Thursday, July 14, 2016
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Cavendish outsprints Greipel to clinch Tour stage three
Mark Cavendish has joined Bernard Hinault in second on the all-time list of Tour de France stage winners. The British rider pipped Andre Greipel of Germany to take Monday’s third stage, his second success of the race.
Mark Cavendish has joined Bernard Hinault in second on the all-time
list of Tour de France stage winners. The British rider pipped Andre
Greipel of Germany to take Monday’s third stage, his second success of
the race.
Cavendish, who rides for Dimension Data and won on the opening day on
Saturday, claimed the 28thTour stage victory of his career after a
relatively pedestrian 223.5-kilometer ride from Granville to Angers that
burst into life on the final stretch.
“I’ve won by more, I’ve won by less,” Cavendish said.
“When I crossed the line, I kind of new I got it today but anything can happen. I wanted to be behind Greipel to launch my sprint. He took me by surprise but I’m happy I did it.”
Belgian great Eddy Merckx, like Hinault a five-time Tour champion, tops the list of stage wins in cycling’s most prestigious race with 34.
World Champion Peter Sagan of Slovakia (Tinkoff) retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey.
He leads France’s Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step) and Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) by eight and ten seconds respectively, with defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) of Britain in fifth, 14 seconds off the pace.
Completely open
“The Tour is still completely open and we have a lot of stages still ahead of us,” Sagan said.
“The first 200 kilometers today were really not much fun but on the final 20 it’s also about the risk,” he added. “You have to be at the front, think, watch out and the time goes much faster.”
Tuesday’s 237.5-km fourth stage, the longest of this year’s edition, takes the riders from Saumur to Limoges and will be another chance for the sprinters to shine before the race hits the mountains.
CREDIT TO:http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2016/07/05/cavendish-outsprints-greipel-to-clinch-tour-stage-three/Morton, Constable in Rio cycling team
Cycling sprinters Stephanie Morton and Pat Constable have won selection for the team sprint events at the Rio Olympics
Photo Source: AP
Dual Olympic cycling champion Anna Meares will be partnered by Stephanie Morton in the women's team sprint at the Rio Games.
Morton edged out Kaarle McCulloch to ride with Meares in the event when the bulk of Australia's cycling team was announced on Tuesday.
Morton will make her Olympic debut in Rio, as will rising star Pat Constable who will partner world no.1 Matt Glaetzer in the men's sprint.
Some 25 members of the Australia's cycling team for the Games were announced on Tuesday, with the appeals to soon be decided in the women's road team and the men's mountain bike components.
Meares will contest the team sprint and the keirin at her fourth Olympics in Rio.
"It's a really nice feeling to make it to my fourth Games," she said in a statement.
"I think I will be going to Rio in the best physical form I have ever been in my career and I'm ready to do my absolute best."
Constable, 21, was ecstatic to win selection for his first Olympics.
"It has all happened pretty quickly and I haven't put too much pressure on myself but I'm happy where I'm at and where I'm heading," he said.
London Olympian Annette Edmondson will lead the teams pursuit alongside Ashlee Ankudinoff, Melissa Hoskins, Amy Cure and Georgia Baker.
"The goal is to go there and win the gold in Rio and we won't be satisfied with anything less," Edmondson said.
Her brother Alex will join her in Rio after being named in the men's endurance team, lining up with Jack Bobridge, Glenn O'Shea and Games debutants Sam Welsford and Callum Scotson.
CREDIT TO:http://www.sportsfan.com.au/morton-constable-in-rio-cycling-team/tabid/91/newsid/202446/default.aspxLosers are bitter, moans Tour de France sprint king Cavendish
Angers (France) (AFP) - Losers are taking unnecessary risks because they're bitter towards the winners, sprint star Mark Cavendish has claimed.
The Manx Missile won his 28th stage at the Tour de France on Monday, claiming victory by a whisker from German Andre Greipel.
It put him second on the all-time stage win list alongside French great Bernard Hinault, and only behind Belgian legend Eddy Merckx, out front alone on 34 success.
But after discussing how sprint finishes were getting increasingly dangerous, the 31-year-old Brit pointed the finger at those who can't win.
"The difference between guys who win and those who lose is that the guys who win understand it," said the Team Dimension Data sprinter.
"They have respect for each other and are the first to congratulate them (for winning). But the guys who never win anything -- a lot of guys who don't win feel bitterness to the guys who win.
"Instead of appreciating it, they resent it and kind of take their frustrations out in that way (by taking risks)."
Safety has been an important watchword in the Tour this year with overall race leader Peter Sagan also hitting out at what he described as riders who "don't care about their life" and cause "stupid crashes".
- 'Great pressure' -
The safety row went some way to detracting from Cavendish's own fine achievements, having won two of the first three Tour stages this year.
Although his flow of victories has slowed in recent years, he remains one of the best sprinters in the world and he says he's enjoying his cycling more than ever.
He won 23 stages from 2008-2012 with HTC Highroad and then Sky, but he says he prefers the more laid back atmosphere at African team Dimension Data.
"I'm very fortunate in my career to have ridden for probably the biggest teams in cycling," said Cavendish.
"They were successful years, I had a lot of fun and made a lot of friends. I had a great time but obviously with the biggest teams and biggest funds comes great pressure.
"I'm lucky to have had great teams behind me to deliver but unless you're in this position, it's hard to know the stress I've had.
"From the moment I turned professional I was winning and I had pressure to win. Now it's something more than winning and more than being a moving billboard."
