What do you think should (will) be Rosberg's tactics in the next four races?

100% agree - that's the only way differing drivers with differing abilities can compete in the same car.

 

Does anyone know what they said to Rosberg before he came in? I assume he wouldn't have pitted unless he was told Hamilton would be doing the same a lap later?

 

His radio wasn't played but you would assume that he would have asked for reassurance that Lewis would have been doing the same. I may be wrong but in general only transmissions of interest are replayed, so maybe Nico just followed he directive on the basis that race strategy options would have been discussed prior.

 

He did the same thing yesterday after the safety car restart but unlike in Austin he was able to boost across the run off and actually gain time from his mistake. If anything I think he was under more pressure in Mexico given how he'd screwed up in the previous race. The title would've been adding no pressure to him in Austin, it was over months ago.

Agree with the comments about Mercedes refusing to let their cars split strategy. They're often praised for letting their cars race, but they don't at all, with identical cars, tyres and strategies there's virtually no chance of being able to pass in such an aero dependent formula with such fragile tyres. They completely neutralise any competition between the two with that rule and they know it.

 

The point about splitting strategy is that such thinking comes about as a result of a perceived threat from a competitor.

 

But if one driver wants to try a different strategy, or perhaps more importantly, has a style that favours a different strategy i.e. a driver who's lighter on their tyres stopping once less than a driver who's burning through them, shouldn't they be allowed to try that strategy? Mercedes are effectively adopting a first into the first corner wins policy. Let's say hypothetically that Rosberg's second stop yesterday was because he'd burnt through his tyres, if he then needs to pit should Hamilton be forced to as well even if his tyres are in good shape? They'd say they're trying to be fair to both but I don't think it's right, in the scenario I just described Hamilton by rights would deserve the win (assuming he could stay ahead of Rosberg), but he wouldn't get it and wouldn't even get the opportunity to fight for it.

 

It's been my gripe all along - for all Nico's faults and being slated Lewis showed its very difficult to beat your teammate in the same equipment and same strategy barring a mistake (like Austin). This is a formula that is dictated by first corner position and the undercut theory - pit stop strategy, contra tyre strategy or varied stint lengths are the only way team mates can position themselves.

 

Which is a bit bizzare, because they were able to fight tooth and nail last season fairly regularly. Did they make the car churn up more dirty air?

 

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/34706265

Hamilton airing a bit of dirty laundry.

 

They should just stick the pair of them in a ring with a pair of inflatable hammers and let them both have at it. Winner gets #1 status for 2016.

 

Reminds me of how Schumacher was in the mid 90's. He was clearly much better than Hill, but felt the need to try and attack him mentally at every opportunity, despite not needing that additional advantage.

Not classy at all from Hamilton, but not entirely unexpected either...

 

I saw that article but viewed it as possible poor journalism or a mis quote - I'll suppose we will find out next race. You would assume that he is indicating some sort of protection, which can only be on track because the pit stop scenario has been pretty much since the beginning, in which Lewis at some point as no doubt benefited from.

Having thought about it, Lewis threw a few quotes out over the weekend saying his car was on a different set up, but then any negative from that would go, with Lewis and his engineer both concurring that they had the pace to win.

 

You're right, it's not very classy from Lewis but, to be fair, it has been six of one and half a dozen of the other from those two. What isn't clear is where and when Lewis made these remarks. It's shoddy journalism not to say so and makes me wonder whether those comments were intended for public consumption; they may not have even been said together and the quotes have been cobbled together to create this impression but I don't know.

On the other hand, "Nico drove well. No mistakes. No gust of wind", did make me smile.

 

What else did you expect from the narcissistic knob-end after being beaten by the whipping boy?

 

I was hoping he'd lob his sombrero at Rosberg personally.

 

Difference is Lewis is the current and a triple world champion and is a major face of the sport. Rosberg is a relative nobody who lucked into a championship winning car. The Rosberg's, Maldonado's and Kovaleinen's of this world, aren't held to the same standards (rightly or wrongly).

 

Can't agree with that. Nico dedicated a lot to the Mercedes F1 project, possibly more so from our point of view relative to Hamilton.

 

I don't see how a driver who had already done several seasons with the team lucked in.

 

Luck? If Button didn't leave to go to mclaren it would have been nico going there. He avoided a firey inferno trap with spikes I would say.

Poor button.

 

Just read that apparently it's not just Hamilton and rosberg that are at daggers with each other. There has been a bust up between Toto and Nike. Lauda looks like he will be out the door at the end of the year.