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Who was the 2015 Spanish GP Driver of the Race?

Rosberg
3
33%
Hamilton
1
11%
Vettel
1
11%
Bottas
4
44%
Raikkonen
No votes
0%
Massa
No votes
0%
Ricciardo
No votes
0%
Grosjean
No votes
0%
Sainz
No votes
0%
Verstappen
No votes
0%
Maldonado
No votes
0%
Other
No votes
0%
#436902
Racechick it is your theory that Lewis was using a different clutch. I read that both had the 2014 clutch and of course Lewis's comment on Saturday night that they were running the same clutch has him on the 2014 clutches, clutches he won a wdc with by the way! But of course if you have info please share.

Lewis - “We’ve both got the exact same clutches, so naturally we should have the same start,” he said on Saturday night.

He just tried to win it all in the first corner misjudging the grip and 'Webbered' the start spinning up the wheels. This was all a result of chasing the balance through all the free practices, spinning in P3 and finally losing qually. There is nothing from the team that the clutches or the car had any problems. His concentration just wasn't there it seems, and he had hoped to be fresher on race day.

Lewis - “If I’m fresher tomorrow and have slightly better reaction time, it might make a difference by Turn One. So that’ll be a goal.”
Lewis - "Wheelspin off the start – nothing different just wheelspin. I don't know if the inside line got worse but mine definitely wasn't good."

Unsubstantiated opinion - that would be you making up a story of Nico's wife's illness distracting him during the break. Well she was at the race and looked healthy as a horse to me! And Nico did well! Maybe you don't have enough life experience but with his first born on the way this is the happiest time in his life. He will draw energy from his family life.

Lewis however flying literally around the world on his 'break', he will be tired, this is normal - anyone would be worn down. Even Wolff is concerned and commented on his travelling saying he will happily support it but only if it helps him to be fast on the track:

"In the three week 'break' between Bahrain and Spain, the reigning world champion racked up the equivalent of a full circumnavigation of planet Earth in his red, $30 million private jet. Reports say he hopped from Bahrain to Monaco and then to London, Mallorca, Monza, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York before returning to the UK and finally arriving to race in Barcelona. "He's single -- he can travel," smiled Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. "If it helps him to be fast on the track, let us never stand in his way,""

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns30785.html

I am confused about your 'lifestyle myth' comment? I am talking about the three week break prior to the Spanish gp. I haven't the foggiest about Lewis' lifestyle issues. Are you saying that Lewis always lives on his plane or something?

And your 'list' at the end,
- As you can see above I had selected Bottas as driver of the race as yes Rosberg had it easy!
- Hamilton was 'tonked' imo and that F1Fanatic poll is similar to other polls I have seen and it is a British website to be fair.
- I remember one race where Rosberg went from last to second and he was driver of the race. Second to third to second is no big deal imo. And It took Hamilton 50+ laps to get past Vettel and he had to do it in the pits! By the way I see even you didn't vote for Hamilton as DOTR in our little poll.

You '3% ers' seem angry when Hamilton has a difficult weekend. You should lighten up a bit!
Last edited by overboost on 18 May 15, 01:03, edited 1 time in total.
#436903
The clutch

After QUALI

Q: You are on pole. That makes things easier, but how happy have you been with your four starts so far in 2015?

NR: To be honest they’ve all been rather mediocre. But we’ve a new clutch - a different one - and that gives me hope as all the starts I’ve done in the last two days felt really good.

After the race
Q: (Chris Eichenberger – Motorsport Aktuell).
Nico, what exactly did you change on the clutch?

Nico Rosberg:
I just went to a different spec, back to last year's one.


F1 Fanatic ( surely you didn't miss this one!)

Rosberg............... Having reverted to the same clutch he used last year he fired his Mercedes W05 into a lead he never looked like losing


Thejudge13

Both Mercedes drivers have been unhappy with the current clutch system – because they are not getting the same feel as the system from 2014. Rosberg chose to revert to last years clutch this weekend. Hamilton stuck with the new system.


Vivian Rosberg
I didn't say she was ill during the three week break. That's something you've just added. I said her illness and the impending baby could be responsible for Rosberg's poor showing against Hamilton thus far this season.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns30370.html

Lewis' Lifestyle

Your disapproval is evident in your constant references to his jet, his travel, his parties and his friends. If you are so well acquainted with private jet travel you will realise it differs greatly from commercial travel. Lewis will have a bed at his disposal and anything else he requires.


My life experiences
Irrelevant. So don't even speculate. Stick to speculation about F1 drivers.

The 3%ers
I'm not one of your 3%ers by the way. Really not sure at all why you place such weight on a pole of 500 odd people .
Just look at the results of the two drivers thus far ( including championships, wins and comeback drives) Stick to the facts eh!
#436913
Ah Judge13 is your source. Sometimes he has good info but often it is just rumor or hearsay. I think I will stick with Hamilton's statement that they were both using the same clutches. Not a big deal either way though as Hamilton is very familiar with the 2015 clutches.

