Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Mercedes braced for team orders ruling after Hamilton/Rosberg clash

The Mercedes Formula 1 squad will wait until there have been fresh talks with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton this week before deciding whether to now impose team orders

With chiefs furious that the outfit lost victory at the Belgian Grand Prix when Rosberg and Hamilton clashed on lap two, there is a high chance that its policy of leaving the duo free to fight each other may change.

Niki Lauda, the team's non-executive chairman, feels Rosberg was to blame for what happened, and thinks Mercedes must respond in a way that prevents any repeat.

"It was completely unnecessary, but the real criticism I have is that it was on the second lap that they hit each other," he said.

"From what I've seen in the pictures Nico was at fault because Lewis was in the lead and he clipped his rear tyre with his front wing.

"But we can sort things out. People make mistakes and it's part of our lives, and we have to analyse it properly. We have to get Nico's opinion and then we have to correct this so it never happens again in that stupid way."

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff thinks it important that the emotions of the day calm down before a game plan is decided.

"I think it would be wrong 45 minutes after the end of the race to say 'this is what we're going to do'," he explained.

"I'm extremely upset about what's happened. But not about the fact that two cars have crashed into each other, I'm very upset because we've defined rules all together and we've broken those rules.

"And I feel let down. Whoever it would have been, Lewis or Nico, I feel let down and the team has been let down.

"This is why we really have to analyse properly how we can do it better.

"Obviously we have the tools to interfere. But this is not the right way. We have to sit them down, and for them to be part of the discussion about how to avoid this happening again."

When asked if imposing team orders from now on was likely, he said: "That's to be decided. If we really want to do that, it would be disappointing for all of us, but we need to get on top of the situation and we haven't figured out what that means.

"Lots of things we've discussed already, but within 60 minutes you don't come up with a clever strategy that's good enough."

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Hamilton says Rosberg trust may be gone after Belgian GP clash
Next article McLaren F1 team backs Magnussen's driving despite Spa penalty

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe