominated sport.

I think nobody in this world can say racism doesnt exist anymore - especially 'undercover racism' ('don't say, but do think').
As for 'hate crimes' against black people in the US - just look at police brutallity. Keeping in mind that there are a good amount
of 'nationalistic pride'. Let's just put it like this; there are enough 'fans' that only support a driver because he's from 'their' country.
enough flags in the crowds, obviously. Yes, it is a world championship of various nations, but you'll get the point.
Extreme nationalistic pride [which doesnt make one a nazi] in actually a multitude of cases show a presence of discrimination
against ethnicities that arent 'the nations own' so to speak.

long story short; i think there are sufficient people that dislike hamilton becuase of the color of his skin, and more when he dresses like an arab.
the other tail end though is that because he's black, all of a sudden you have a black fanbase that wasn't there before..........

Lewis has brought F1 to 'crowds' where no other driver has done before due to his skin color. Rosberg can't bring Germany anything that Schumacher
or Vettel has not been doing the past years.
For example , if Sergio Perez were to become WDC, there would be a huge rise in F1 fans/crowds and 'possibilities' in Mexico and other LatinAmerican countries,
though Fernando Alonso would have a good result there too, though he has been WDC twice before.

Same would go for an Asian driver to become WDC in F1, or a Arabic/Middle Eastern driver to participate in F1, or even become WDC.

You need to either put the crack pipe down or turn the computer off and get out more.

Utter drivel.

No sir, not being able to make a counter argument to a sound argument and hauling insults instead is what is utter drivel.

[GrandAxe]

...
Some say, not me, that the "second coming" is easier on his cars and uses half the fuel of his fellow competitors. That does not equate with me. When both Mercs suffer the same ills during a race, more often, Rosberg manages to get his car to the end. I prefer to believe that on track evidence of my own eyes. Hamilton IS far harder on his cars in all aspects of his racing except when deliberately slowing obviously. Even allowing that until his alleged last GP, "safe hands" Button appeared to suffer mechanical "failure". He created his own self-inflicted DNF as subsequent camera footage clearly shows. Lost count the number of times Hamilton has done that over all the years he has participated in F1. To my eyes, despite what some would have you believe, Hamilton IS hard on his cars.

On that basis, luck does play a part in all its various forms. Because as we all should know, you can make your own luck. After all I had a nice few quid on Hamilton to secure his fourth WDC this 2016 season. I like to celebrate British Successes which do not come along all that frequently. Rosberg's careful driving ensured my bets were losers. He is a worthy Champion.

...

This is nonsense. F1 cars are not wilting roses. They are rocket ships that are designed and built to be driven hard. For example, your average family car wouldn't last two laps over the kerbs at the speeds an F1 car does; neither will the exhaust manifold of your average family car ever glow red.

An F1 car is a rugged machine, so lets not have this folklore.

[Manoah2u]

I think a lot of people fall into the trappings of judging a driver by their off track performances. We tend to find facts for conclusions we've already made. The reality is that Hamilton takes heat for things others get a free pass on.

Hamilton is moody and a sore loser.
Ricciardo post race in Monaco this year, gets a free pass.

Hamilton shows up with stupid hair cuts and stupid clothing
Ricciardo shows up with fun hair cuts, beards, mustaches, hats.... he's cool

Hamilton is a tattooed thug wannabe rapper
Ricciardo fills his instagram account with his Cali antics with his posse and has a crapload of tattoos.

Hamilton is disrespectful with his taking selfies during media interviews
Ricciardo well... you see where I'm going with it.