Formula One championship leader Nico Rosberg’s hopes of an eighth win in a row disappeared yesterday after a collision with Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, while Dutch teenager Max Verstappen became Formula One’s youngest race victor in a sensational Spanish Grand Prix.
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The incident brought the safety auto out on the track.
Nico Rosberg believes he was robbed of a certain victory following his sensational opening-lap collision with Lewis Hamilton in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.
When asked about Fernando Alonso’s recent claim that he nearly switched to Mercedes at the beginning of past year, Wolff answered: “Fernando explored his options and one of them was Mercedes”.
“I was targeting a podium but to win straight away is an unbelievable feeling”, said Verstappen, who had qualified fourth with Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo third.
The pair returned to the paddock on scooters and trudged up the stairs for a debrief with Mercedes team bosses, motorsport head Toto Wolff hot on their heels.
Both drivers were summoned to face the stewards after the race, but escaped without punishment.
Niki Lauda, Mercedes’ non-executive chairman, instantly apportioned blame to Hamilton describing the world champion’s actions as “too aggressive”.
“He’s a driver that deserves it and at least we have provided some narrative for the race weekend – we lost both Mercedes on lap one, it was an exciting race and a new star was born”. Hamilton then lost control over his Silver Arrow; he subsequently slid towards Rosberg’s vehicle and clipped his right wheel as both made contact. Both ended in the gravel bed.
A determined Hamilton was much faster through the fast Turn Three, as a result of Rosberg being in the wrong engine mode, and was closing quickly.
“But as I said, huge apologies to the team and I’ll do everything to make sure it doesn’t happen again”.
Rosberg was visibly frustrated in his post-race media sessions, a contrast to the calm demeanour displayed by Hamilton.
“I am upset and angry about it but I don’t think I will change the approach”.
When asked if he thought his father, Jos, a former Formula One driver himself, would be proud, Verstappen replied: “I think so”. We could have won the race.
“I think what matters more is how we come out of the incident as a team”, he said. “To not deliver for them.is a very painful experience for all of us”.
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Hamilton, the reigning world champion who has not won since he took his third title last October, said: “I don’t have any particular feelings at the moment”.