His African team are involved not only in trying to compete at the top of cycling but also in projects to promote the sport on their continent, including the Qhubeka 5000 challenge, a fundraising initiative aimed at buying bicycles for 5,000 African children.
"We ride for a cause, for a charity, it's something we really do care about," said Cavendish.
"It's 50% of what we do, along with 50% results."
Results obviously help with getting publicity, though.
"It really is more than a spiel, this is more than representing sponsors," said Cavendish.
"We have great sponsors... but we really ride for a cause -- we want to get 5,000 children on bicycles in Africa.
"There's no better way to do that than at the biggest bike race in the world, and even better: winning the biggest bike race in the world."
Tour de France: Cavendish sprints to photo finish win
ANGERS, France -- Wearing the yellow jersey, Peter Sagan considered stopping at a cafe.
Hardly pedaling, the overall leaders in the Tour de France spent most of Monday's third stage chatting to one another and riding at such a leisurely pace that they could have fit right in on a town bike path.
"It was a very relaxed day for us. We went slow. It was nice," said Sagan, who playfully bumped shoulders with some of the other riders just to keep things interesting. "I was thinking one moment we were going to take the coffee like old time."
The morning caffeine didn't kick in until the very end of the lengthy and mostly flat 223.5-kilometer (139-mile) leg from Granville to Angers.
That was when Mark Cavendish showed off his sprinting experience by edging German rival Andre Greipel in a photo finish.
Having also won Saturday's opening stage at Utah Beach, it was Cavendish's second victory in this Tour and 28th overall. The British rider with Team Dimension Data matched five-time Tour champion Bernard Hinault for second on the all-time list behind Eddy Merckx, who had a record 34 stage wins at the Tour.
"To even be mentioned in the same sentence as Bernard Hinault is something that I couldn't even have dreamed of," Cavendish said. "But I'm never going to compare myself to him."
On a very slightly uphill finish, Cavendish kept pedaling to the line while Greipel, who was ahead, put his head down a bit too early.
Neither rider knew who won immediately.
Greipel started celebrating, raising his left finger to the sky, but then quickly took it down. Cavendish clenched his fist briefly and then just fiddled with his bike computer until the victory was confirmed -- then started hugging his teammates.
"I normally know when I win or I lose. When I crossed the line, I kind of knew I got it today," Cavendish said. "But I was quite lucky to just get him."
On the winner's podium, Cavendish was greeted by the 61-year-old Hinault, now at his final Tour in an ambassador role.
Bryan Coquard of France crossed third, while Sagan was fourth.
"I just made one mistake, and it was a kind of reflex to go into the biggest gear," Greipel said. "If I had kept it in the gear I had, then I think I would have made it."
Sagan, the world champion from Slovakia who took the yellow jersey on Sunday, remained eight seconds ahead of Julian Alaphilippe of France and 10 seconds in front of Alejandro Valverde of Spain in the overall standings.
Defending champion Chris Froome moved up one spot to fourth, 14 seconds behind Sagan.
Cavendish clocked nearly six hours as the Tour moved out of the Normandy region over a southeasterly route that concluded in Angers, in the Anjou region of the Loire valley.
The stage began on the Normandy coast. Nicknamed "the Monaco of the north," Granville was built on a rock and is known for its casino.
Armindo Fonseca, a French rider with the Fortuneo-Vital Concept team, attacked at the opening flag and established a lead of more than 10 minutes at one point.
For much of the stage, the peloton rode at 33 kph (20 mph) -- well below the predicted time table, which was based on an average speed of 39-43 kph (24-27 mph).
"It was a rest day for everyone," Sagan said. "Just the last 20-30 kilometers were hard."
Taking advantage of the peloton's pace, French rider Thomas Voeckler attacked midway through the stage and quickly bridged the gap to join Fonseca in the lead.
The duo was caught by the main pack with eight kilometers (5 miles) to go.
Stage 4 Tuesday is the race's longest, a slightly more challenging 237.5 (148-mile) leg from Saumur to Limoges.
"If the stage is shorter we'll be faster," Sagan said. "Tomorrow will be a long day."
The first mountain stage comes in Stage 5 on Wednesday in the Massif Central.
CREDIT TO:http://www.dailydemocrat.com/general-news/20160704/tour-de-france-cavendish-sprints-to-photo-finish-winWhat now for Mercedes?
A second coming together between Mercedes’ drivers has left the
team in a difficult position heading to this weekend’s British Grand
Prix.
1. The drivers agree to play nice (there will have to be consequences if they don’t)
On Sunday in Austria, Mercedes were denied a one-two finish when contact between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg saw the German drop back to fourth in the standings while Hamilton was able to claim the race win.
The incident follows far too closely on from the drama in Spain in May when, having dominated throughout the build-up, the two Silver Arrows drivers collided on the first lap, with both drivers forced to retire.
Speaking after the race at the Red Bull Ring, team principal Toto Wolff called the contact “brainless” and conceded that team orders could now be a possibility.
“The only consequence is to look at all the options available on the table, and one option is to freeze the order of a certain stage in the race,” said the German.
“It’s unpopular, makes me puke myself because I like to see them race, but if the racing is not possible without contact, then that’s the consequence.”
It’s not only that Wolff detests team orders that is interesting in his last statement, but also that a mind shift has taken place. Wolff admitted that “racing is not possible without contact”, a fact that he did not believe to be true following the calamity in Spain.
He added: “In Barcelona I was much easier with it because we had 30 races without any collision, it was clear it was eventually going to happen, it wiped out both cars.
