The Spanish Grand Prix was a millstone for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen but there is a very good chance that wouldn’t have been possible if the two Mercedes drivers hadn’t collided at turn 3 taking each other out of the race. Here how they saw the incident but how did you see it?
NICO ROSBERG
I had a great start and I was ecstatic after passing Lewis around the outside of turn one. At that point, it was my race to win.
I came out of turn three and realised I was down on power with the wrong mode selected due to the engine mode switch being in the incorrect position.
Lewis was closing in, so I decided to make a clear move to the right hand side as soon as possible, to close the door and show him that wasn’t an option. I was very surprised that Lewis went for the inside anyway. The next thing I knew, we were in the gravel trap.
I’m gutted, not just for myself but for the whole team, it’s the worst feeling as a driver.
LEWIS HAMILTON
I had a decent start from pole but got slipstreamed on the way to the first corner and lost the lead.
Coming out of turn three, I was catching Nico Rosberg really quickly and went for the gap on the right – I had part of my car alongside but then had to take to the grass. The gap was there and, if you’re a racing driver, you go for that gap. We saw what happened after that. I’m hurt and disappointed for the team most of all because we lost 43 points today.
We’re all here working together towards the same result and the team give me the opportunity to race with the work they do. When I came to a stop in the gravel trap, all I could think about was how gutted I was for the team – that’s where I feel the pain.
But we will move on together and come back stronger in Monaco.
TOTO WOLFF
After all the hard work we’ve put in over the past two weeks it’s deeply disappointing to come away with no points, but in my opinion this was a racing incident, with the drivers racing for position, and I don’t want to start blaming one or the other.
Both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are upset and we talked with them, looking at the pictures and the data, to determine exactly what happened. By letting the drivers race as we do, this kind of eventuality can happen but we won’t change our approach – we owe it to Formula One and the fans to let them race.
But today, it was the work of the whole team that finished in the gravel trap, and this isn’t what we want to see happen – both of the boys know how much hard work goes into each race weekend and that they have the responsibility to bring that home. We have matured as a team over the past years, so we will be able to move on from this and, hopefully, fight back in a positive way in Monaco.
You
So how did you see the incident? I’ll be honest, I am inclined to agree with the stewards as a racing incident. I recall Alonso pressing Vettel wide at Monza and then the opposite happening a year later. Both drivers forced into the grass and no penalty given, that’s racing. Defending lines etc.
I’m not one for handing out penalties and I like the new Nico who isn’t going to cede anything to Lewis just as Lewis never does with Nico (USGP in 2015, Bahrain 2014 for example). Nico very intelligently said it was his race to win. This is a head game but implies it’s his race, his time, not Lewis’s. Very well played for a guy who is intent on winning a title.
Lewis has punted, bounced off of and shoved his way through enough races and drivers and done incredibly well so I don’t feel like he’s a victim in the chase for a title here. You put your nose in thinking Nico will lift and be intimidated and this time, he won’t. I love that about Lewis and I like it about Nico now too.
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61 Comments on "Rosberg, Hamilton crash POV…how did you see it?"
Saw on Sky Sports F1: Anthony Davidson showed a video. On there, Rosberg realized that he had the engine mapping on the wrong setting and quickly tried to change it to the correct one. In this instance, he no longer had his full attention to the road, and the result was the accident. I was 50/50 before, but now I can see how it would appear that Rosberg was at fault.
With the difficulty (impossibility) in passing at this track I think he knew he had to pass or it wouldn’t happen. Mercedes cars can’t follow another car without ripping up their tyres too.
I am in complete agreement,Hammy reminds me of an adult baby when things aren’t going his way. Things are starting to get desperate for him and I think he would rather take both of them out than to allow Nico to beat him. I expected better from the world champ but this is how he chooses to react and drive. Not too professional in my opinion.
Speaking of adult baby, what a funny move for a guy often accused of spitting his binky out of the pram, to toss his wheel like that. Talk about playing to type! So funny.
Agree however that particular track is really difficult to pass at. Current thought is that you need about a 2.5 second differential to make it work. So yes Lewis was desperate as he knew that if he didn’t get past then it was unlikely to happen without the team or misfortune engineering it.
That wasn’t meant to defend Lewis I mean he is desperate and I wonder if Nico has now got under his skin and he will start making even more poor decisions
All I know is, Kvyat was far away behind.
Racing incident (or I should say accident).
We hold these drivers up to impossible standards and sometimes they just simply stuff up. Lewis went into a gap that was always going to close, Nico just didn’t think Lewis would go there.
Stewards got it right.
The thing you missed was “Nico had his car set on “missing 160 horsepower” mode and nobody could have expected him to be driving so slowly. In the fraction of a fraction of a second you have to decide which side of the car you are chasing to be on he expected nico to be 20-30 feet up the road from where he was.
Nico will have known that Hamilton was alongside already, so I think that move was not in the spirit of the rules saying you shouldn’t run other drivers off the road, but probably the move was ok technically. Still, he could have foreseen that Hamilton going onto the grass would most likely also spell trouble for himself.
