PlatinumZealot wrote:Phil wrote:Heart or mind? My heart sais Hamilton, but truthfully, Rosberg has surprised - not only in 2014, but already in 2013. In 2014 what surprised me the most, was the kind of edge Rosberg seemed to have, especially in the dry. And that's not only on tracks that favoured Rosberg, but also tracks where I previously thought that Hamilton looked 'untouchable'. So... I really don't know. :S
I take it that Hamilton is very naturally gifted, but Rosbergs analytical approach to every single race can't be underestimated. He might have struggled in the race due to him being harder on tyres and fuel, but qualifying is still pretty much a test on getting the maximum out of one single lap. Hamilton might have been under pressure many times, also due to him being far behind in the WDC race, but he's also made quite a few mistakes in QF. I don't doubt for a second that Hamilton has the ability to stick it in front of his team-mate in every single QF, but if he will or not... well, that's rather dependant on how well he keeps it together, how focused he is and how comfortable he is in the car. I think Hamilton tends to fluctuate more vs. Rosberg, who is a driver with a very methodical approach. I think the latter will be more consistent.
I really don't know. Perhaps being Hamilton biased, I'm trying to keep my expectations in check by saying Rosberg...
I agree that Rosberg is more metronomic in qualifying. But why can't he translate to to the race? With that brain of his one would think he knows all the right calculations to drive the car fast over more than one lap.
Because the qualifying and racing have very different demands to a driver. We don't have refueling anymore. Now, today, we have a full fuel load which adds significant weight that influences tyre temperatures, tyre wear and how the car drives and needs to be driven (because car under full load is very different to drive than a half empty one). Further, we have tyres that have been explicitly created to present an additional challenge.
A driver is so much more than a binary switch that either reads "better" or "worse". Every driver has different abilities, some better than others and a certain way of how they drive. On top of that, you have the mental or psychological aspect. Now as noted above; a car during qualifiying is probably quite a bit different to drive, than one during the race when it is fully tanked and is on tyres that have to last for the duration of the stint. You think Rosberg simply sets his car up for qualifying? No - I think he is
that good. But his ability during qualifying masks his "inability" (compared to Hamilton at least) to save fuel or make the tyres last better during the race. Inability is probably the wrong word here, as he is probably very good at it - it's just that Hamilton in 2014 obviously was better, which gave him the edge in racing. So why is Rosberg, despite being a very methodical driver, worse at keeping the tyres alive or conserving fuel? Maybe it's just that Hamiltons driving style is slightly better suited to the demands of racing with these tyres under these fuel loads. Or because, as is often noted, that Hamiltons natural ability to cope with interchanging conditions (a track is an evolving entity, just as are degrading tyres, or a car that is losing weight as it burns of fuel) where as Rosberg is more accustomed to a more calculated approach in which he takes longer to adjust?
I get it that Hamilton fans are irked by the idea that Rosberg might just be 'quicker' during QF. I'm one of them too. But then, as I noted in my last post, I think Hamilton also suffers a bit from more erratic driving. He has the ability to put a lap together that is mesmerizing when he pulls it off, but perhaps 7 times out of 10, he might overcook a corner or push too hard. We rarely saw this happening because quite francly, while he was at McLaren, he had a team-mate who isn't really in the same league where qualifying is concerned (no offense to Button, who on the other hand is brilliant during races). Now, he does. And personally, I think Vettel might be the other really good qualifyer out there - even though he is hard to judge because Webber wasn't always at his best. But some of Sebs qualifying laps (like Hamilton at times shows) were simply breathtaking and on the limit. Later onboards often revealed how perfect he hit the apexes and edges of the track to a point it was hard to believe he could have gotten more out the car. That was Vettel in that EBD car of course. 2014 was a different story, but clearly, not every driver copes with a changing Formula the same. Just look at Schumacher who struggled (or took time to adapt) to cars vs. the cars he used to dominate in.
Back to Rosberg; yes I really think he is that good. And I don't think it's something that Rosberg is setting up for. Even if it is; I think the slight set-up difference might be minimal. Thinking back to 2014; the qualifying where Hamilton lost out to Rosberg, were sometimes down to Hamilton himself. Silverstone he simply lost it when he aborted his last attempt. Austria - he should have been on pole, easily - but overcooked the last corner and had his lap disqualified. On his second attempt, he wasn't as good as on his first, and then he locked his rears and completely lost it. Then in another one (Hungary), his car was on fire where he usually is mighty. Add these all up where he potentially could have been on pole and the head-to-head between Rosberg and Hamilton is extremely narrow, which I think just shows how close it really is between them.
One thing I do add though; I've always maintained the thought that a quick and easy/predictable car narrows the gap between good and better drivers. Given how good that Mercedes is, I wouldn't be surprised if that is also one of the reasons why that gap between Lewis and Rosberg is that small. Because essentially, both are closer to the limit of what the car can do. Add difficult conditions like rain, or perhaps by placing them in a car that is more erratic or difficult to drive and the difference between "good" and "better" increases. I wouldn't be surprised if you placed both Hamilton and Rosberg into a very difficult car that one might outshine the other to a larger degree than what they showed in 2014 in a car that is clearly on rails.