“From my naïve thinking I said to myself ‘Okay, that’s it, they’ve learned their lesson, they’ve seen the consequences and it’s not going to happen any more’. But here we go, it happens again.”
And Mercedes are right that it will happen again.
In Hamilton and Rosberg they have two fiercely competitive drivers who will not give an inch – no top driver worth his salt would. However, what adds further fuel to the flames is Rosberg’s desire to at last get one over Hamilton and win the World Championship he so desperately craves, proving along the way that he is on par with his childhood friend.
Both times the Mercedes have come together this season, it has followed a Rosberg error. In Spain, one could say that Hamilton was at fault, but in Austria it was Rosberg’s refusal to accept that his team-mate had piped him at the post that resulted in their collision.
So, Mercedes have two drivers who won’t yield – what now?
There appear to be only two options:
1. The drivers agree to play nice (there will have to be consequences if they don’t)
2. Team orders will come into play
One would imagine that it’s option one which the team will turn to first; it’s the best things for the team, the drivers, and the sport. But will it be successful?
It’s hard to conceive that the pair will risk treading on the toes of their superiors further at Silverstone this weekend, but when the red mist descends and in the heat of battle, anything is possible.
For Rosberg, there is so much more than just points at stake and that will always see the German react with a degree of emotion that may cause him to cross the line. If he does so again though, it may be the last time he has the chance.
Would team orders do the trick?
With Hamilton closing in on his team-mate at the stop of the standings (the gap is now just 11 points), Rosberg can no longer claim to be the team’s number one title challenger and so team orders are an even more complex quagmire than they would usually be.
Should the team decide to adopt team orders, will they do so on a race by race basis or will they back one of the charges to go all the way? Neither option is an appealing one.
Hamilton and Rosberg have conspired to put their own team in an unwanted position, and it’s up to the pair to come to their senses and start racing for the team and not just themselves. They owe that to all those who have helped provide them with a Championship-winning car.
CREDIT TO:http://www.foxsportsasia.com/motorsports/formula-1/news/detail/item399915/what-now-for-mercedes/Flames and Lames
Ott Tanak during Day Three of the WRC Poland. Photo / Getty Images
Flames
Jenson Button
Ok the Brit only
finished sixth in the Austrian Grand Prix but given where McLaren has
been this season his third place start on the grid for the race was
cause for major celebration. Button has struggled to crack the top 10 in
qualifying all season so to park the car on the second row - albeit in
part to a couple of faster cars getting penalties - is a big step in the
right direction for the struggling outfit. Button is off-contract at
the end of the season and there's plenty of speculation he will be
replaced but this performance will help ease the pressure on the former
world champion.
David Holder
Holder claimed his maiden New
Zealand Rally Championship at the weekend's one-day Rally Gisborne,
banking enough points to take an unassailable lead in the championship
with one round to go on the Coromandel. The result came out of the blue
as his nearest rivals ran into problems one after another. It took a
television crew to inform Holder's team that they were about to win the
championship before anyone knew they were about to achieve their
ultimate goal. The Bay of Plenty product has been mentored by WRC star
Hayden Paddon and is tipped for big things.
With Paddon blazing the trail internationally there could be opportunities for Holder to follow in coming years.
Ott Tanak
The
Estonian has long promised to be a future star of world rallying but to
this point has failed to live up to the hype. MSport Ford gave up on
him last year opting for WRC rookie Eric Camilli in their fulltime seat
this season but Tanak showcased the raw talent that had people tipping
him as a future world champion as he dominated the field for just shy of
three days at the weekend's WRC Rally Poland. He blew his competitors
away on the fast gravel roads of Poland and looked set for a break
through win until late on the final day.
Lames
Ott Tanak
For
the first time someone appears on both the flames and lames list. If
anyone ever needed proof that motorsport can be so cruel then Tanak's
second place finish at WRC Rally Poland over the weekend certainly
provided it. Having led the event from start to finish (well almost)
Tanak seemed certain of a maiden WRC win as he headed off for the final
two stages of the event with a nice buffer over second placed Andreas
Mikkelsen. But a puncture on the penultimate stage saw him lose valuable
time and drop behind the Norwegian and have to settle for second. With
tears streaming down his face the young Estonian couldn't speak to
reporters at the conclusion of the rally and was consoled by his
competitors after suffering such bad luck.
Mercedes F1
Less
than a week ago Lewis Hamilton proclaimed his relationship with teammate
and championship rival Nico Rosberg was "better than expected." It may
have taken a hit (excuse the pun) during the weekend's Austrian Grand
Prix with the two Mercedes drivers coming together yet again (third time
in five races) at the front of the field on the final lap. Hamilton
tried to pass around the outside and two drivers made enough contact for
Rosberg to fall to fourth while Hamilton managed to hang on for the win
and reduce the German's championship lead to just 11 points. Both
drivers blamed each other but the stewards took Hamilton's side issuing
Rosberg with a time penalty for causing a collision.
Sebastian Vettel
In
a season of costly incidents for the former world champion Monday's
Austrian Grand Prix was no less cruel to him. The Ferrari driver's rear
tyre exploded mid-race, within its expected life duration, and took him
out whilst in the lead of the race. Vettel has struggled to consistently
match the outright speed of the Mercedes this year and hasn't been able
to capitalize on the mistakes the German manufacturer and their drivers
have made this year because of the number of problems his own team has
faced.
