Nico Rosberg (left) has taken the hit and apologised for the clash with teammate Lewis Hamilton at Spa.
The Mercedes Formula One team disciplined Nico Rosberg yesterday after he accepted “responsibility” for a crash with teammate Lewis Hamilton at the Belgian Grand Prix, a statement said.
The action was announced after a clear-the-air encounter between the arch-rival teammates at the boardroom of the Mercedes racing headquarters in Brackley, near London. “During this meeting, Nico acknowledged his responsibility for the contact that occurred on lap two of the Belgian Grand Prix and apologised for this error of judgement,” said a statement. “Suitable disciplinary measures have been taken for the incident.”
Rosberg clipped Hamilton’s car on lap two of Sunday’s race. The Briton suffered a puncture which effectively ended his chances of winning. He retired before the end and is now 29 points behind Rosberg with seven races to go. Hamilton reacted with fury after the crash which took bitterness between the British and German drivers to a new peak. Team leaders Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe were at meeting with Hamilton and Rosberg.
Rosberg later issued a statement apologising to Hamilton. Aside from a team statement explaining the outcome of the meeting, Rosberg issued his own message to his fans.
“In the days since the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa, I have spent a lot of time thinking about what happened during the race and discussing it with the team,” he said. “I have already expressed my regret about the incident but, after meeting with Toto, Paddy and Lewis today, I wish to go a step further and describe it as an error of judgement on my part.
“The number one rule for us as teammates is that we must not collide but that is exactly what happened. For that error of judgement, I apologise to Lewis and the team. I also want to say sorry to the fans who were deprived of our battle for the lead in Belgium.
“Lewis and I have been given clear instructions about how we race each other. As drivers, we have a clear responsibility to the team, the fans of the sport, our partners and Mercedes-Benz to deliver clean racing. We take that responsibility very seriously. I look forward to concluding the season with hard, fair competition on and off track right up to the final lap of the season in Abu Dhabi.”
The International Automobile Federation has said however that it will not take measures against Rosberg. Mercedes did not say what action it has taken, but it did say both would remain in contention for the 2014 world title.
“Mercedes-Benz remains committed to hard, fair racing because this is the right way to win world championships. It is good for the team, for the fans and for Formula One,” said the statement.
“Lewis and Nico understand and accept the team’s number one rule: there must be no contact between the team’s cars on track. It has been made clear that another such incident will not be tolerated. But Nico and Lewis are our drivers and we believe in them. They remain free to race for the World Championship.”
After a team meeting at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the aftermath of their most explosive and controversial clash of a dramatic season, Hamilton said Rosberg had said he hit him ‘to prove a point’. “It looked quite clear to me, but we just had a meeting about it and he basically said he did it on purpose.”
Rosberg finished second in the race and was jeered by some fans when he was on the podium. Both drivers have said they face a difficult preparation for the next race, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 7.
We have both made mistakes, says Hamilton
Hamilton too admitted both he and Rosberg have made mistakes during their championship campaign, saying it would “be wrong to point fingers” following their collision at Spa-Francorchamps. Following several incidents this year, including engine mapping controversies in Bahrain and Spain, Rosberg’s Monaco qualifying lap and Hamilton disobeying team orders in Hungary, Hamilton admitted both drivers had made mistakes this year.
“Today we came together as a team and discussed our differences,” he said in a statement. “Nico and I accept that we have both made mistakes and I feel it would be wrong to point fingers and say which one is worse than the other. What’s important is how we rise as a team from these situations. We win and we lose together and, as a team, we will emerge stronger.
“There is a deep foundation that still exists for me and Nico to work from, in spite of our difficult times and differences. We have the greatest team, the strongest group of individuals who have worked their hands to the bone to give us the best car you see us racing today. It’s important that we never forget that and give them the results they deserve. Today, Toto and Paddy told us clearly how we must race against each other from now on in a fair and respectful manner.
“The fans want to see a clean fight until the end of the season and that’s what we want to give them. It’s going to be a tough road from here but championships have been won from much further back than I am now. And I promise you that I will be giving everything and more to win this for my team, for my family and for my fans.”
