johndej wrote: and the flip has flopped, Chilton back in at Marussia.
Balls, I was looking forward to seeing an American back in F1, although I did have some reservations replacing Max as I'm a duel citizen so root for both UK and US. Looks like Rossi was 1.5 seconds of Bianchi in FP1 though so I doubt he was going to make a stella debut even if he had managed to do the whole weekend. He was ahead of both Cateringvans though.
Adrian_Thompson wrote:johndej wrote: and the flip has flopped, Chilton back in at Marussia.Balls, I was looking forward to seeing an American back in F1, although I did have some reservations replacing Max as I'm a duel citizen so root for both UK and US. Looks like Rossi was 1.5 seconds of Bianchi in FP1 though so I doubt he was going to make a stella debut even if he had managed to do the whole weekend. He was ahead of both Cateringvans though.
He had a turbo problem, I was also extremely disappointed he lost out this weekend at a drivers track, but have my fingers crossed that he will drive next year.
Rosberg is a Bob Costas. Way to severely hamper your team on the SECOND LAP OF THE RACE.
Aside from the manufactured controversy, Spa provided a great spectacle. It's sad that a simple racing incident has led some fanbois to behave like democrats in 2000
; kudos to EJ for calling-out the trolls.
That said, great drives from Smiley, Finn (the younger) and two drivers who have been saddled with a limping mule all season.
I only got to see the last third of the race today. I immediately wondered where's Hamilton?
This brought to mind a question - I wonder if there has ever been a champion in recent years who is not totally ruthless? Maybe, at least I hope so. I can't claim to have followed F1 that closely for quite a few years so I really don't know the answer.
If we go all the way back to Jim Clark, I never got the impression that he related in a ruthless manner. Is that what it takes today? It's not just F1, it appears in all forms of racing.
I think Senna was the last person I've seen footage of stopping his car during a race to check on or help another driver after a wreck.
If drivers got points or if sponsors made money from them being good sports we would see more of it. But we don't so we won't. 
no one is going to remember ever incident of a driver being a dick as a bad thing, they will only remember the massive shunts and the race results.
racerfink wrote: Rosberg is a Bob Costas. Way to severely hamper your team on the SECOND LAP OF THE RACE.
This. Rosberg did take second, but what a helluva chance to take on lap 2. The downside if both cars got trashed was immense, also it's not like Hamilton is really in striking distance of him at the moment. It was a jerk move, plain and simple, that maybe could be justifiable later in the race but not on lap 2 dammit.
I believe part of today's race drivers mentality stems from the days of watching both Ayrton Senna and Dale Earnhardt. These drivers were both similar in the fact that it was win at all costs, screw fair play. While this made for great t.v., it has helped breed ruthless, self centered race drivers that would put their mother in the wall if they thought it would get them the win. Seems like each generation feels obligated to take it to a new level. Then there's guys like Ricciardo that can come in and make it work without being a jerk, but I do wonder how it would be if Vettel were more of a threat to him.
@ ncjay: Spot on!
What we see is a generation that grew up on Senna and Earnhardt, or dare I say Schumi. None of those heroes got their success via sportsmanship and fair play, and generations of budding racers studied their every move in their formative years. Kids today think that is "how its done".
They were telling Hamilton to wait for a safety car on the radio. But Maldonodo was alreafy out of the race!
Curmudgeon wrote:racerfink wrote: Rosberg is a Bob Costas. Way to severely hamper your team on the SECOND LAP OF THE RACE.This. Rosberg did take second, but what a helluva chance to take on lap 2. The downside if both cars got trashed was immense, also it's not like Hamilton is really in striking distance of him at the moment. It was a jerk move, plain and simple, that maybe could be justifiable later in the race but not on lap 2 dammit.
Another thing that kind of bothers me- it was pretty clear on lap 1 that Hamilton didn't have enough pace, so Rosberg could have easily waited a lap or maybe until DRS opened up.
Sucks, that's for sure.
Great to see Ricciardo and Bottas do so great. While now is the time for Hamilton/Rosberg/Vettel (assuming that it has already been Raikonnen/Alono's time), the "Next" are incredibly fast for the sport. Pretty cool.
I root for Hamilton and I didn't see anything wrong with the contact,as much Hammy's fault as Nico's imo.Much prefer to see them going for any gap at any stage than waiting for a drs zone for a freebie pass,it is supposed to be racing for position afterall right?.Lewis shutting down mentally afterwards and asking the team to quit doesn't sit well at all however.
The rest was a great race and also very happy to see Ricciardo and Bottas doing a great job along with the great battle the last few laps from the regular fast guys in 3rd and back.
