Anthony Davidson's analysis is well worth a watch.

Rosberg's car was harvesting whilst going round turn 3, hence the large speed difference.

He was fiddling with the steering wheel making an adjustment to get into the right engine mode, as he'd got the wrong one off the start, hence the aforementioned speed difference.

Hamilton's front wheel clearly alongside Rosberg's.

We await the stewards' decision.

 

Which is that it was a racing incident.

I'm puzzled by one thing - if Rosberg was in the wrong engine mode, how was he able to go around the outside of Hamilton? And he slowed when his car went into "harvest" mode at a point when it shouldn't. Was he in the correct mode at the start and then inadvertently selected the wrong mode once he had taken the lead? Regardless of that, Rosberg started to move to the right (which he had every right to do, in order to protect his position) before Hamilton started to pass - i.e. at the point that Rosberg started to defend, no part of Hamilton's car was alongside, leaving Hamilton driving into a disappearing gap.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other.

The result was a fascinating race, and a winner who will get headlines around the world, for all the right reasons. Red Bull have had rather a lot of publicity this week, haven't they?

 

There's been a few comments about Rosbergs car "derating" and lost electric power (hence the flashing rear light mid corner)
That caused his car to come up on Hamilton faster than they both anticipated
Rosberg tried to close it down, Hamilton went for an opportunity
IME Rosberg should not have made the move, he knew he had an issue and knew Hamilton was on his rear quarter.
Shame for both of them
Great for Verstappen and all us watching

 

Hamilton was entitled to space.

In the real world, the speed they are doing, looking for an apex whilst also watching a car darting around behind you is near impossible to manage in that situation.

If I was Rosberg I'd be think that I don't need the points and left the decision woth Hamilton whether to crash or not. Which is what happened.

No way F1 but I had someone turn into me into a corner last weekend, and I had a wheel along side his car. A trip to the Steward post race and he was ready to chuck the book at him for it. You must give space.

 

Rosberg benefited from the tow down the straight and the better braking grip on the outside of the circuit into turn 1, that's why he got past. At that point, he still had full power available.

Anthony Davidson's analysis showed that Rosberg was in the wrong mode at the start of the race (from the dial positions and the changes Rosberg was making to fix it as he went round turn 3). This mode meant that he lost 180bhp (IIRC) or so at the start of turn 3 and explains the 17kph speed difference between the two of them.

Her's the explanation, well worth a watch: http://www.skysports...-crash-analysed

Mercedes explanations here, also worth a read. http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/124...anish-gp-crash

 

As I said earlier in this thread, accidents, crashes are what people want to see in motor sport, it gives the spice. This race was as dull as every other Spanish GP for the last 30 years I been watching F1, the circuit is crap and impossible (almost) to overtake, take out the first lap incident on this GP and what have you got, a procession that's what, I watch week after week hoping for some racing, and week after week it's boring.

Rosberg was 100% in the wrong, had I been a steward I would have had him at fault for causing a collision, had I been a Mercedes team boss I would have his card marked because he is out of contract next year and I would be reminding him of such, Rosberg has history of this kind of thing!

 

I'd blame Rosberg as he continued to close the gap as Hamilton came alongside thus causing the collision. And the fact his car was fooked up and he still blocked is not excusable. If he knew that he should have known Hamilton would fly by at speed.

Poor sportsmanship imo

 

You're going to hate Monaco even more then. Do please let us know once again how much you hate Formula 1 racing, and how you wish that you could somehow avoid having to watch it.

Rosberg was leading, notwithstanding his slightly reduced pace, and was fully entitled to make one move to protect his position. It just so happened that Hamilton was aiming for a rapidly reducing gap.

As I said, six of one and half a dozen of another. Which the Stewards (who do, incidentally, understand motor racing, unlike some, and are provided with film footage and telemetry data not available to the event broadcasters) agreed with. A racing incident.

 

From Jonathan Noble:

Formula 1 race stewards labelled the Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton Spanish Grand Prix crash a 'racing incident' after deciding that neither had done anything especially wrong.

In a lengthy explanation issued after deciding that no action should be taken, the stewards explained that Rosberg had been well within his rights to close the door on Hamilton after realising he was in the wrong engine mode.

And although Hamilton had been able to get his front wing just alongside Rosberg's right rear wheel, it was not enough for him to stake claim to that portion of the track.

Situations like this are governed by Article 27.7 of F1's Sporting Regulations.

It states: "Any driver defending his position on a straight, and before any braking area, may use the full width of the track during his first move, provided no significant portion of the car attempting to pass is alongside his.

"Whilst defending in this way the driver may not leave the track without justifiable reason. For the avoidance of doubt, if any part of the front wing of the car attempting to pass is alongside the rear wheel of the car in front this will be deemed to be a 'significant portion'.

Here is what the FIA statement regarding the Hamilton/Rosberg incident said.

The FIA statement in full

The incident concerned started when Car 6 dropped into an incorrect power mode, as set by the driver prior to the start.

This created a significant power differential between Car 6 and Car 44 at the exit of Turn 3 coming onto the straight, resulting in as much as a 17kph speed difference between the two cars on the straight.

Car 6 moved to the right to defend his position, as is his right under Art 27.7 of the Sporting regulations. Simultaneously Car 44 as the significantly faster car with, at that time, apparent space on the inside, moved to make the pass. Art 27.7 requires the leading driver to leave room, if there is a "significant portion" of the car attempting to pass alongside.

Car 44 had a portion of his front wing inside Car 6 small fractions of a second prior to Car 44 having to leave the right side of the track to avoid an initial collision, which may have led him to believe he had the right to space on the right. Once on the grass on the side of the track Car 44 was no longer in control of the situation.

Having heard extensively from both drivers and from the team, the Stewards determined that Car 6 had the right to make the manoeuvre that he did and that Car 44's attempt to overtake was reasonable, and that the convergence of events led neither driver to be wholly or predominantly at fault, and therefore take no further action.

 

Sounds like a cop out to me.