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The race stewards, including former F1 driver Derek Warwick, looked into whether German Rosberg’s mistake in the dying moments of qualifying was in fact deliberate.<\/p>\nLewis Hamilton has declared Senna-like war, as his relationship with teammate Nico Rosberg breaks down spectacularly in Monaco.<\/p>\n
The race stewards, including former F1 driver Derek Warwick, looked into whether German Rosberg’s mistake in the dying moments of qualifying was in fact deliberate.<\/p>\n
They declared there was “no evidence” Rosberg committed “any offence”.<\/p>\n
But while the stewards deliberated for hours, the controversy filled the air in the otherwise festive Principality, on the eve of the 2014 Monaco grand prix.<\/p>\n
Hamilton stopped short of stating clearly that he believes Rosberg made the move on purpose to keep pole.\u00a0 But he came close.<\/p>\n
“I was on target,” said the Briton.\u00a0 “I should have known that was going to happen.”<\/p>\n
As for Rosberg saying sorry, Hamilton added: “Why would be apologise?\u00a0 He is on pole.”<\/p>\n
Beyond their fracturing relationship, the incident on Saturday split the F1 paddock.\u00a0 And as ever at the pinnacle of motor sport, conspiracy theories are rarely in short supply.<\/p>\n
“I have to disappoint,” said Rosberg.\u00a0 “The data is clear, as the stewards have also confirmed.”<\/p>\n
He argues it was a simple brake lock-up that caused him to go into the run-off zone and then reverse out.<\/p>\n
But many believe the incident was, at best, odd.\u00a0 Gerhard Berger is quoted by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport: “If it was intentional, then he did a very good job.”<\/p>\n
Another ex F1 driver in Monaco, Jean Alesi, added: “Nico is a correct driver.\u00a0 He would do no such thing.”<\/p>\n
Predictably, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff agrees with that assessment.<\/p>\n
“I can guarantee you 120,000 per cent that this was not done on purpose,” he is quoted by BFMTV.<\/p>\n
But even some of Rosberg’s track rivals are suspicious.<\/p>\n
“It was weird,” said Felipe Massa, who in 2006 was Michael Schumacher’s teammate when the seven time world champion was caught out pretending to make a mistake in Monaco qualifying.<\/p>\n
“My sense is that it was strange,” Massa, now at Williams, admitted to Brazil’s Totalrace.\u00a0 “I feel like I’ve seen this movie before.”<\/p>\n
But Niki Lauda, the Mercedes team chairman, said Hamilton should have more faith in his childhood rival, friend and teammate.<\/p>\n
“If Lewis says that it was intentional, that would be very unfair — but I don’t think he will (say that),” the F1 legend told Sport Bild.<\/p>\n
However, in the duel for motor racing’s biggest prize, others believe foul play cannot be ruled out, even though a major German newspaper last week questioned if Rosberg has the ‘killer instinct’.<\/p>\n
“Lewis started the mind games,” said former driver Alex Wurz.\u00a0 “This was Nico’s answer.”<\/p>\n
How the next chapter plays out is now eagerly anticipated.\u00a0 Many are drawing parallels with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost’s bitter battles more than two decades ago.<\/p>\n
Hamilton, an unashamed fan of the late Brazilian, is one of them.<\/p>\n
“I quite like the way Senna dealt with it,” he said on Saturday.\u00a0 Twice, in 1989 and again in 1990, the Senna-Prost rivalry resulted in on-track collisions, and Senna eventually admitted that at least one of them deliberate.<\/p>\n
“I think I’ll take a page out of Senna’s book,” Hamilton added.<\/p>\n
“Yes, it’s a bit like Senna and Prost,” he explained, referring to the inter-team battle at McLaren that ultimately broke down completely.\u00a0 “No, I won’t talk to him (Rosberg).”<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso lived through a similarly ill-fated, inter-team freeze with Hamilton in 2007.<\/p>\n
When asked about Saturday’s events, the Spaniard said: “I didn’t see it, but I was told about it.\u00a0 Probably they will have an eventful evening,” he smiled, according to Italy’s La Repubblica.<\/p>\n
In a few hours, Rosberg and Hamilton will take the battle down to the first corner at Ste Devote, but Wolff insists “There will be no crash”.<\/p>\n
But pole aside, it may be concluded that Rosberg won an even more important battle on Saturday — shattering the often-emotional Hamilton’s recent run of calm.<\/p>\n
“I spent my whole life as a professional racing driver trying to take emotion out of it,” Sir Jackie Stewart told the Daily Mail in Monaco.<\/p>\n
“You cannot afford to be happy or angry.\u00a0 The moment you do, you lose control.\u00a0 You have to be clear headed, cold and focused.<\/p>\n
“I am surprised Lewis reacted the way he did,” added Stewart.<\/p>\n
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