Hamilton vs Rosberg @ Spa

[Monty]

But the way, Bottas passed Vettel there cleanly.

It is almost two corners that merge into one (a slight right and then more serious left). If you are completely alongside or slightly in front at the first apex you can cleanly take the second apex (making the person being overtaken lift and stay right).
Rosberg never got alongside so he would have known that it would be impossible to take the second apex - and I do mean impossible. Even if Hamilton had seen him, which I doubt, he was going too fast to pull the car right and leave room for Rosberg. If he had tried he would almost certainly have lost the rear and probably clouted Rosberg anyway.

[Monty]

It seems that Jenson Button also agrees....

Button also felt Rosberg should've "judged the situation better".

"There was nothing there," he said.

"All there was was going off the circuit. There was no move. Strange.

"I think any driver would look at it now, and I am sure Nico will look at it and say, 'I don't know what was I thinking'.

"You should be able to judge situations like that a bit better."

However, it seems that the FIA will not be taking action so basically Rosberg has got away with cheating again.

[John S]

Yeah it seems to be a long standing policy of both stewards and the FIA not to give penalties when teammates come together. I remember saying to my son at the time during the race that the collision, for that's what it was, would not even get looked at by the stewards because it was teammates. 

 I also remember saying to my son that if it had been anyone other than his teammate causing Lewis' puncture they would have got a drive thru for an avoidable collision.

Just how big a shunt does it have to be for the stewards to at least announce an investigation into one teammate's behaviour to another. The Stewards and FIA seem not to notice that this has an undue affect on the WDC, whilst they can't obviously give points to Lewis they could at least have given a standard penalty, including points on the licence, to Nico.

By allowing teammates to get over exuberant with each other the authorities need to watch out that it doesn't get out of hand. The signal they are sending at the moment is one of total indifference, at the very least, to ungentlemanly behaviour.   

[Jericoke]

Interesting theory Monty.  Not sure he was really trying to spin Lewis, I saw the steering correction as well, but that's what I thought it was, a correction.

But the way, Bottas passed Vettel there cleanly.

I can't help but wonder if Monty is right.  It's hard to actually accuse Rosberg without more proof, but as long as he's ahead in the points, he can afford to DNF as long as Lewis DNFs as well.

It DOES fit in with a larger conspiricy (don't mind the foil hat) that Mercedes was trying not to win the race.  Perhaps someone from CVC, or one of the TV rights holders, is worried the championship will be sewn up too early, and they want to provide as much drama as possible.  Perhaps Mercedes has been given some financial incentive to keep the season 'interesting'.

Obviously I wouldn't accuse anyone of doing this.  I'm just another nut posting on the internet. 

Right?

[Scott]

I think too many people/pundits have weighed in to say it was little more than a clumsy move by Rosberg, not intentional and not really worthy of a penalty. 

If the conspiracy is like Monty says, then it's one thing, but taking it up to what Jeri suggests?  I dunno, if that's seriously the case, then I will really be disappointed in F1, and may go back to watch Friday Night Wrestling 

[Monty]

If you can access the BBC web site they have a full video clip of the 'accident'.
If you watch it there are various things to note:
1. Rosberg doesn't even get his front wheel beyond Hamilton's rear wheel at the first apex (right corner)
2. as they approach the second apex (left) look at how much room Rosberg still has to his left (lots of track and then the astroturf)
3. Watch Rosberg's steering input - one sharp turn to the right, then straightens (still lots of room to the left) then a severe turn to the right so that he hits Hamilton.

After everything I have seen and heard I am even more certain that he did it deliberately.

[cosworth151]

Nico give his side, and kisses up to Wolf and Lauda.

[Willy]

I believe Jeri makes some interesting points in regards the conspiracy theory.
I have found that anything is possible when the main point is the bottom line. Anything that gets people talking and creates media attention when TV viewership is dropping will start a rise in sponsor profits and what other reason are they involved in the first place.
It would not be the first time an event was manufactured to start a buzz.

[Monty]

I'm thinking that I could transfer my now redundant dislike of Schumacher over to Rosberg! I can't stand cheats. I see no honour in winning by cheating. Although, I suppose the millions of pounds that come from winning might make honour irrelevant!   

[Scott]

I'm thinking that I could transfer my now redundant dislike of Schumacher over to Rosberg!

I was thinking that the other day already when you posted... 

For the record, I can't stand the way Rosberg is to the media - comes across as super arrogant, even in his little video blog.  Of course could be just a German thing, but still...but as far as the incident in Spa, I'm going to say it was a stupid move, a clumsy move, but did he try to end Lewis' race on purpose?  I don't think so.  I think he was just posturing and it went wrong.

[Jericoke]

I'm thinking that I could transfer my now redundant dislike of Schumacher over to Rosberg!

I was thinking that the other day already when you posted... 

For the record, I can't stand the way Rosberg is to the media - comes across as super arrogant, even in his little video blog.  Of course could be just a German thing, but still...but as far as the incident in Spa, I'm going to say it was a stupid move, a clumsy move, but did he try to end Lewis' race on purpose?  I don't think so.  I think he was just posturing and it went wrong.

Letting the truth get in the way of a good story?

Where's the fun in that?   

[F1fanaticBD]

How come an incident that had nothing to with racing, was clearly made to send a message to the team-mate, was a racing incident. In the chat room I repeatedly said, stewards ought to take action against Rosberg, because the intend and implication resulted in a dangerous situation, which could have been avoided also the driver in question tends to benefit from the incident, how can this be a racing incident?

Alain Prost did termed it as racing incident, if I was the journalist taking the interview I would have asked him, how different is it from the 1990's Suzuka? If it is a racing incident, so was that, and why did you then wanted to punch Senna? The similarities are striking, Senna wanted to make a point, gained the world championship out of it, and it was regarded as racing incident.

[lkjohnson1950]

F1 drivers take Rosberg's side against Hamilton.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/114090380606/drivers-back-rosberg-over-hamilton-clash

[Monty]

F1 drivers take Rosberg's side against Hamilton.

None of these statements are 'against Hamilton'. They simply say that Rosberg could not have deliberately punctured Hamilton's tyre.
It is a fact that Rosberg acknowledged that he chose not to avoid the accident; Hamilton reported this fact as - Rosberg deliberately hit him. I think everyone has to agree that choosing not to avoid an accident is the same thing as deliberately causing an accident.

[lkjohnson1950]

Where did Nico say he deliberately chose not to avoid the accident? All of these drivers say it was a racing incident. I would rather Nico seized every opportunity to pass than tamely follow Lewis the whole race to insure a Mercedes 1-2. Didn't realize we had a chapter of the Hamilton fan club here.