Bahrain Grand Prix 2015, Sakhir - Race 4/19

drunkenmaster said:
His attitude to being beaten, the cheating he did last year, that he quite actively chose to hit Hamilton on the track last year. That he said after it that he decided to do it and brought up Hamilton not giving him room at previous races like it was okay to hit him back and like it was revenge. he's got a nasty streak in him, clearly doesn't react well to being beaten.
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They were both put on notice last year, and as the telemetry doesn't lie, any nonsense like that could see Rosberg out of the team as soon as management can do it. Hamilton is the double world champion making the team look good, Rosberg is the number 2 driver making the team look bad.

I really think Rosberg is suffering psychologically. Beaten to the world championship last year even with all of Hamilton's car failures, totally dominated by his team mate since this season started, ridiculed by the press and peers for last week's crying, and losing the radio advice telling him how to drive corners and look after the car.

Rosberg's going to be lucky to be second this year, because I think Vettel will really pressure him for second place in the championship, whereas he can't do that to Hamilton. Rosberg can't do wheel to wheel racing, where Vettel and Hamilton can, and now Vettel has got a useful car, Rosberg's going to be facing at least two competitors, not just his team mate.
 
Steampunk said:
Rosberg's going to be lucky to be second this year, because I think Vettel will really pressure him for second place in the championship, whereas he can't do that to Hamilton. Rosberg can't do wheel to wheel racing, where Vettel and Hamilton can, and now Vettel has got a useful car, Rosberg's going to be facing at least two competitors, not just his team mate.
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In terms of Rosberg fighting Vettel it's great for Hamilton, imagine if Ricciardo got 4-5 second places instead of Rosberg, Ricciardo would be closer to Hamilton but Rosberg would have been further away, his gap to whoever ended up second would have been much bigger. He'd have had the title won 3-4 races earlier.

In terms of Rosberg being a beaten man due to what's happened last year, I honestly think nothing has changed. 10 to 4 Hamilton beat Rosberg on track when they both finished and that includes Brazil, Monaco, Austria and Germany. Two of those are notoriously hard to pass at tracks and one of those Rosberg absolutely cheated to get on pole. Austria Hamilton started 9th after a spin, Germany he had one of the failures(breaks or engine) and started from the back and had a truly amazing race.

When Hamilton was on pole and if he finished Rosberg never got past him, when Rosberg was on pole Hamilton finished the race ahead of him(when both cars finished) 5 times. The biggest difference in poles came at the end of the season. Hamilton dominated till Monaco where Rosberg cheated. Maybe because of the pressure of winning 4 in a row, catching back up and being cheated out of leading the title and the dodgy qualifying he probably pushed too hard in the next few races with mistakes in GB and Austria. Then he had a significant brake and engine failure handing more poles to Rosberg. but after that the brakes changed, Hamilton had a fairly major shunt and they changed brake compound to one he wasn't happy with. From then to the end of the season he had less poles and suffered from glazed brakes in I believe 3 races. If you look up and down the grid each driver has a brake preference and most teams allow the driver free choice. They feel different and different drivers with different styles need brakes that match the way they use them. Hamilton had several failures a few pressure mistakes and then wasn't on 'his' brakes.

Extreme confidence in brakes being far more important in qualifying at flat out pace than in the race where he's lifting and coasting for tire/fuel saving reasons.

This year he's on 'his' brakes, he has confidence in them and is spanking Rosberg as he did early last year in qualifying. Race pace, is exactly where it was last year. Starting ahead Rosberg only got close once when he had the faster tire and a safety car removed Hamilton's lead AND he turned his engine up beyond what the team told him to and beyond what Hamilton was using.


But even that points to where Rosberg was, Hamilton didn't mention the turned up engine Rosberg used, because he generally downplays or doesn't bring these things up. At China(after Bahrain last year) Rosberg immediately complained about Hamilton's engine being turned up after the race... Hamilton responded that he was using the same setting Rosberg was and let everyone know then that Rosberg had done so in Bahrain.... 99% of the jibes and things Hamilton has said this and last year were in response to Rosberg being a little **** in public.


Rosberg is the same guy he was last year. Just got some luck, reliability and some brake/confidence problems for Hamilton that helped him out. Same quality driving from him this year, same complaining, same inability to handle being not the best driver, same attempts to stir crap up, same attempts to blame Hamilton for everything, same dodgy crap on track.
 
Seems to be some chat about how much more Lewis potentially took out of his Q2 tyres (race tyres) than both Nico or Seb.

