Brought to you by TheJudge13 contributor Fortis
“I can still win title despite qualifying wows“. Those are the words of Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg but is the writing on the wall for the German?
After out qualifying teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2014, the German driver has found the Brit a much sterner opponent in 2015. He currently trails Hamilton 10-1 on Saturday afternoons, this is the largest gap amongst team mates on the grid.
Toto Wolff has suggested that Rosberg should turn his attention to try ‘getting half of the job done’ on a Saturday afternoon, as this would give him a better chance to add to his current tally of three wins this season, and cutting the gap to Lewis.
Rosberg however does not share his bosses sentiments and that improving his race craft remains his main focus for the remainder of the 2015 campaign as this will be more beneficial.
“Well if you look at the first half of the year, I only narrowly missed out. In Hungary there were even times where I was leading the championship. There was not much in it.
“So yes, for sure of course it would help to be in front more often than not, like last year, definitely but then last year sometimes I lacked a bit of race craft and lost out. This year if I keep on going strongly in that area then yeah, I can make it happen even if I am second most the time in qualifying.”
One of the biggest issues facing the cars this season is to overtake other cars, even those with a much greater speed advantage. This was no more evident than at Silverstone, when both Mercedes drivers found themselves stuck behind the Williams pair. Therefore surely this must mean that winning the Saturday battle gives the driver in front the upper hand both on track and with team strategy?
“I don’t particularly remember as good as year as this in qualifying. Belgium was an incredibly positive feeling to be able to perform the way I did,” he said, referring to his qualifying performance. I don’t think this year’s races have reflected my actual pace, or performance between qualifying and my pole positions so I need to convert more poles to wins. That’s my goal now.”
“could we see Rosberg doing the same” to date Rosberg has only put three consecutive race wins together and one of those was a gift, so if we do the math what do you reckon?
Actually he has only won back to back races once, Spain and Monaco.
Is winning races back to back so important? Vettel won consecutively for the first time at the same race he won the championship. Of course, he could have easily won 4 if his engine didn’t blow up in Korea… but things happen.
Well given that he’s in the best car on the grid and the likelihood that the fight for the win will be between him and his team-mate each weekend, yes it is important. And as we saw last season, that’s exactly what won Lewis the championship.
Mathematically – everyone down to 9th ( Grosjean) still has a chance to win the WC.
Has Nico not the capacity to focus on both? Does focusing on “race craft” preclude his focus on “qualifying pace”. I find it all a bit disingenuous. Gone are the days of violently different set-ups between Quali and Race.
In fact, the set-ups between Wet and Dry are barely different nowadays save for a click or two in stiffness combined with a more palatable engine map on exit, a bit more engine braking on entry and maybe a diff adjustment in car at mid corner for the slow stuff.
You want to be WDC, Nico? Get faster in qualifying and race better.
Nico could do with watching this little item
https://youtu.be/g7DRKG1zx2g
That is three laps of a driver just having fun and showing what race craft is and also shows that drs,show tyres and fake green credentials are not needed in our sport…just give the drivers the right drivable tools and you have a show.
Just as a side note..I enjoyed watching this more than some of this year’s events 😱
Nico, you winning the title? and if you do how than can Lauda justify his chose and spending to the Mercedes board? you winning the title can only happen by a miracle.
Up to FP2 in SPA Nico was fastest of all, regardless of tyre blow-out and all setbacks, from that point onwards his WO6 had suspension parts and camber changed to well within FIA rules and car set-up and balance likings were taken out of Nicio’s hands, and that was the point when his race was lost.
There are no points for being fastest in any practice session or qualifying. I suggest you look up the Jarno Truilli and his train, the man who singlehandedly almost ruined F1 as a spectacle when he drove for Toyota.
How do you know Rosberg’s car was altered for the worse after P2?
“Nico, you winning the title? and if you do how than can Lauda justify his chose and spending to the Mercedes board? “…..
I take it that you’re talking about what they’re paying Lewis, well I think the fact that he’s the current WDC and on course for a possible repeat, puts that argument to bed.
Theoretically, it is possible.
Probabilistically, it is unlikely.
In reality, it won’t happen.
For the sake of variety I don’t mind being proven wrong, but Hamilton has never been faster or more consistent.
He’s also never had such a dominate car that doesn’t break every other race.
It’s the car. At least 80%.
Sounds like he’s given up already – ” I can make it happen even if I am second most the time in qualifying.”
Looks like even he himself can’t see him qualifying above lewis many times this season…
It would be interesting to see a detailed analysis of this season vs last season to see if Nico is right that focussing on the race is working better for him.
Granted last season he was ahead of Lewis for part of the season but also Lewis had a few mistakes and bits of bad luck.
To me, it was a bit pointless last year Nico outqualifying Lewis as he didn’t have the car in the race to defend. Maybe he’s gone too far the other way but then also they have more competition this year than last. If he fell behind Lewis last year he usually finished second. This year he could easily be third, fourth, fifth…
What he does need is to find a better balance between the two and maybe get 8 or 10 poles in the season and take the fight to Lewis in the race. He has seemed more racy this year than last and has actually seemed on the odd occasion to have the better race pace. However when you can’t overtake even a slow car never mind your team-mate that isn’t a lot of use of in itself.
Should, could, won’t