Disagree The “oh after you” behaviour relegates you to number two and not a potential world champion… It was a legitimate cut back Hamilton could have backed out. This is just the old dog being told….. caution I will bite by the young subordinate. Just look at what happened to Schumacher’s team mate
that should have been team mates
100% agree with you NC
Also another good example of Niki Lauda being not only useless, but counterproductive as well. He’s got no interest whatsoever in how his comments might hurt the team.
Lesson #1 would be: If someone asks you a question, that doesn’t automatically mean you should answer it. *Really* answer it.
Btw could anyone relay that one to Eddie Irvine and Jacques Villeneuve as well?
I disagree, he should answer it with the truth.
It is the mainstream media who is to blame for taking his comments to the extreme.
When I saw it I blamed Rosberg. Then I heard about the power settings being wrong and now I agree with the stewards. Besides assigning blame does nothing to solve the issue now or in the future.
No need to decide, Hamilton already apologized, which suggested he accepted it’s his fault. This fact is beneficial to Rosberg’s championship.
“I have already apologised to the team,” he said. “That was the most gutting thing when I stopped, just thinking about all these things that worked so hard in this team to give me an opportunity to race today.
“It was apologies from my behalf that I didn’t score those points for the team. These things happen in racing but it’s the right thing to apologise to all these guys, just like when the engine fails they apologise to me.”
To be fair, a driver saying “sorry” to his team does not automatically mean he’s accepting blame or suggesting it was his fault. It means he’s sorry about how the race ended, after all their hard work. It can also be more than that, but it doesn’t have to be at all related to accepting blame – drivers often say “sorry guys” to their team even after being punted out of the race through absolutely no fault of their own. In Vettel’s case, once he’s done swearing ;-)
The media and Skysports will not see it that way and will hype the controversies for all they can milk it. However, Lewis is in a good mental state and Nico isn’t going to be able to rattle him easily. Monaco is sort of Nico’s territory, Lewis must beat him there to gain about psychological advantage.
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Nico said he was in the wrong setting then over defended, Hamilton went for the gap was pushed in the grass day over. If I where in either car I would have done the same. They are racing for the win. Not driving to the grocery store.
double yep
Lewis would never have let Nico through if roles were reversed. This is a turning point for Nico I think. I agree with Niki’s viewpoint.
yep
I think Nico has to come off very strong over the next two races. If he does manage to out point the Hamster then he will be world champ. Nico has never been in a better position than right now so let’s see if he can capitalise on this to carry him to glory. Ham has put himself in a bad position and he is well aware of the consequence of taking out both cars again. His edge is gone now.
How many times has hamilton taken nico out of the race before today vs the other way around? Thats why nico gets the calls for “Less stupid agression” and not lewis, who usually pulls it off cleanly-ish
But Nico didn’t take Hamilton out…. it was judged to be a racing incident
He stopped looking at the road and swerved violently in front of an oncoming car. When people do that with their phones on the freeway its pretty cut and dry, yea? “Racing incident” means “no punishment” not “Everyone is innocent”.
or driving when tired……….
A Racing incident as far as i’m concerned, over aggressive attacking vs. over aggressive defending.
On a personal note, I hope they do this many more times this year. With the Mercs out of the way we have a real race on our hands.
I am with NC, I was rapt when Nico passed Lewis on the outside. I agree that as Nico was in front in was his to take. Lewis has closed gaps before on many drivers, Nico included. Also was it necessary for Lewis to pass that early?, he is a racer and yes should go for gaps, but that early in the race. I eagerly await the podcast to here PC’s view on that and the peace as a whole. Finally what t-shirts will be made up for the plucky teen now?
I saw it as a reason to celebrate.
Good points. I agree with everything you have written. But Nico went one car width too far in implementing this strategy, at least when I try to answer the question, “was one of the Mercedes drivers more responsible for this crash than the other?”
“Nico should have taken responsibility for his mistake (wrong engine mode), left at least one car width to his right and got on with the race.”
That’s like saying a slower driver should *never* defend. How does that make any sense?
What I really like about the people posting here, is that unlike other F1 fan sites – if you are a Lewis fan or a Nico fan, it doesn’t really seem to matter, people don’t seem to attack your opinion but respect it. That is fabulous.
Thanks NC.
Alternatively
“Lewis looked us in the eye and took the blame… he apologized. He took everything on himself. That’s fine with me” – Niki Lauda
Interesting. Niki went right out – before the drivers had even returned to the pits from that gravel trap – and said it was Lewis’ fault. Toto (after the team meeting) was very clear the team was not going to handle this the same way as they did the Spa incident. His message was clear: this is racing, these things happen. It was a racing incident, and we will continue to let our drivers race each other. It seems Niki didn’t get the memo… ;-)
Inquest over then, Hamilton confessed.
I’m glad we won’t have to spend the rest of the season going over and over it.
And Sky won’t turn the incident into an opening sequence for every f*ing section of every GP for the next year…….
I think that may just be the most elaborate, expensive game of chicken I’ve ever seen.
HEre’s a link for comparison that saw the world come down on Nico for this move: https://youtu.be/bBeGeeWaOLU
I think this accident was good for Nico because he didn’t let Lewis manhandle him as he has in the past. Now Lewis knows he is dealing with a man that will hold his ground now. Nico showed me he’s ready to be a champion. Good job Nico.