F1 experts have accused Mercedes of mismanaging Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton’s dramatically imploding relationship.<\/p>\n
The German team said contrite championship leader Nico Rosberg has now apologised for his clash with Hamilton in Belgium and been disciplined.<\/p>\n
Britain’s Daily Mail claims the penalty is a six-digit financial sum, paid to charity.<\/p>\n
But Max Mosley, the former long-time FIA president, thinks Mercedes was wrong to so clearly point the finger of blame.<\/p>\n
“If they decided to fine or punish Rosberg they should not have announced it,” he said.\u00a0 “It’s as if the team are blaming him publicly.\u00a0 That’s not really right.”<\/p>\n
Former team owner and boss turned British television pundit Eddie Jordan agrees, saying the spotlight should not be on the warring protagonists.<\/p>\n
“I blame the team,” he is quoted by the Daily Star.\u00a0 “They are weak, rudderless.<\/p>\n
“They are being run by two drivers who are like spoilt kids doing what they want to do.”<\/p>\n
Former McLaren driver John Watson even likened chiefs Toto Wolff, Paddy Lowe and Niki Lauda to The Three Stooges and a “Looney Tunes” style of management.<\/p>\n
“Lewis and Rosberg are doing nothing different to what two highly competitive drivers have done in the past,” he told Express newspaper.<\/p>\n
“But the difference is management and having someone that commands respect like Ross Brawn who was in charge last year.<\/p>\n
“If you haven’t got somebody who commands respect you end up with the lunatics taking over the asylum which is the case here,” Watson added.<\/p>\n
After the crisis meeting at Brackley last Friday, Mercedes’ management of the situation continued in the form of a statement attributed to Hamilton posted on the 2008 world champion’s Facebook page.<\/p>\n
Referring to the Spa clash but probably also his own comments to the media afterwards, Hamilton was quoted as saying: “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.<\/p>\n
“There is a deep foundation that still exists for me and Nico to work from, in spite of our difficult times and differences.”<\/p>\n
At the Brackley meeting, it was reportedly resolved that Mercedes would continue to allow the drivers to race freely, albeit within the boundaries of ‘clean racing’.<\/p>\n
“It (not imposing team orders) was a difficult decision,” Wolff told Germany’s Bild.<\/p>\n
“But Nico and Lewis are our heroes.\u00a0 I hope and believe that they understand our requirements and our goals.<\/p>\n
“It is now up to them to deal with this responsibility,” he added.<\/p>\n
Lauda, meanwhile, admitted to Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper on Sunday that further fireworks can be expected, particularly as Hamilton “lost everything in Spa” and will be keen to “get back these points”.<\/p>\n
“We have to be careful,” he admitted.<\/p>\n
“But as long as they do not endanger the clearly defined objectives of Mercedes, they can go on as they like.<\/p>\n
“I understand Nico and Lewis very well as they both want to win races and be world champion.\u00a0 But they cannot put the entire project at risk,” Lauda insisted.<\/p>\n
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