Rosberg wins as car trouble frustrates Hamilton

2016 European Grand Prix summary

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Nico Rosberg took a lights-to-flag victory in the European Grand Prix to increase his championship lead.

He was followed home by Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez, the latter taking his second podium finish in the last three races.

Perez was already on course for a podium after Kimi Raikkonen was handed a five-second time penalty for cutting the pit lane entry line, but he passed the Ferrari driver anyway on the final lap.

Raikkonen lost time due to a problem with his power unit settings which Ferrari were unable to assist him with. Lewis Hamilton found himself in the same situation and crossed the line a frustrated fifth.

Valtteri Bottas took sixth ahead of the two Red Bulls. Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen both made an extra, second visit to the pits.

The top ten was completed by Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa.

2016 European Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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35 comments on “Rosberg wins as car trouble frustrates Hamilton”

  1. Niki Lauda after race: Both cars had same problem but Ros FIXED/Found it quicker then Ham. Hhahahahaha

    1. pastaman (@)
      20th June 2016, 12:56

      @dex022 Yes, because ROS’s settings were changed during the race so all he had to do was switch back. HAM’s settings were set before the race began so he did not know which settings to go to. I’m actually MORE impressed that HAM was able to figure it out. So hahahahaha to your attempt to disparage.

      I’m really not even much of a HAM fan either, but I couldn’t help but point out the irony in your comment laughing at someone’s “stupidity”.

      1. sunny stivala
        21st June 2016, 7:53

        there are/was actually two versions being pushed out of what happened, the totonator version (Nico managed to fix it in one half lap, while it took Lulu 12 laps to fix it) and Lulu’s version (I didn’t do anything, it just fixed itself).

  2. Deserved win for Rosberg. Hamilton’s over-confidence/arrogance cost him hugely this weekend.

    1. I don’t see any logic in this comment. Blind f1 fans.

      1. Hamilton’s comments before the weekend started included:
        * Slagging off new street circuits as not being challenging
        * Slagging off other drivers not having “big balls” as opposed to his royal Lewisness
        * Slagging off anyone who used the “waste of time” simulator to learn a track

        and in previous times
        * Slagging off the whole notion of drivers who “needed” to get help from the engineer over the radio

        Followed by:
        * Making a balls of every session in qualifying under pressure.
        * Binning the car in the wall due to missing the apexes
        * Whinging because he needed help from his engineer that his engineer isn’t allowed to give him anymore.

        So while I’d normally give a driver the benefit of the doubt about fans being blind, in this case… the guy asked for it. Karma.

        1. Hamilton’s comments before the weekend started included:
          *1. Slagging off new street circuits as not being challenging
          *2. Slagging off other drivers not having “big balls” as opposed to his royal Lewisness
          *3. Slagging off anyone who used the “waste of time” simulator to learn a track

          and in previous times
          *7. Slagging off the whole notion of drivers who “needed” to get help from the engineer over the radio

          Followed by:
          * 4.Making a balls of every session in qualifying under pressure.
          * 5.Binning the car in the wall due to missing the apexes
          *6. Whinging because he needed help from his engineer that his engineer isn’t allowed to give him anymore.

          So while I’d normally give a driver the benefit of the doubt about fans being blind, in this case… the guy asked for it. Karma.

          1. Lewis did not say that. Check his interviews.
          2. Jenson’s comments were the worst. Lewis was saying that every driver wants it easier and it takes all the life. It does not mean Lewisness and that word is pathetic.
          3. Does a driver like Lewis need a simulator? He was not the only driver to do little laps on the circuit before this event. Lewis has been like this for a long time so what’s the point? And it’s only 1 race and a new track.
          4. Under pressure? He just didn’t get into a rhythm. Being under pressure and getting into a rhythm are 2 different things.
          5. His fault for not getting into a rhythm.
          6. Whinging? Did you see Kimi as well? Easy to memorize everything in your steering wheel right? He was trying every single solution and that’s not whinging. The closest example of whinging is probably Verstappen in Australia but that’s not whinging.
          7. Questionable because there are some situations like today where it can get a little bit close to the limit.

          1. Hamilton himself said it was his worse qualifying ever, so why the defensiveness about justified criticism? Issues that can be safely filed under ‘attitude’ I think, given the car was fine and practice had gone so well. In the end, just a bad couple of days at work, but he definitely needs to recalibrate. Maybe he thought almost catching up Rosberg last weekend confirmed it was going to be another easy ride to the championship, and relaxed?

          2. “Deserved win for Rosberg. Hamilton’s over-confidence/arrogance cost him hugely this weekend.”

            Except it didn’t though did it. What cost him was a setup change between practice and qualy that he ended up overdriving the car to try and compensate for and a further race day setup issue that gave him a significant performance penalty for most of the race.

            Nothing Hamilton said or (as seems to be more appropriate to commentators here) has been claimed to have said, had any bearing on his performance.

            “Hairs’s list sums up all the issues nicely.”

            Hair’s list is mostly biased and easily refuted (see krichelle above)

            “Hamilton complained about not finding a rhythm on the new track – precisely where a simulator might have helped.”

            Yes because simulators are also time machines. He had no problem with rhythm during practice so there is no logic in suggesting simulator usage (which would have happened before practice) would have any bearing.

