Video: F1 collision that has Hamilton fuming about team-mate Rosberg
Mercedes threatened to review their policy of allowing their drivers to race each other freely after Formula One leader Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.
"Unfortunately, yes," Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff told reporters when asked whether the dominant team might change their tactics.
"Today that philosophy has ended in Mercedes losing many valuable points and we don’t want to end up in Abu Dhabi, with a season where we lost the championship, be it constructors’ or drivers’, because we were too much race fans."
It has been accepted that it is in the interests of the sport to provide exciting races and to avoid the sort of processions seen in the past when one team is dominant.
However, they have been shaken by Red Bull winning the last two races and looking more competitive than expected at a long and fast track that should have favoured the Mercedes hybrid power unit.
Hamilton (L) and Rosberg collide at the Spa-Francorchamps ciruit. Photo: AFP
Sunday's collision, with Hamilton retiring with a damaged car and Rosberg finishing second to take his overall lead to 29 points with seven races remaining, left Mercedes fighting fires on two fronts.
Hamilton rejected on Sunday a suggestion that they were always an accident waiting to happen, emphasising that it was an avoidable collision and they had plenty of experience, but Mercedes have certainly been bracing for it.
At Spa, with Rosberg's front wing slicing Hamilton's rear tyre as they battled for the lead on lap two, the moment arrived.
INCENDIARY
Mercedes have had so many clear-the-air meetings already this season they could almost add them to their regular weekend programme and there will be a few more to come after Hamilton accused Rosberg of hitting him deliberately.
"We just had a meeting about it and he basically said he did it on purpose," the Briton told reporters.
"He said he could have avoided it but said ‘I did it to prove a point’"
Photo: Reuters
Hamilton, in comments immediately after the race, doubted that Rosberg would receive any real sanction but that could also force their hand.
Wolff indicated in response that Rosberg could not expect to get off lightly.
"If Lewis has said that it’s going to be a slap on the wrist, and that there’s going to be no consequence, then he’s not aware of what consequences we can implement," he said. - Reuters
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