3 Peter Bonnington Lewis Hamilton OK so we’ve gone up on the rear wing gurney flap, we’ve balanced out the front. Cars are now running effectively the same front wing angle. So I wonder what could have been different on Hamilton's car. The setup was the same and they did about the same changes during the red flag period
This period the trace was obviously wet but there wasnt any rain: 20 Peter Bonnington Lewis Hamilton Forecast is no more rain to the end of the race but low certainty. 23 Tony Ross to Nico Rosberg : Let us know on your scale how much you are pushing. 23 Nico Rosberg to Tony Ross: I’m flat out. At this stage the rains were coming again. 41 Lewis Hamilton Peter Bonnington It’s raining more. Seems like it’s getting heavier and heavier. 41 Peter Bonnington Lewis Hamilton Yeah copy that Lewis, that’s what we see. Seems like it’s just getting heavier. OK Lewis you’re still the fastest man out there. So just keep it on the black stuff. 41 Peter Bonnington Lewis Hamilton Gap to Nico ten seconds, 52.9 last lap for Nico so we can back it off a bit, mid 52s. 41 Lewis Hamilton Peter Bonnington This is the pace I’m comfortable at. I think it’s looking after the tyres as well, so… 41 Peter Bonnington Lewis Hamilton OK copy that. 14 laps to go. Even when the rain had stopped Rosberg was having trouble...he was pushing flat out and he had a rearview mirror full of Lewis Hamilton. When asked how much he was pushing he replied he was flat out. I think the team was quite surprised at the pace difference to Hamilton so they thought Rosberg was managing his pace. Yes when Hamilton overtook him and the rains came he kept pulling away from everybody...even the Red Bull who had a downforce setup for the rain. So the question is..what was different on Hamilton's car?
He has the fastest car on the grid so putting in one fast lap on low fuel shouldn't be a problem. I don't believe they had the exact same setup in Suzuka but if they did then it points to the fact that he didn't know what to do to help the issue.
It's no great mystery tbh, Hamilton likes his car to have a little bit of oversteer, Rosberg likes the rear more stable. The setup just suited Hamilton better over the piece. Rosberg could live with it on fresh tyres but the less grip there was, the further the car moved away from suiting him.
Q: Nico, we heard you talking about a lot of oversteer, is that what the problem was throughout the race? NR: I was definitely not happy with my balance but I think we had pretty much the same set-up so Lewis must have had the same oversteer. I just wasn’t happy with that and tried to figure out a way to reduce that and found some improvements then with the pit stop, put down the front wing so that was a bit better but still not good so just need to look into that. But all in all, Lewis just did a better job today and deserves to win. OK, second place is damage limitation and taking everything into consideration, it was very, very difficult conditions out there on this track and everything so seven points lost to Lewis... you know, there’s worse than that.
Does anyone know of a site that logs how many engines/internals etc each driver has used so far? I've been doing a search on good old google and I can either only find an old one from about 6 races ago or the regulations saying how many they can use.
Now Rosberg has to hope that hamilton doesn't win any of the nest three races. If Hamilton wins one of the next two a comes second in the other then he just needs to come second in the double points race to win the title ...this is if Rosberg wins one of the next two, comes second in the other and then wins the double points race.
Is there still time for them to decide on squashing double points? I really don't want it decided on double points....
Hamilton could actually win 11 races to Rosberg's five and still lose the championship...that's really crazy.
I totally agree...a guy works his ass off to make such a comeback after so many DNFs and other setbacks that were no fault of his to whip his team mate comprehensively (9 to 4) so far then to lose in the double points race would be total crap.
14 points is the magic points difference. Whoever leads by that margin going into the last race has the title in their hands. The gap's 17 at the moment right? So Rosberg really needs Hamilton to DNF if he's going to be significantly on top going into the last race.
I've been thinking the same and agree with the other posts mentioned. I know there have been various points systems like the best 14 races of 16 but double points in the last race, come on! I hope Hamilton is out of reach by then and they scrap the idea altogether.
So maybe Hamilton should get the double points so you will support the end to the double points nonsense?