2016 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX **SPOILERS**

+1

 

Put bluntly, Red Bull don't need him and there's been zero evidence that he is better than Vettel, MB can now say that they can win championships without him, and use that as leverage.

So if Lewis could win the title with Force India, he will surely be a GOAT.

Best,
Sammy

 

Odd statement. He congratulated him as soon as he got out of the car.

 

I find it so odd that everyone is outraged that someone tried to control the pace of a race. A tactic that was his only chance of winning the WDC. If both Mercs fail to finish, Merc still wins the WCC. If both Mercs fail to finish, Nico would have won the WDC. So why did Merc feel the need to be involved? Would they honestly expect Hamilton to listen?

Even Nico is praising Hamilton's attempt to influence the race.

Nico Rosberg - Lewis Hamilton executed his tactics perfectly

 

When you invest as much money as Mercedes, and when you have a car superior to the others, anything other than a 1-2 finish is not an option, mostly if it's provoked by the drivers themselves.

Hamilton and Rosberg have collided several times and ruined that expectation.

Hamilton's job was just to sail ahead and not to play dirty tricks on his team mate by spoiling his chances to finish 2nd.

Hamilton completely forgot that Rosberg let him through at Monaco instead of blocking him on a track where overtaking is particularly difficult.

Hamilton lost the championship himself by his repeated bad starts during the season.

 

Yah but they said they would let them race. Assuming more financial risk is part of letting them race. If you don't want to do that, you get a #1 and tell him he is #1, and you get a #2 and tell him to finish second.

That's racing. If your expectation is that two drivers in the fastest car in the world will never touch in a race, then it is the expectation that needs work, not the drivers.

Hamilton's job today was to lose the world championship? ...and they told him that morning right? Nice job.

Controlling the pace of a race is not dirty. If Hamilton can slow the race and keep Nico behind, then Nico should also be able to keep people behind him; or pass Hamilton and take over. Is it hard? Hell yes. That's racing.

I don't know if he forgot or not, but I can guarantee you it never crossed his mind. He is not keeping some record of "favors". At this point in time, the WDC was on the line with no more races left.

I think Nico won the championship with his consistency more than Lewis lost it. I would guess this bothers Lewis the most - Nico really did earn it.

 

Pure class by the WDC.

 

Any driver is there to win it for himself. If one isn't he should not be in F1.

The days of gentlemen racers are long gone.

Besides Nico always could have passed Ham with zero risk. Stay behind he is champ. Crash with Ham he is champ. Pass Ham he is champ.

 

Just saw pics of Keke and Nico on Twitter. Sorry if that has been pointed out already. Looks like Keke is eating well

 

Bwaahahaaa... I noted that, too.

Apparently Nico wasn't aware of Keke being around

 

Enough about Ham. What about Vettel's drive today? He was like a man possessed.

 

yep. I was swearing at Ferrari again, when Ricci came in and they, as usual, are still snoring in their hammocks. But then, Vettel did well to just stay out and let Hamilton bunch up the RBR behind.
Raikonnen is also in top shape. If they only had a decent car in 2017 and perhaps invest into a strategy department.

 

+1

Well what a race that was and a privilege to be there to see it. I will post some pics when I get them downloaded later...

Ham absolutely dominated and controlled that race. As predicted by many, his only hope of the wdc was to back Ros into the pcknand hope for the best. He did that really well and to us watching fans, it made for a very exciting race i can tell you. I don't suppose many of you have stopped to consider for a moment what supreme skill and judgement was on display from both Merc drivers. Hams ability to back Ros up whilst not letting him get close enough to pass was amazing. Rosbergs ability to control his head, manage the gap to Ham, deal with Max and fend off Vet was equally amazing. A fitting finale to the season.

After the race, I joined the Merc team for some post race celebration. Ham stuck around this year longer than Ros did last year. Doesn't mean much in my book but a nice touch. When i discussed the race with Brundle, he thought the racing and tactics were hard but fair. I'm no pro and he is, so I respect his opinion on this.

At the end of the day, Ros is a worthy champ. Well done to him. He was so pleased afterwards - you could tell it meant the world to him and his family. Congrats all round.

 

Championship aside, just watched Massa's final interview with Sky. As a racing driver I was never fan, but he is such a gentleman and a class act. An example of dignity and honor for everyone regardless of profession.

 

That is what made me a fan.

 

Nico is a class act, and is engaged in protecting Mercedes, and by that, Elton, in his statements even though inside he must be absolutely seething at the tactics

For those who say - well he should have just passed him and it's zero risk - bull****, passing him is not zero risk, Elton would have made sure he pushed Nico off and he didn't get damage himself, he didn't need Nico in bits in the wall, he just needed Nico to lose two seconds and get passed by Vettel and the kid

Today we saw the class act that is, and always has been, Nico Rosberg, finally achieve a hard fought, well won championship.

We also saw the detonation of the old champ, if people really think it's sportsmanship then they need to look at themselves. There was a point where a classy champ would have thought hey, he's in place, I can't do anything about it without looking like a ****, so let's just cross the line quick as we can and let the hammer fall, I have a contract to do what's best for the team that gets me £30million with which to lessen the blow of defeat. I'll get him next year

As it is, I really hope that Elton gets the can, and all team principals realise unless they have a one car team, the guy is poison

 

There seem to be a lot of BAD sports here condoning that disgusting behaviour

A man is judged by his actions, Nico gets a tick, Hamilton gets a cross

 

...Forced off the track and being overtaken by Max and Seb he is not champ anymore...There is no overtaking with "zero risk".

 

Well, not at Mercedes if your team mate is called Hamilton, that's for sure. He prefers to risk crashing both cars out of race than yield when he is overtaken.

 

LOL

Even you know that's utter bull! All hamilton had to do was force Rosberg slightly off track and both Vettel and verstappen would've passed Rosberg, that was his whole aim! He was praying (sorry, #praying) for Rosberg to do the obvious.

 

+1

 

+44
completely agree and then LH would blame it on the brakes and job done .. Nico didn't take the bait and bagged the title.

 

Sorry but this has to be the most foolish statement of the season. Ham has proven himself a lunatic, meaning anything could happen and likely would. Not at all worth losing a championship when you know all you have to do is stay behind. Nico beat him big time, but it is a dirty job and he and everyone watching with their eyes open knows one or both could crash out when dueling one another.

Just face it. You can't stand Nico bested him as for years you've called him a mid pack driver so now you're making excuses. Suck it up. You are/were wrong.

 

He's just angry he's been wrong for years about Nico. Let him sulk and troll in foolish excuses.