CREDIT TO:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motorsport/news/article.cfm?c_id=66&objectid=11668968&ref=rss Lewis Hamilton thrilled with pole position at Austrian GP
Mercedes' Lewis HamiltonLEWIS Hamilton has vowed to seize the initiative at his "weakest" race of the year after claiming a dramatic pole position for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix.
A deluge of rain moments before the final phase of qualifying at the Red Bull Ring contributed to one of the most dramatic and unpredictable top-10 shoot-outs in recent years.
But the changeable conditions suited triple world champion Hamilton to a tee as he finished nearly half a second clear of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Championship leader Rosberg, a winner here in Spielberg in each of the previous two seasons, will be demoted to sixth after he was forced to change his gearbox following a dramatic crash in final practice.
LEWIS Hamilton has vowed to seize the initiative at his "weakest" race of the year after claiming a dramatic pole position for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix.
This track really doesn't suit my driving style 😐— Formula 1 (@F1) July 2, 2016
Pole position anyway for @LewisHamilton 😀#AustrianGP https://t.co/ce1SiSAYYu
A deluge of rain moments before the final phase of qualifying at the Red Bull Ring contributed to one of the most dramatic and unpredictable top-10 shoot-outs in recent years.
But the changeable conditions suited triple world champion Hamilton to a tee as he finished nearly half a second clear of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Championship leader Rosberg, a winner here in Spielberg in each of the previous two seasons, will be demoted to sixth after he was forced to change his gearbox following a dramatic crash in final practice.
Force India's Nico Hulkenberg will start alongside Hamilton on the front row while Jenson Button sealed a sensational third - his highest grid slot in nearly two years.
"Nico is very quick here and it feels like one of his strongest tracks and my weakest, so considering I am on pole I am super happy with that," said Hamilton.
"You want the team to be up there, but there is an opportunity, and I will try and do the best I can with it."
Hamilton trails Rosberg by 24 points, but he will be expected to dramatically reduce the gap to his team-mate ahead of next Sunday's British Grand Prix given their respective positions on the grid.
But a cautious Hamilton added: "I am only trying to think about my job. I want to get the best start because I have had some crap starts. That is where my mind is now and I don't care about anyone else.
"Just focus on your job and what will be will be. Whether they fall further back or progress, the most important thing is that I do my job.
"There is no point wishing or hoping someone else does something else. I want to win, and all my energy and 100 per cent of my thought process is on that."
Aside from Hamilton's heroics, much has been made of the new kerbing introduced at the recently resurfaced Red Bull Ring.
The theory is that it will deter drivers, who have been exceeding track limits in a bid to post a faster lap, but they have also contributed to a number of suspension failures this weekend.
Indeed Daniil Kvyat was the latest victim to fall foul of the so-called sausage kerbs, painted in yellow, after he crashed in qualifying.
Hamilton's Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed his team are in discussions with the FIA, the sport's governing body, amid concerns another issue could lead to a big accident.
"The kerbs are definitely causing failures one way or another," Hamilton added. "I agree with the direction the FIA have gone, but the problem is that a suspension failure turns the wheel in and sends you off in a different direction, sometimes aggressively."
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel will start from ninth after he too served a five-place grid drop for an unscheduled gearbox change. Kimi Raikkonen has been promoted to fourth with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo fifth.
Button's McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso starts only 14th while Britain's Jolyon Palmer will be 18th on the grid.
Palmer was later dealt a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow down sufficiently under yellow flag conditions. He will now start on the final row of the grid in 21st.
CREDIT TO:http://www.irishnews.com/sport/othersports/2016/07/02/news/lewis-hamilton-thrilled-with-pole-position-at-austrian-gp-588509/Feuding 'brainless' drivers Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg face suspensions, fines
Mercedes are trying to control their feuding drivers Lewis Hamilton, left, and Nico Rosberg. CHRIS WATTIE/REUTERSLewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg could be fined or even suspended by Mercedes if they crash again under drastic deterrents being considered by the world champions in a bid to avoid imposing team orders.
Hamilton will plead with Mercedes not to "rob" fans by forcing them to obey team orders in next Sunday's (Monday NZ time) British Grand Prix, with executives fearing they may have to unleash the nightmare scenario on Formula One to control their feuding drivers.
However, the alternative punishment, understood to be one of the options under consideration, could be even worse news for Hamilton. It is understood increasingly exasperated team bosses feel they have been left with no choice but to act firmly and decisively after Hamilton and Rosberg collided for the third time in five races in Austria on Sunday (Monday NZT).
DOMINIC EBENBICHLER/REUTERS
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton leads the pack.
This could include either a sporting penalty – the ultimate sanction being to take one or both drivers out of the car – or a financial one, a fine worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. How exactly the system would work when there is no clear culprit for a collision, which was not the case on Sunday with Rosberg penalised by the stewards, remains unclear.
Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes motorsport, was absolutely livid on Sunday night, and seemed at the end of his tether with his "brainless" drivers.
Team orders would be a PR disaster in front 140,000 British fans, reminiscent of the worst days of Ferrari in the early 2000s, which is likely to be why other more extreme alternatives are being considered.
The decision will be taken in the coming days, principally by Wolff along with Niki Lauda, the three-time champion and Mercedes chairman, and Paddy Lowe, the technical boss. Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Mercedes, will be kept in the loop but is expected to leave the decision itself to Wolff.
Hamilton was at pains not to put himself at odds with the team as he left Spielberg, but he will use all his powers of persuasion to try to stop Mercedes implementing team orders, something which is at odds with everything he stands for as a racing driver.