The topic of discussion is the re the Spanish gp, you seem to be determined to make this a season in review! Mrs. Rosberg's health was not an issue in Spain, I doubt it has been an issue at all really.

I don't dwell on Hamilton's 'lifestyle'. His travels/parties though made headlines in Spain so it becomes an issue, even Toto commented on it so you know it is a concern. Lewis himself was hoping to be fresher on race day, but then he had that lapse at the start.

And yes private jet travel is different, you get to avoid all that security hassle in the airport. Just head over to the hangar and get on the plane! Still though there were pitfalls as on the occasions when we were flying internationally and headed for a private airstrip, we would have to put down at an airport with customs and sit on the tarmac for a good while waiting for them to drive over in their customs suv and then up again for a ten minute hop. And other times flying into Logan was quick but getting out of there during the 'big dig' was a big hassle.

Speaking of sticking to the facts I read those articles you linked. Ha, they have their story more than a bit wrong. Trying to say that the team stopped Lewis from victory by telling him that he shouldn't go after Rosberg. The problem is that Lewis did continue to go hard after Rosberg and continued for at least 5 laps after that radio message until he indeed saw that it was futile. As well Lewis himself said after the race that he ignored that order! Really. The real fact of the matter is that Rosberg is the driver who had his race compromised by being held out longer losing time on used up tires to allow Hamilton clear track to gap Vettel. Cost Rosberg about 3.5s.

“As Lewis was building the gap he needed ahead of Sebastian in his third stint, we actually compromised Nico a little bit by leaving him out longer than optimum before his second stop,” explained Mercedes executive director Toto Wolff.

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/05/10/m ... -hamilton/
#436916
No, thejudge13 is not my source, though he often has original material , these days I find him far too biased. I gave you three sources, thejudge just served to corroborate the first two, those being, Rosberg, the man who actually changed his clutch and said so in the press conference, and F1 fanatic who's polls you set such store by.

You don't believe Rosberg's wife was ill? She was vomiting up to 12 times a day and Nico had to take her to hospital ? But you know better, she wasn't ill? Unbelievable!! Bild Newspaper " she is struggling with hyperemesis gravidarum, which is a rare and extreme form of morning sickness among pregnant women."

Yes I realise this topic is the best driver of the Spanish GP. I've referred to the whole season to show you how a driver's performance may genuinely be affected by circumstances off the race track. During Vivian's first trimester when she was ill, Rosberg was performing particularly badly compared to Hamilton. Maybe nothing to it, he might just be an inferior driver. But it holds more water than your assertion that Hamilton lost out because he was 'globetrotting'. He had clutch issues and pitstop issues. Agreed he missed out on quali and Rosberg nailed it, credit to Rosberg there. But Hamilton could still have won without the issues.
Oh haha, you read the Bleacher reports then? Did you also read Peter Windsors analysis? Your F1fanatic site touch on it to. The possibility of Hamilton catching Rosberg. It was probably a step too far to do it in that last stint...but if they'd reverted back to a two stop once he had track position over Rosberg, that would have been a fight indeed. Can you imagine the state of Rosberg had that happened and by chance Hamilton nailed it? Confidence rock bottom, head down, vulnerable to Vettel/Ferrari, maybe resorting to 'making points' . Mercedes made the right decision here to let Rosberg have this one. There'll be plenty more for Hamilton.

Oh. In answer to the question. I don't have a driver of the day in Spain. I dislike the track and no one particularly stood out.
#436943
The judge13 is the only source you quoted to say they had different clutches. Hamilton said no but maybe you are saying Lewis was in the dark? Or that he made the wrong decision?

Yes we know Mrs. Nico is pregnant and was ill! But to infer that Nico's strong family life and 'impending fatherhood' is a issue in his season doesn't make sense.

Damon Hill however has concerns about Hamiton's exploits: "I got the sense that Lewis slightly took his eye off the ball in Spain," Hill told the Express. "Nico went home and said, 'right, I'm not having any more of this' and focused on the next job. But look at the schedule Lewis indulged in between Bahrain and that race. He went to film in Italy, then went to the Mayweather fight - and jet lag is very debilitating and you cannot be on your best form."

Hamilton reverting to a two stop an winning, not in the cards. He had taken alot out of the tires early just building the gap to Vettel. And remember the only reason Hamilton came back out in front of Rosberg was because they compromised Rosberg to get track position or Hamilton over Vettel.

And just think if Rosberg had those 3.5 seconds back he would have had a 21 sec gap to Hamilton at the finish! In the three races Lewis won he only averaged a 2 sec gap to Nico. :wink:

Time for Monaco, lets see how Hamilton does now with that new contract signed off!
#436944
I gave three sources, Rosberg, F1 fanatic andthejudge13. Yes there's a possibility that Lewis was in the dark about Nico switching.

You are now saying we all know Mrs. Rosberg was ill, yet a few posts ago you doubted she'd been ill at all :shrug:
You see everytime I give you some information you change Your standpoint.

