Nico Rosberg retires from F1

[mollytherocker]

ashleyman said:

A friend of mine seems to think that Mercedes made a deal with Rosberg. The deal goes that Rosberg gets the world title this year and helps Hamilton get it next year. Hence the mechanics being changed and Lewis' car constantly breaking down. One of the mechanics on Hamiltons' side is a saboteur. Being the typical German Rosberg got his win and quit, deciding not to honour his side of the deal.

Yeh, a friend of mine saw Elvis working in a chip shop.

[JustinF]

ashleyman said:

A friend of mine seems to think that Mercedes made a deal with Rosberg. The deal goes that Rosberg gets the world title this year and helps Hamilton get it next year. Hence the mechanics being changed and Lewis' car constantly breaking down. One of the mechanics on Hamiltons' side is a saboteur. Being the typical German Rosberg got his win and quit, deciding not to honour his side of the deal.

your friend(cough<you>cough) is a tt

[ashleyman]

JustinF said:

ashleyman said:

A friend of mine seems to think that Mercedes made a deal with Rosberg. The deal goes that Rosberg gets the world title this year and helps Hamilton get it next year. Hence the mechanics being changed and Lewis' car constantly breaking down. One of the mechanics on Hamiltons' side is a saboteur. Being the typical German Rosberg got his win and quit, deciding not to honour his side of the deal.

your friend(cough<you>cough) is a tt

It's not actually me thank you but it did make me laugh when I heard it. I should note that he was sober.

I'd quite like to see someone like Daniel Ricciardo take Rosbergs spot though. He seems like a fantastic driver for his age.

[danllama]

ashleyman said:

It's not actually me thank you but it did make me laugh when I heard it. I should note that he was sober.

I'd quite like to see someone like Daniel Ricciardo take Rosbergs spot though. He seems like a fantastic driver for his age.

Gosh it's like being back on page 2

[Redlake27]

I was fortunate to be at the Autosport Awards yesterday. Nico Rosberg should be made the FIA Ambassador to our Sport.

He was dignified, interested in the junior category awards and spent time chatting to some of our up and coming talents. A class act.

(ps: Lewis sent Nic Hamilton to get his award.......)

Back on topic, I still feel that Bottas is the safe solution. Mercedes need experience in case Lewis takes the big money Ferrari offer in 2018. If they were sure they could keep Hamilton, I'm sure Wehrlein would get the drive.

It reminds me of 1992..... Williams pondering on whether to take experience, or a rookie called Damon Hill, to put in the dominant car.

[T16OLE]

Whoever gets the seat will be putting themselves in a fantastic position (the only other seat) to potentially win.

If I were, Seb, Alonso, Max or whoever, I'd be bending over backwards to get that seat.

Let's be fair it's all about the car within reason.

[vetrof]

ashleyman said:

A friend of mine seems to think

He really doesn't.

[Vaud]

T16OLE said:

Whoever gets the seat will be putting themselves in a fantastic position (the only other seat) to potentially win.

If I were, Seb, Alonso, Max or whoever, I'd be bending over backwards to get that seat.

Let's be fair it's all about the car within reason.

True, but I wouldn't bet against Red Bull for net year. They seem to have the engine sorted and their aero team is arguably the strongest in the pit lane? I think the first part of the season will be about who has made the right calls on aero strategy. I hope it will be closer...

[eps]

I spoke to somone I know at Mercedes F1 over the weekend - only briefly mind. It was a total shock. I naturally offered my services as a driver for next year but he said he was ahead of me in the line for that one!!

It brings me back to the overtures they were making towards Max recently, I mean maybe they didn't have a clue about him wishing to retire, but they certainly started to change their tack lately. I guess most drivers have iron clad contracts, but maybe there is a deal for 2018 to be done and just get someone in for 1 year?

[red_slr]

Gasly may end up getting that F1 drive sooner than he thinks...

[housen]

if this is all true

f1 is getting boring again

[JNW1]

Vaud said:

T16OLE said:

Whoever gets the seat will be putting themselves in a fantastic position (the only other seat) to potentially win.

If I were, Seb, Alonso, Max or whoever, I'd be bending over backwards to get that seat.

Let's be fair it's all about the car within reason.

True, but I wouldn't bet against Red Bull for net year. They seem to have the engine sorted and their aero team is arguably the strongest in the pit lane? I think the first part of the season will be about who has made the right calls on aero strategy. I hope it will be closer...

I agree; I'm sure Mercedes will have a competitive car next year but I'm not so sure it will be head and shoulders above the rest in the way it's been for most of the last three years. If it's not my money would also be on Red Bull as the team most likely to overhaul them and therefore even I got the call from Toto I'm not sure I'd jump ship to Mercedes if I was either Ricciardo or Verstappen; the decision would probably be easier for Vettel and certainly Alonso but will Mercedes even try to spring any top-line drivers out of their existing contracts?

[swisstoni]

JNW1 said:

Vaud said:

T16OLE said:

Whoever gets the seat will be putting themselves in a fantastic position (the only other seat) to potentially win.