He is likely to feel especially aggrieved given the overwhelming consensus, and the verdict of the stewards, that Rosberg was the guilty party in their last-lap crash in Austria last Sunday, one which gave Hamilton victory.
"I didn't come into this to be in that situation [team orders], so I will pray and hope that's not the situation," the three-time champion said. "Firstly for myself because that would take the joy out of racing and second for the fans because it will rob the fans of what they pay so much for."
Many believe Hamilton would ignore team orders if they were imposed in the British Grand Prix on Sunday, including Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion.
But Hamilton was by no means categorical. While the 31-year-old said Mercedes employed him to race - on a deal worth £100 million over three years – he also indicated he would listen should the order come. There will be a clause in his contract which states he cannot go directly against the wishes of the team, but drivers have ignored direct orders before, most memorably Sebastian Vettel in Malaysia three years ago.
Hamilton added: "I've been in that position before [team orders] and it goes against all my racing values and rules and the foundation of what racing is about. But ultimately I race for this team and I do want the best for the team. I'm the three-time world champion and my job is to do what they say.
"I feel like I have the right to say my opinion regardless of the boss. You can talk to anyone on that level with respect so I would tell them, just like I'm talking to you, I would have an opinion that needs discussion whether that's with Dieter [Zetsche, the chairman of Mercedes] or they could have that respect."
Hamilton was critical of Wolff's description of the incident as "brainless", without the Austrian explicitly blaming one driver. The Englishman felt it was important the team projected themselves properly to their 1,300 employees back in Northamptonshire and the wider world.
Should Mercedes introduce team orders, against their policy of the last three years, Hamilton would have no choice but to qualify on pole position and make sure he gets away in the lead, unless he ignored the instruction. At least now after the result in Austria the gap in the drivers' championship is back down to just 11 points.
CRASHES:
Spain: Hamilton and Rosberg failed to even make it through four corners before they took each other out of in Barcelona. Rosberg defended aggressively, forcing his team-mate onto the grass. Hamilton lost control, hitting Rosberg and sending both out of the race. Verdict: too close to call
Canada: Heading into turn one, Hamilton and Rosberg were side by side. The German took the riskier move, heading for the outside, and Hamilton slid into his team-mate, banging wheels. Rosberg fell down the field. Verdict: racing incident
Austria: They made it to the final lap but heading towards turn two, Rosberg barely attempted turn in, spearing into the side of his team-mate. Hamilton won the race while Rosberg limped home fourth. The stewards punished the German. Verdict: 100 per cent Rosberg
CREDIT TO:http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/motorsport/81772307/feuding-brainless-drivers-lewis-hamilton-nico-rosberg-face-suspensions-finesWehrlein is a 'very special driver'
Toto Wolff was full of praise for Manor's Pascal Wehrlein after the Austrian Grand Prix where he finished the race in 10th place.
Pascal impressed in Saturday's qualifying session by placing his car 12th on the grid, his best qualifying result of his short Formula One career.
"For the first time in F1 he has really shown that he is a very special driver," Mercedes' Wolff said, according to the German news agency SID.
Wehrlein is part of the Mercedes programme and is tipped to be the driver to replace either Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg when a seat becomes available in the team.
CREDIT TO:http://www.f1today.net/en/news/f1/213915/wehrlein-is-a-very-special-driverWolff: Rosberg will stay
Spielberg: Nico Rosberg has been assured that his ongoing contract negotiations with Formula One champions Mercedes will not be affected by Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix collision with teammate Lewis Hamilton.
“The contract is a long-term decision and isn’t influenced by a race incident. Rosberg will stay” team boss Toto Wolff told reporters at the Red Bull Ring.
An exasperated Wolff, who has a 30 per cent stake in the team as well as being Mercedes motorsport director, had earlier slammed the latest clash between the two title rivals as “brainless.”
Stewards blamed Rosberg for causing the last lap incident, imposing a meaningless time penalty and reprimand.
The German, who has been at Mercedes since 2010 and turned 31 last week, finished fourth while triple world champion Hamilton won to cut Rosberg’s overall lead to 11 points with 12 races remaining.
While Hamilton has a contract till 2018, Rosberg’s future is in discussion. Austria’s former McLaren and Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger is negotiating with Mercedes on his behalf. He said that no deal had been reached yet and whether Rosberg stayed was up to Mercedes. “It would be very short-term thinking of everybody,” he added when asked about a possible negative impact of a collision that denied the team a one-two finish.
“We are seeing here a race where somebody did an outstanding job, and then a couple of circumstances happened in the last lap.”
Rosberg has won five of nine races so far this season and despite some speculation about a possible Ferrari move, he said he expects to remain at Mercedes for years to come. “It feels great to be here and the team is also very happy with me,” he said.
CREDIT TO:http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160705/jsp/sports/story_94950.jspFIA forced to re-examine radio ban
Over the past two years, there has been a progressive war on radio communications between the F1 teams and drivers as certain corners of the F1 family pursued an obsession with what they saw as driver coaching becoming increasingly prevalent.
It all started with a ‘lift and coast’ instruction and ended with the codification of article 20.1 of the FIA F1 Sporting Regulations.
The regulatory section concerned states, “the driver must drive the car alone and unaided”, and following an FIA review of current practice the result was the issuing of a technical directive 041 to clarify what would and would not be allowed in September 2014.
TD/041 messages concerning the following are not permitted either by radio or pit board)
Driving lines on the circuit.
Contact with kerbs.
Car set up parameters for specific corners.