            “On the other hand Rosberg’s steady progress allowed him to catch up with Hamilton by qualifying time”

            Rosberg was 3-4 tenths down on Hamilton during sector one. Qualy didnt seem so much Rosberg catching up as Hamilton dropping below Rosbergs level.

            “arrogant”

            Show me anywhere from the weekend where Hamilton was actually arrogant

      2. I’m a Ham fan, but this weekend was seriously unimpressive. Hairs’s list sums up all the issues nicely. After messing up qualifying, Hamilton complained about not finding a rhythm on the new track – precisely where a simulator might have helped. On the other hand Rosberg’s steady progress allowed him to catch up with Hamilton by qualifying time and ensured he didn’t put himself under pressure and mess-up. I’ll always prefer the style of a Hamilton or Verstappen, but I think credit is due to Rosberg this weekend, and Hamilton needs to watch what he says. He’s not always so arrogant and has mellowed over the years, but when it surfaces, it almost always ends badly for him. Karma or his own subconscious, who knows. One thing is that it definitely motivates his rivals.

        1. Considering he’s killing it in FP1, FP2, FP3, and posting fastest lap once the engine problem gone I don’t think doing simulator will help his case. Sometimes you just can’t get into the rhythm and doing mistakes on something you normally do easily. His qualifying form is really bad but saying it’s because he’s arrogant/not doing sim or track walk/saying something you don’t like to media is ridiculous.

          1. Doing runs in the simulator would have allowed him to practice the failsafe mode settings for the engine though…

          2. Always amazes me how much more the armchair or sim racers know what to Donald are able to immediately identify what a 3 time champ and the guy with most wins did wrong on his weekend off?

            For goodness sake children get off your play stations and go race something in the real world! Anything but to comment without such is just ridiculous.

            Particularly as we seem to be watching the merc managed F1 championship!

            When did NR win anything where he did not start in pole in the fastest car?

          3. Drg says it all really.

    2. Not a Ham fan at all, but seriously what are people thinking here when they bag him. Yeah, he didn’t walk the track or use the simulator. If qualifying was held in P1, I could support those comments, but it isn’t. It is held after P3. After Hamilton has done 70 odd laps of the circuit. Oh and 70 odd laps where he is fastest for most of it.

      Seriously guys, be objective. It just doesn’t make sense that he performed badly because he didn’t use the simulator or walk the track. He performed badly because it was a bad weekend for him when it mattered. It happens some times.

      Look, I like to see Hamilton lose like the next man, but I am objective about the facts. For the same reason, I don’t buy into the Verstappen is the best in the world crap that is going on right now. The facts show he is just another upcoming talent. Might be good like Pastor Maldonado or was seen as. Might be bad, Like Pastor Maldonado was seen as. Only time will tell.

  3. Thankfully, the Seagulls declared peace with Sebastian, allowing him to finish second.

    Nice drive Sergio!

    1. I heard from Sebastian that Grosjean hit a bird this weekend?

  4. In the simulator, Are you able to learn and practice the car settings in case there is any problem during the race??

    1. I doubt it, considering there are a million and one different situations that could arise. It’s impossible to prepare for these eventualities.

    2. Fernando Deutsch
      19th June 2016, 17:16

      I think it will definetly would help. It was just a matter of follow a procedure on steering wheel settings depending on the situation.

  5. Not a thriller…not bad for a sunday morning… well we fans are disappointed with the lack of the safety car … good job by the drivers. I just like the scenic setting of the city. Loved watching the cars roll along there.

    Sergio Perez was the driver of the day…..He is maturing and evolving as a good driver. He is leaving Nico Hulkenberg far away in the shadows. I hope he gets a top team drive which obviously has to be a Ferrari, just for the sake of making Ron Dennis look bad and Whitmarsh look good.

    he is as good as Jenson button in Nursing the tires and getting good lap times out of it.

  6. Did ROS also get the grand slam ??

    1. Yes, He did.

  7. Dear Ferrari, please replace your strategy manager with Vettel…

    1. Can’t believe they decided to focus on Ricciardo when Perez was flying behind Kimi. Ricciardo was nowhere in the race. RB dropped like a stone.

      Great call from Vettel and a great weekend for him. Not a foot wrong.

    2. +1 , Vettel get it right this time. Congrats to Checo… Way to go and for Rosberg for taking back the large margin.

    3. @ruliemaulana

      Can the strategy manager drive?

      1. @mike for sure. Driver assisting the team during race are not violating radio restriction.

    4. In the end it made sense too. After all it’s the driver who can best judge how much there is left of the tyre. Great call from Vettel to stay out.

  8. Mercedes provided the drivers with a User’s Manual. Nico studied it for days, Hamilton went to a fashion show with Justin Bieber and Jay-Z.

    1. Lol … I completely agree. I guess that is what most probably would have happened.

      “King Lewis is not a fan mortal stuff like reading and understanding the User manual “

    2. To be quite honest Gary, made I laugh mate….

      By the way, I do believe Lewis is the real deal whatever his flaws…

      1. Same here, had a laugh.

  9. Thanks Mercedes for the most terrible race ive ever seen

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