If I were, Seb, Alonso, Max or whoever, I'd be bending over backwards to get that seat.

Let's be fair it's all about the car within reason.

True, but I wouldn't bet against Red Bull for net year. They seem to have the engine sorted and their aero team is arguably the strongest in the pit lane? I think the first part of the season will be about who has made the right calls on aero strategy. I hope it will be closer...

I agree; I'm sure Mercedes will have a competitive car next year but I'm not so sure it will be head and shoulders above the rest in the way it's been for most of the last three years. If it's not my money would also be on Red Bull as the team most likely to overhaul them and therefore even I got the call from Toto I'm not sure I'd jump ship to Mercedes if I was either Ricciardo or Verstappen; the decision would probably be easier for Vettel and certainly Alonso but will Mercedes even try to spring any top-line drivers out of their existing contracts?

As I understand it, 2017 regs aren't really effecting power units so I'd expect other suppliers to have cottoned on to what made the Merc unit superior and have closed the gap or even eclipsed it.
Aero affects will be a much more dramatic differentiating factor.
Who might pull a rabbit out of the hat for next season? Newey has form but anyone could stumble on a winning idea or a creative interpretation of the regs.
So it's certainly not a given that it will be business as usual at Merc next year.
McLaren could even cook up a stormer for next season.

[tommunster10]

Hosenbugler said:

PorkInsider said:

TazLondon said:

All the money, houses and women in the world is still a long way short of the fulfilment and contentment that a loving family brings.

What a fking crock of st.

By definition, you're demeaning anyone who doesn't have a family; either by choice or because they can't.

People like you really fk me off. You're like the politicians bking on about 'hard working families'.

What he said, actually, is very firmly on the nail. Your hatefull, bitter , twisted spouting tends to show that . You are plainly a sad individual.

It's like Casey Stoner compared to Rossi, Casey had a young family and clearly that's the reason he retired too early from MotoGP. Rossi is a bit of a man child like Lewis and his aims and goals are very much different.
There is a big difference in that MotoGP guys and girls can get hurt just from a simple mistake, and they can bash themselves up and it take a lot more to ride a Moto GP bike than drive an F1 car.
But the point stands, Nico just wants to be with his young family away from all the F1 bks that comes with it.

[red_slr]

Its an element of that but also he has basically had to eat live and breathe beating Lewis for the last 12 months. 24/7. He has no option other than to stand down or do it all over again and although he was being paid around half of what Lewis gets paid he still no doubt has enough in the bank to hang it up and continue his lifestyle.

[Escapegoat]

ashleyman said:

A friend of mine seems to think that Mercedes made a deal with Rosberg. The deal goes that Rosberg gets the world title this year and helps Hamilton get it next year. Hence the mechanics being changed and Lewis' car constantly breaking down. One of the mechanics on Hamiltons' side is a saboteur.

Of course, you replied to your "friend" that it was a stupid thought. Because, if it really was that tinfoily, Mercedes would have knobbled LH's chances before the Abu Dhabi decider rather then let it go to the wire.

ashleyman said:

Being the typical white man Rosberg got his win and quit, deciding not to honour his side of the deal.

See, we can all play this game.

[ashleyman]

Escapegoat said:

ashleyman said:

A friend of mine seems to think that Mercedes made a deal with Rosberg. The deal goes that Rosberg gets the world title this year and helps Hamilton get it next year. Hence the mechanics being changed and Lewis' car constantly breaking down. One of the mechanics on Hamiltons' side is a saboteur.

Of course, you replied to your "friend" that it was a stupid thought. Because, if it really was that tinfoily, Mercedes would have knobbled LH's chances before the Abu Dhabi decider rather then let it go to the wire.

ashleyman said:

Being the typical white man Rosberg got his win and quit, deciding not to honour his side of the deal.

See, we can all play this game.

There's no need to put 'friend' in quotes. It was a friend that said it. I haven't actually followed F1 since Singapore as I've been busy so not too up to speed on everything that's been going on in the sport. I just thought that you guys might enjoy his conspiracy theory.

[epom]

51 pages ? Jeez wait until he announces the comeback.

[Gary C]

It's a shame, I'm going to two gp's next year and no reigning WDC to watch. Not a massive loss really. quite like Nico Rosberg, but would have been a bigger loss to racing if Lewis had resigned purely from a race watching point of view.

Hope they put someone in the car who can really challenge on the track, not a number 2 yes man. Let's face it, without Nico, the last three years would have been ste.

Ho hum.

[anonymous-user]

Gary C said:

It's a shame, I'm going to two gp's next year and no reigning WDC to watch. Not a massive loss really. quite like Nico Rosberg, but would have been a bigger loss to racing if Lewis had resigned purely from a race watching point of view.

Hope they put someone in the car who can really challenge on the track, not a number 2 yes man. Let's face it, without Nico, the last three years would have been ste.

Ho hum.

I have never really rated Rosberg and thought Lewis would walk it since signing for Mercedes.

If Alonso or another top driver joins Mercedes in 2017 and Lewis wins the Championship then he can state he is the best driver on the grid.

Perhaps then the non fans and doubters will be less vocal.