Comparative or absolute sector time detail of another driver.
Speeds in corners compared to another driver.
Gear selection compared with another driver.
Gear selection in general.
Braking points.
Rate of braking compared to another driver.
Rate of braking or application of brakes in general.
Car stability under braking.
Throttle application compared to another driver.
Throttle application in general.
Use of DRS compared with another driver.
Use of any overtake button.
Driving technique in general.
Almost as soon as TD/041 was implemented, the teams complained and the FIA relented on the extent of the ban.
A note was issued by the FIA stating, “It seems to us that information being passed to the driver concerning the performance of his car should be separated from information concerning his own performance.
“It has become clear that the former is a very complex matter and that any list of restrictions imposed at short notice will have a significantly different effect from team-to-team. The latter information on the other hand can be considered simple driver coaching.
“With this in mind we propose to postpone enforcement of the information being passed to driver concerning the performance of his car until 2015.
“We believe this will give sufficient time for teams to prepare properly and, more importantly, to ensure that the regulations are being enforced fairly and equitably.
“On the other hand, information being passed to the driver concerning his own performance will be stopped with immediate effect.”
A pretty long note it turned out to be.
In February the following year (2015), the FIA revisited the matter and a spokesperson announced the result of their review.
“The Strategy Group, from whom the original request to limit what messages could be delivered to the drivers, now feel that the balance is right by only limiting messages that can be considered driver “coaching”,” said the FIA spokesman. “Therefore, the only messages we will not permit are those listed in TD/041-14 from last year.”
TD/041 still ruled the roost. Though the spokesperson reserved the right of the FIA to “add a few to this before the start of the season and re-issue the TD.”
All was well again in the world of Formula One radio communication, though the absence of certain types of radio traffic was a source of frustration for some viewers. However, the never ending pursuit of the goal to ‘spice up the F1 show’ meant this would not be the end of the matter.
For 2016, more radio bans were proposed. These were clearly designed to bring more unpredictability to F1 races because the teams were now no longer able to provide the drivers with information about tyre wear, engine performance and fuel levels – unless in an emergency.
At this juncture we’ll duck the full and lengthy technical regulation specification. Enough to say that Toto Wolff endorsed the latest interpretation of article 20.1. “The new regulations, we are so much more restricted in passing on information to the drivers during the race. Strategy, engine-mode deployment, tyre choices, even up to a point pit stops, a lot will be down to the driver to decide.
“Things will be less optimised by algorithms and engineers, and it will give room for error.
“What I like is that it is the driver who will be taking decisions, and not remote controlled from the garage.”
In fact the Mercedes team boss was positively ebullient about the new ban. “It’s an absolutely positive step. The target was to make things less predictable, more variable, and this is what’s going to happen. There is the potential now for races between them to unfold in a different way”.
All this positivity was clearly founded in Toto’s belief in the ‘Mercedes way’ – rooted in the German ability to plan for all eventualities. This had been evident in the Mercedes ‘driver on track code of conduct’ biblicesque tome as developed and deployed during in 2014.
“It will now come down to greater planning before a race”, Toto declared. “Down to intelligence to remember what that planning was, and down to intelligence and instinct to do the right thing at the right time.”
And this was all well and good until Lewis had problems during the race in Baku. ‘The planning’, ‘the memory’, ‘the intelligence’… anyway something went awry in Azerbaijan and Mercedes began to sing a different tune.
Following Nico’s brake problems in Austria, Toto again questioned the scope of the current radio ban, appearing to blame the Lewis/Nico collision somewhat on the drivers lacking vital information.
However, it may well be the last lap accident of Sergio Perez in Spielberg which will be the straw that breaks the stubborn back of the FIA camel.
Deputy team Principal Bob Fernley is now claiming he was banned by race control from passing vital information to both Hulkenberg and Perez about the ‘critical’ state of their brakes.
In his inimitable manner, Fernley observes the irony of the situation: “It seems a bit silly putting a halo on a car but not being able to tell a driver his brakes are about to go.”
This strangely succinct Yorkshire summary of the FIA’s farcical position on the two issues when juxtaposed will surely force the great and good at the Place de Concorde to reconsider.
Yet the FIA will in fact probably argue the second item on the 2016 list of permitted radio information is, “Indication of a critical problem with the car: Any message of this sort may only be used if failure of a component or system is imminent and potentially terminal.”
However, this eventuality is not being sanctioned given the remarks made by Toto Wolff and Bob Fernley.
And Sergio Perez ended his Austrian GP in the barrier.
Is this the kind of unpredictability the TJ13 jury really wants to see in F1?
CREDIT TO:https://thejudge13.com/2016/07/05/fia-forced-to-re-examine-radio-ban/Nikita Mazepin to drive at Silverstone test
Sahara Force India is pleased to announce that its development driver,
Nikita Mazepin, will drive the VJM09 at the test session following the
British Grand Prix in Silverstone. The 17-year-old Russian will drive
both days of the test, which will take place on the 12th and 13th of
July.
Mazepin, who was announced in his development role with the team in
February, is currently competing in the FIA European Formula 3
Championship with Hi-Tech Racing. He has already attended several
Formula One events with the team this season and has begun an extensive
simulator programme at the team’s Silverstone HQ.
Nikita Mazepin: “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to test the
VJM09 at Silverstone. There’s no doubt it will be the biggest moment of
my career and it’s something I’ve been working towards my whole life.
