Hamilton vs Rosberg @ Spa

[Monty]

Didn't realize we had a chapter of the Hamilton fan club here.

In his column for the Daily Mail, Rosberg comments.

"In hindsight, the collision was my responsibility because I was the car trying to overtake, so I have to accept that I made a mistake and to apologise," he wrote.

"It has always been clear from the team that Lewis and I must not collide with one another during a race. If it did happen, and one driver is more responsible than the other, then there will be consequences. I've accepted that."

"I was booed on the podium - which wasn't a nice feeling - but I understand that people had travelled a long way to see a great race between Lewis and myself, and they did not get that. I totally respect their opinion and I hope that in time they will accept my apology."

For the record, I am not a Hamilton fan.
It really irritates me when people ignore the facts and make the story fit their interpretation. Rosberg has acknowledged that he didn't avoid the accident from the day it happened.
Hamilton was completely innocent - he was driving a brilliant first lap and got maliciously taken out by his team mate. Jenson Button and many others have voiced their amazement that Rosberg tried an impossible overtake.

[lkjohnson1950]

I am not ignoring the facts, he says the accident was his fault, he doesn't say he did it deliberately. There is no doubt he is at fault, but the same sort of coming together has happened before with a number of drivers without anyone suggesting it was deliberate. Rosberg tried a pass that was not on and clouted his team mate, he was not trying to take Lewis out.

[Ian]

I'm not in the fan club either but Hamilton is definitely innocent this time, if I want to join his fan club I will Lonny. 

[Monty]

Lewis claims that Nico said he hit Lewis on purpose. Merc appears to be siding with Lewis:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/28921431

[lkjohnson1950]

Hey Ian, like I could stop you (or would). I mostly like Lewis myself, but he has become a bit of a whiner. And Monty, that is Lewis opinion, not an admission by Nico. This is a type of accident that happens almost every race in F1 and is universally tagged a "racing incident" I don't understand why everyone is so quick to dump on Nico.

[Scott]

Part of racing is staying out of trouble.  How did Lewis allow Rosberg to catch up so quickly when after turn 1 he was 2 places back? 

Though Rosberg could and perhaps should have fallen back, Lewis most likely knew he was there and took his racing line anyhow.  Both likely thought at worst their wheels would bang a bit.  Had that happened, it would have been a racing incident and 'nough said.  The only reason there is controversy is because Lewis was fighting back against Rosberg's points lead, he took the hit, and it kinda was Rosberg's fault because if he hadn't tried to pass Lewis on the second lap, none of this would have happened.  In that sense it was Rosberg's fault.  He obviously had the speed on Hamilton - he caught him from a 3rd place in one and a half laps.  If it didn't happen on lap 2, it would have happened on lap 5 or so, but Rosberg was seeing red because of his lousy start and couldn't hold back.  Again, his bad.  He could have won the race and left Lewis in his dust if he had that kind of differential on Hamilton.

[John S]

Didn't realize we had a chapter of the Hamilton fan club here.

Guilty as charged M'lud. 

Lewis for me is by far a better racer than Rosberg. Nico plays the percentages all the time rather than balls out racing, I simply can't applaud that as the main method to win a championship - although it does push him up the points table.   
Rosberg has also shown a rather insidious streak to his personality this year;  whereas Lewis is his usual prickly and needy self - but with such a special gift for wringing everything, and sometimes too much, from a car and track.     

[Scott]

I would say that 'gift' is shared by quite a few F1 drivers, Lewis isn't so special.

[John S]

I would say that 'gift' is shared by quite a few F1 drivers, Lewis isn't so special.

That's why your not in our chapter of his fan club.   

[Scott]

Just glad he pays his taxes here, helps keep our roads clean.   

[Monty]

And Monty, that is Lewis opinion, not an admission by Nico

There are none so blind as those that will not see!
I wasn't there but all of the reports from the team acknowledge that Rosberg agreed that he could have avoided the accident but chose not to. He hit Hamilton to make a point.
Surely even you (should I suggest you are in the Rosberg fan club) could see that it was an avoidable accident. Rosberg had loads of room to his left but he actually steered into Hamilton. Let me see..... could stay left but instead turned steering wheel hard right......that is deliberate. Isn't it?

[lkjohnson1950]

Find something that says on the way up to the corner Nico decided to take Lewis out, knowing full well that he would also probably be taking himself out as well and I'll say it was deliberate. i have also seen people go around the corner side by side without contact. Wouldn't it have been smart of Lewis to leave a bit of room just in case Rosberg was still there? Lewis has chopped Nico many times this season to prevent him from passing and Nico has always managed to avoid contact.   I can't blame him for choosing to hold his line this time around. Maybe Lewis will be a bit less likely to run Nico off the track in the future. Frankly, I have no personal favorite  among the current crop of drivers, most of whom seem like spoiled children. Ricciardo is growing on me though even if he does drive for Red Bull. This just seems like the same sort of contact we see in almost every race and it is usually dismissed as a racing incident. Because Lewis got the short end this time around, everyone is up in arms over Nico ruining Lewis' race. Might I suggest your obvious affection for Lewis is coloring your view of what you see and read?

[Scott]

In this argument, I simply take the side of Wolf and Lauda ( )...Nico's mistake wasn't that he should have braked, it wasn't how he drove, or if he turned into Hammy, it wasn't that he tried to pass, it was simply that he tried to overtake on lap 2 instead of waiting until things calmed down a few laps later (in reality, all he really had to do was stay within a second of Lewis until the DRS kicked in).

Of course it's a bit hard to take the race out of the racer, so how they think he will ever listen to an instruction like 'wait until things calm down', I have no clue.  I think there isn't a driver on todays grid who - when in pole position, and lost places when the lights go out - doesn't fight as hard as they can immediately to gain those places back.  Nico did exactly what Lewis would have done in the same position.

I can see both sides, can understand those who say it was Nico's fault (in principle), but can't see any way to avoid it in the future, team orders or not.

[Monty]

Might I suggest your obvious affection for Lewis is coloring your view of what you see and read?

I don't know why you are so intent on making this personal.
I am not a Hamilton fan. I have simply stated the facts. Rosberg could have avoided the accident. Rosberg has acknowledged he could have avoided the accident. Rosberg was behind and had no chance of overtaking. Hamilton was in front, could not see Rosberg, he was on the racing line and did not change line. Rosberg was not on the racing line, he could see Hamilton and still steered right into Hamilton.
You are entitled to your opinion but you cannot ignore the facts. Rosberg ruined Hamilton's race, took a lot excitement out of the race for us neutral race fans and put himself in an artificial position in the Championship.

[lkjohnson1950]

Except you keep stating your opinion as "facts".