Does anyone think this will have an impact? If he doesn't get out in front in clear air, I think it could affect his first stint, but by how much I am not sure.
 
Skeeter said:
It will be a bit more wear from 1 lap, so it will have little to no impact.
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It was about as close to the ideal time Hamilton could do judging by his Q3 time, so he must have been pushing pretty hard. If he gets out in front it's unlikely to matter, but if he's the one chasing in the first stint he'll probably have to pit a couple of laps earlier than he intended.
 
Gonna be a slightly boring championship for Hamilton if he just cruises in clean air every race. :/ So Ferrari's long run pace isnt the threat it was being billed up to be?
 
Almost forgot about race. Just seem qualifying

Hamilton is just too good. And I funny think Rosberg takes this will (like Alonso does for example).
Interesting to see how well Alonso did today
 
al4x said:
Almost forgot about race. Just seem qualifying

Hamilton is just too good. And I funny think Rosberg takes this will (like Alonso does for example).
Interesting to see how well Alonso did today
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Button was looking good as well in FP3 considering all he did was moan about the car. Shame :/
 
smr said:
Gonna be a slightly boring championship for Hamilton if he just cruises in clean air every race. :/ So Ferrari's long run pace isnt the threat it was being billed up to be?
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Its a threat, but likely more to Rosberg than Mercedes as a whole. Especially if Rosberg keeps ending up with a Ferrari ahead of him on the grid.
 
drunkenmaster said:
Rosberg is the same guy he was last year. Just got some luck, reliability and some brake/confidence problems for Hamilton that helped him out. Same quality driving from him this year, same complaining, same inability to handle being not the best driver, same attempts to stir crap up, same attempts to blame Hamilton for everything, same dodgy crap on track.
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I think Rosberg believed his own hype last year, thinking that the car's stratospheric performance, and his engineers telling him how to drive was his own driving ability. He doesn't see how much the car flatters him.

I think he really believed he was the best driver during the course of last season, because he got wins when Hamilton's car failed. Rosberg somehow believed that his supposed cleverness would overcome Hamilton's sheer speed. I don't think Rosberg really cares how he wins ie using "clever" (cheating) tactics as long as it gets him the title at the end of the year.

This year reality has hit Rosberg, especially after his tactics last year and complaining this year has spectacularly backfired. Now he's fighting Vettel as well as Hamilton, and I think the pressure shows. Things Rosberg could get away with last year because Mercedes won't protest their own car (eg cutting a chicane and failing to lose a place, yet not being made to give it back to Hamilton) won't work when it's a Ferrari asking for the place back.

I think we're seeing Rosberg in the middle of a bit of a meltdown, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more ill-advised actions and statements over the course of this season as he mentally adjusts to his defacto position as a number 2 driver.
 
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Managing tyres is one thing but Hamilton is hard to pass. Even if his tyres are shot his defensive game is good. Nico relies on nannying a bit to much from his engineers. Ohhhh genuinely excited for this race. :D
 
I've never been this excited for a start in ages. I can't wait to see the desperation move Rosberg is going to pull into T1.
 
Steampunk said:
I think Rosberg believed his own hype last year, thinking that the car's stratospheric performance, and his engineers telling him how to drive was his own driving ability. He doesn't see how much the car flatters him.

I think he really believed he was the best driver during the course of last season, because he got wins when Hamilton's car failed. Rosberg somehow believed that his supposed cleverness would overcome Hamilton's sheer speed. I don't think Rosberg really cares how he wins ie using "clever" (cheating) tactics as long as it gets him the title at the end of the year.

This year reality has hit Rosberg, especially after his tactics last year and complaining this year has spectacularly backfired. Now he's fighting Vettel as well as Hamilton, and I think the pressure shows. Things Rosberg could get away with last year because Mercedes won't protest their own car (eg cutting a chicane and failing to lose a place, yet not being made to give it back to Hamilton) won't work when it's a Ferrari asking for the place back.

I think we're seeing Rosberg in the middle of a bit of a meltdown, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more ill-advised actions and statements over the course of this season as he mentally adjusts to his defacto position as a number 2 driver.
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Very good points u bring up there, have to agree with u on pretty much everything.

I think reality is just setting in on him and he doesn't like it one bit that he's a no.2 driver and never will be world championship material.

Looks like he's going through a mid life crisis which is just great for the spectators to watch his meltdowns.
 
I'm a bit worried that rosberg is going to take out one of Kimi or Seb. A cheeky wing end plate into the rear tyre.
 
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