It’s been a few months since I joined the team and I feel ready for this
opportunity. I know it’s an important test for the team and they will
be counting on me to do a good job, so I will work hard to make sure we
achieve our objectives.”
Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director: “In just a few months since his announcement as a development driver, Nikita has shown a great level of technical understanding to go with his driving skills. His progress in our simulator has been excellent and to be in the car during this test is the next step in his natural progression within the team. We are looking forward to working with him in Silverstone.”
CREDIT TO:http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-303652.htmlSainz thrilled with another points finish after disastrous qualifying
Craig Boon/Octane Photographic Ltd.Austrian Grand Prix – Carlos Sainz may have suffered an engine failure in Saturday’s qualifying session, but recovered well on Sunday to bring home more points for Toro Rosso. The Spanish racer had just re-emerged onto the Red Bull Ring in the closing stages of Q1 after the red flag period to cover the crash of teammate Daniil Kvyat, when the Ferrari engine in the back of his STR11 failed. Pulling to the side of the track, he was forced to watch on from the sidelines and doomed to another lowly grid position.
Starting the race from P15, he made good use of the inherent pace of his car to work his way up into the points, and eventually came home a strong P8. He was understandably happy with his result, and said: “I’m very pleased with my race, especially because we didn’t have an easy one! We started from the back and did a good start, managing to get into the top 10 in the early stages of the race. Suddenly, after the second pit-stop during the Safety Car period, we were nearly last… Which meant we had to do a very good last stint on the Soft tyres – 35 laps – overtaking lots of cars and managing to get back into the top eight, something a bit unexpected after seeing myself back in P15 with half the race to go.”
Team boss Franz Tost praised his driver, saying “After our problems in qualifying, Carlos’ P8 is a big success for us today. Having to prepare the car with another engine is always a risk, as you don’t have the chance to run it before the race, but fortunately the team did a fantastic job to get the car ready in such a good way. Carlos drove a great race, with a lot of overtaking manoeuvres as well as being able to manage the tyres very well.”
Sainz has been hit with penalties for mechanical troubles at the last two Grands Prix, compromising his starting positions, and the Spanish driver says that Saturdays need to go better in order to capitalise on the pace of the Toro Rosso: “After a tough Saturday, I’m happy to finish the weekend with a good result as we’ve worked very hard for this – now we just need to make sure we have better Saturdays in order to start races further up the grid and fight for more points. I’m confident we can do it and I look forward to next week’s race weekend in Silverstone – my favourite track together with Spa – where we will keep pushing!”
Downforce Debrief – Roger Smith, F1, FE, Top Gear
This week, Lester and the team talk Top Gear, Fireworks in F1 and FE and GP2 PLUS Author Roger Smith is back to tell us more F1 stories from his brilliant book: F1 All the races. PLUS Find out how you can WIN a copy!.
On the panel: Ben McPhillips, Vicky Selwyn, Tom Brooks, Dan Marr, Dom Mottram & Jake Sanson
RUNNING ORDER
[0:00] – START
[5:50] – Top Gear Host Quits
[36:39] – Formula 1 Chat
[69:13] – Nikita Mazepan Rewarded with F1 test after assaulting British Driver
[80:15] – GP2 Chat
[88:13] – ROGER SMITH INTERVIEW & BRITISH GP PREVIEW
[117:15] – Tom Brooks at Formula E
[122:18] – Formula E Chat with Jake Sanson
CREDIT TO:http://downforce-radio.co.uk/downforce-debrief-roger-smith-f1-fe-top-gear/ Kimi Raikkonen to wed for second time next month
British Grand Prix – Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen is to marry his long-term partner Minttu Virtanen in August. Raikkonen is set to marry Finnair air hostess Minttu Virtanen on August 5th, according to reports in Italian media. The couple have a son together, now 18 months old, naming him Robin.
The marriage will be Raikkonen’s second, having married Jenni Dahlman in 2004. They separated in 2013, and the then Lotus driver began seeing Minttu later that year.
According to the reports, the wedding will take place in San Galgano Abbey in the Tuscany region of Italy and will have a large security presence.
The couple will be joined by friends and family for the ceremony in the days following the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.
CREDIT TO:http://formulaspy.com/formula-1/formula-1-news/kimi-raikkonen-wed-second-time-next-month-27600Pascal Wehrlein: “Half a second later I would have got a penalty”
Pascal Wehrlein believed he would have got a penalty had he not reversed into his grid position in time at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday.
Credit: Octane Photographic LtdPascal Wehrlein was close to receiving a penalty after almost starting from the wrong grid slot for the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, before going on to score his first Formula 1 point.
The Manor Racing driver had initially lined up in the space vacated by Felipe Massa, who had been forced to start from the pit lane, but reversed into his own grid spot just before the light sequence began to start the race.
Wehrlein believed he had about a half-second window of opportunity to return to his twelfth place grid slot before the first of the five red lights illuminated, before the German drove a superb race to claim Manor’s first point since being taken over at the beginning of the season.
“I knew Massa was out, although I hadn’t seen [what happened],” said Wehrlein. “But it happened for the first time for me that there was a slot in front of me that was empty.
“I didn’t really think about it, so I went behind the next guy and I stopped. Then I saw Sebastian [Vettel] in his red car in front of me and I thought, ‘I didn’t finish qualifying behind him’. So I put reverse gear in and went backwards.
“I managed to stop the car, put it in the first gear and I saw the red light come on. It was maybe just half a second – and half a second later I would have got a penalty.”
The fact that Wehrlein stopped and engaged first gear before the light sequence began prevented him from receiving a penalty, with some teams questioning why no penalty was forthcoming after the race.
