Rosberg denies saying crash was deliberate
LONDON: Formula One pace-setter Nico Rosberg has denied admitting that he deliberately crashed into Lewis Hamilton after an incident which sent relations between the warring teammates to a new low.
In his video blog, Rosberg disputed Hamilton’s interpretation of his comments on the crash which punctured the Briton’s tyre and eventually ended his Belgian Grand Prix. “I’ve been told what Lewis said in the press and the way he has stated his version of the events,” Rosberg said in the blog, filmed in Hamburg. “All I can say is that my view of the events are very different.”
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has threatened punishment of Rosberg but also backed the German driver’s insistence that he did not deliberately cause the collision on lap two.
Hamilton said Rosberg told him he caused the crash “to prove a point”, and added that he was now not sure whether he could trust his team-mate.
Rosberg finished the race second behind Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, opening up a 29-point championship lead over Hamilton who retired with four laps to go.
The 29-year-old German, who was booed by some fans on the podium, said it was “definitely one of the more difficult video blogs today, the Spa race”.
He said he preferred to keep further comments within the team but suggested he would support the use of team orders, when drivers are told whether to overtake or stay back.
“As when such things occur, we must sit down and review them. That’s what we did,” Rosberg said. “Everybody gave his opinion and we now we need to move forward there will be another discussion for sure because we need to see if we will change our approach in the future, as we did in Hungary. We will do that.”
At the previous race in Hungary, Mercedes followed a team-orders policy but they were forced into a rethink after Hamilton ignored instructions to let Rosberg overtake.
The German team have led the way this season but they have also become increasingly troubled by the growing rift between their two drivers.
LEWIS MIGHT CONSIDER QUITTING MERCEDES WASHINGTON: Lewis Hamilton has reportedly threatened to quit Mercedes due to the clash that has been building all year between him and teammate Nico Rosberg, which reached its peak in the Belgian GP..
British media revealed that the 2008 world champion’s 17 million pounds-a-year contract with Mercedes expires at the end of next season and he has yet to agree new terms. However, Hamilton might now be reconsidering his options as Rosberg has already been confirmed for the next three years.