You weren't prepared to look at comparative lap times because of differing strategies. Fair enough. Now you're comparing times from different GP's . :shrug:

And your evidence that Lews didn't win 'because he was distracted' is because Hill thinks he might have been. :hehe:

Anyway I'm done with this . As you say on to Monaco. It's not looking brill for Rosberg after first practise, in the wall and over a second off Hamilton. But it's early days. Maybe he was a little distracted.
What he won't be able to resort to this year in quali , is to park it, because Lewis is going out first.
#436949
...on to Monaco. It's not looking brill for Rosberg after first practise, in the wall and over a second off Hamilton. But it's early days. Maybe he was a little distracted.
What he won't be able to resort to this year in quali , is to park it, because Lewis is going out first.


Maybe Hamilton will decide turnabout's fair play and "park" his, instead? :thumbup:

((Just in case, that's just a joke!! :thumbup: ))
#436974
I gave three sources, Rosberg, F1 fanatic andthejudge13. Yes there's a possibility that Lewis was in the dark about Nico switching. :clap:

You are now saying we all know Mrs. Rosberg was ill, yet a few posts ago you doubted she'd been ill at all
You see everytime I give you some information you change Your standpoint. :eek:

You weren't prepared to look at comparative lap times because of differing strategies. Fair enough. Now you're comparing times from different GP's . :yes:

And your evidence that Lews didn't win 'because he was distracted' is because Hill thinks he might have been.

Anyway I'm done with this . As you say on to Monaco. It's not looking brill for Rosberg after first practise, in the wall and over a second off Hamilton. But it's early days. Maybe he was a little distracted.
What he won't be able to resort to this year in quali , is to park it, because Lewis is going out first. :rimshot:


Yes racechick knows better than Damon Hill. :-? Precious!
#436991
Where have I said I know more than Damon Hill? You're making things up again.
Meanwhile, Hamilton, the man in question, whilst respecting Hill's right to hold his opinions, refutes them.

quote....
The double World Champion, who recently signed a new three-year contract with Mercedes, is adamant he's goint to keep doing what makes his happy.

He told the Daily Mirror: "People are entitled to their own opinions of me, whether it is right or wrong is irrelevant. What is important is that I enjoy what I am doing and when I know I am stretching myself.

"I have done this for long enough, I have two World Championships now, so I know what I am doing. I will know if I am burning myself out or burning both ends of the candle and when I should push back.

"But hey man, I feel fresh. I feel fit. I am going to do those trips. I like to do what makes me happy and there are a lot of positives and bonuses from that.

"Ultimately I was not quick enough in Spain but that was not because I had been travelling.

"I agree people can have their opinions but as I said, I don't judge anyone. Like it, love it, or deal with it."
#437049
Where have I said I know more than Damon Hill? You're making things up again.
Meanwhile, Hamilton, the man in question, whilst respecting Hill's right to hold his opinions, refutes them.

quote....
The double World Champion, who recently signed a new three-year contract with Mercedes, is adamant he's goint to keep doing what makes him happy.

He told the Daily Mirror: "People are entitled to their own opinions of me, whether it is right or wrong is irrelevant. What is important is that I enjoy what I am doing and when I know I am stretching myself.

"I have done this for long enough, I have two World Championships now, so I know what I am doing. I will know if I am burning myself out or burning both ends of the candle and when I should push back.

"But hey man, I feel fresh. I feel fit. I am going to do those trips. I like to do what makes me happy and there are a lot of positives and bonuses from that.

"Ultimately I was not quick enough in Spain but that was not because I had been travelling.

"I agree people can have their opinions but as I said, I don't judge anyone. Like it, love it, or deal with it."


The way he will know that he is burning out from his travels is when he loses a race like Barcelona while driving a W07! The proof was in the pudding.

Anyway he is putting his emphasis on being 'happy' over having top performance for the races and that is his prerogative I guess. Not what Merc wants to hear I would think!
#437070
He lost Spain because he wasn't on pole, he dislikes the track and doesn't go there well, his clutch wasn't working right and his pitstops were messed up.
Nothing to do with his travels, you and Hill and Uncle Tom Com Cobbley and all can speculate all you like. The person who knows is Lewis , no one else.
His performances are top draw which is why Merc have resigned him on a record salary.
#437083
He lost Spain because he wasn't on pole, he dislikes the track and doesn't go there well, his clutch wasn't working right and his pitstops were messed up.
Nothing to do with his travels, you and Hill and Uncle Tom Com Cobbley and all can speculate all you like. The person who knows is Lewis , no one else.
His performances are top draw which is why Merc have resigned him on a record salary.


Lewis:
"Ultimately I was not quick enough in Spain but that was not because I had been travelling."

Well Lewis says he knows why he was slow in Barcelona but he isn't telling! Must be something 'worse' than travelling if he is keeping it under wraps. :wink: Hopefully he can get keep it under control.

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