Didn't hear Nico radio in and ask for Ricciado to slow and move over for him which was nice.
Good race. Hamilton and Rosberg touching was a racing incident. If either, I blame Hamilton for not knowing that Rosberg isn't going to back out anymore.
I guess I don't understand why the team doesn't sit them down and say no wheel to wheel racing from turn 1 or 2 of lap one (depends on track when a lead is established) until half point of the race. Then gloves off.
Guarantee your fight is between the MB boys only. This 2nd lap "let me put my nose next to you and just keep it there" racing within the team will throw away the championship for both of them.
I want Hamilton to get his second title.
Accidents happen, it was forgivable if it was a fight for the lead with 5 laps to go, but lap two when you are clearly in the faster car. I don't think it was deliberate, but it was Nico's fault. The team thinks so too.
Niki Lauda: "Lewis was clear in the lead, there's no question about it," Lauda said. "Nico was behind. Why in the second lap? Someone has to explain to me. Because if they fight all the way to the end and these things happen, they can happen, but not in the second lap."
Having said that Hamilton didn't help it by driving so hard back to the pits and hurting the undertray. He should have shut up and driven his heart out, not spent the race complaining on the radio.
Final comment, the Brits in the crowd should not have been booing at the end.
Final, final comment. That was a hell of a last 5-7 laps with Vettel, Alonso, Button and Magnussen and I don't think he should have got a 20 second penalty for pushing Alonso off if Nico got nothing for hitting Hamilton.
MCarp22 wrote: They were telling Hamilton to wait for a safety car on the radio. But Maldonado was alreafy out of the race!
I'm not sure why there aren't more + Votes on this comment! 
I can't see how there was any blame on Hamilton for the contact. The passing driver has the responsibility to back out cleanly if he can't manage a clean pass. There was no question that Hamilton had the corner. Rosberg could have avoided the contact and had the ability to do so. He knew where his nose was, no way Hamilton could know. Rosberg was just being way to aggressive with his teammate. It was unfortunate that he was rewarded for it when Hamilton had to take a DNF.
Ricciardo has won from behind and now he has held off a charging title contender in a better chassis, with better tires.
I am thrilled for Australia's newest star
If I didn't know better I would have put the Rosberg move right up there with the Senna/Prost actions
I say it was a racing incident. Rosberg got in too far, tried to back out at the last second, and didn't quite make it. His fault? Yes, since he was the hitter and not the hittee, but I don't think he did anything too terribly wrong.
Nico says:
Tom_Spangler wrote: I say it was a racing incident. Rosberg got in too far, tried to back out at the last second, and didn't quite make it. His fault? Yes, since he was the hitter and not the hittee, but I don't think he did anything too terribly wrong.
There are twenty other drivers in the field who have done the same or worse. It makes no difference if it occurred on lap 2 or lap 42, between first and second or twenty-first and twenty-second. The drivers are all out there to prove they are better/faster than the guy in front of them and guess what; feces happens - every berkeleying race.
Some people are peeved because their driver (insert name here) is a "victim" of some sort. I'm peeved because the risk-averse poobahs at Mercedes are upset that their racers are "tarnishing" the company image.
It's obvious that Hamilton and Rosberg were being way too aggressive for the second lap, but after the fact I think Hamilton did not handle himself like a champion. His mentality, more than his teammate is what's going to lose the championship for him. He could afford to learn some lessons from Alonso.
Because he wanted to save the motor for the next race, thereby having a fresher motor than his teammate, when he wasn't gonna score points anyway, that's 'not handling himself like a champion'? SMFH...
At this point, he pretty much has to win every race from here on out.
The fact that Nico cost the team a 1-2 is why it's more than a "racing incident". It was a clumsy move on his part - not purposeful, just dumb, and it may mean the end of the Mercedes battles. Toto Wolff is obviously very angry about it - BBC had a wicked interview with him where he did not pull any punches.
racerfink wrote: Because he wanted to save the motor for the next race, thereby having a fresher motor than his teammate, when he wasn't gonna score points anyway, that's 'not handling himself like a champion'? SMFH...
Agreed. Lewis was thinking strategically there. Nothing wrong with him bringing up the engine in that situation. If you want to cast blame, blame the rules that put him in that situation.
By the way, I think I could watch footage of F1 cars going through Eau Rouge on a continuous loop for hours on end and be happy.... 
Tom_Spangler wrote: By the way, I think I could watch footage of F1 cars going through Eau Rouge on a continuous loop for hours on end and be happy....
Start with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=myy4K9B9zT0
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