CREDIT TO:http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2016/07/pascal-wehrlein-half-second-later-i-got-penalty/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCheckeredFlag+%28The+Checkered+Flag%29Lewis Hamilton wants fourth F1 title but may have to obey Mercedes orders
Lewis Hamilton is now just 11 points behind team-mate Nico Rosberg heading into the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty Images Lewis Hamilton believes he has demonstrated how hungry he is to win his fourth Formula One world championship after his victory at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, achieved in a thrilling climax to the race after a final‑lap collision with his Mercedes colleague Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton had lost the lead to Rosberg when his team switched him from a one‑stop to a two-stop strategy. But Hamilton clawed his way back and put himself in a position to challenge the German on the final lap. Rosberg, who had a brake problem, was slow through turn one and Hamilton, on a charge, attempted to go round the outside of him at turn two. Rosberg did not turn in and the pair clashed. Hamilton went on to take the flag but Rosberg, who was judged by the stewards to have been at fault, lost his front wing and finished only fourth.
“I’m massively driven, hopefully this race has shown just how driven I am for this world championship,” said Hamilton, who has faced criticism this season that he is not as focused on the task at hand. “I want it as much, if not more, than I’ve wanted my other world championships and I actually love that it’s even harder to get because that makes you appreciate it more.”
He was also adamant that despite the controversy the incident caused – he was booed by fans after the race – that there would be no let-up in his determined approach. “You make a conscious decision to fight harder or you have doubt, and I had zero doubt in my mind,” he said. “I thought I’m going to go, do everything in my power, I might not win, but I’ll do everything, on the knife edge, over it and beyond.”
The Mercedes executive director, Toto Wolff, described the incident as “brainless”. He castigated both his drivers but refused to apportion blame in public. The pair knocked each other out of the race at Barcelona earlier in the year and Wolff said they were considering imposing team orders to prevent a repeat of that.
For Hamilton the possibility was an anathema but one he may have to accept. “I’ve been in that position before and it goes against all my racing values and rules and the foundation of what racing is about,” he said. “But ultimately I race for this team and I do want the best for the team. I’m the three-time world champion and my job is to do what they say.”
Hamilton’s win on Sunday means he trails the championship leader Rosberg by 11 points and could overhaul him in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this week. Mercedes have allowed the pair to race until now enlivening their almost lone two-car battle at the front of the grid. Hamilton believes team orders would deny fans the thrill of a racing contest.
“I will pray and hope that’s not the situation,” he said. “Firstly for myself because that would take the joy of racing out and second for the fans because it will rob the fans of what they pay so much for. They save up all year to go to the Silverstone Grand Prix. Team orders is not something that should deprive them. Even if it’s the other way around and the other guy’s coming for me, that’s racing. That’s why you turn up and you sit in the mud in the camper van in Silverstone, because you have that passion and that fire, the same thing I felt in Austria.”
The former world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes the team will have difficulty managing the situation. “They both have contracts where they are allowed to fight for the championship,” he said. “So how do you impose team orders? It’s not Ferrari where you have a clear No1. Even if they don’t follow orders what do you do? Leave them home for a race?”
Villeneuve has personal experience of the issues involved. His father Gilles was killed in an accident at the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder in 1982 trying to beat the qualifying time of his Ferrari team-mate Didier Pironi. At the previous race, the San Marino Grand Prix, Villeneuve was furious when Pironi defied team orders based on a handshake-agreement to take the lead on the final lap to win. “At the time of my dad it was whoever is in the lead stays in the lead,” he said, suggesting that limited orders may be imposed. “That’s fine then you know you have to qualify better and make a better start. You still have a chance to be ahead.”
However, Villeneuve, who won the title for Williams in 1997, hinted that politics may also play a role. “There is a part of Mercedes that prefers to win the championship with Nico,” he said. “Because then it would be Mercedes winning and not just Lewis, so image-wise, politically, it would be better as they would have two world champions in the car not just one. So Lewis has to think about that as well.”
He did not, however, believe the strategy would be imposed to benefit Rosberg. “I don’t think team orders will go that far,” he said. “I think it would be whoever is leading 20 laps from the end, then you keep those positions. Then you know you have 40 laps to make the difference.”
Continuing to let them race, as the fans and the sport needs them to do, was the best solution for Villeneuve. “Both of them drove like champions, they went for it and decided to go for the move and take the risk, nothing wrong with that, we should be happy that it’s happening,” he added.
CREDIT TO:https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/04/lewis-hamilton-hungry-fourth-f1-title-obey-merceds-ordersMercedes caught between rocking their drivers and a hard crash
A long time ago, a colleague and I stood atop a grassy knoll, at the final corner of the Suzuka Circuit in Japan.
"It's a long way to have come, if they collide," we said. Two minutes later, the cloud of dust there confirmed that deadly rivals Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost had indeed done just that to conclude their 1990 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix in the gravel.
The year before, such had been their simmering rivalry as team-mates at McLaren, that Dodge City had not been big enough for the both of them. Prost had gone to Ferrari, but still their bitter enmity continued, as Senna deliberately took him out and thus sealed his own second world title.
So if you ask whether I saw the clash coming between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in Spielberg on Sunday afternoon, the answer is yes, of course.
A devotee of Jim Clark, I have never cared for rough tactics, but this isn't tiddlywinks and these days, the financial stakes are high.
Hamilton and Rosberg have far and away the best car... Mercedes are to be praised for having the courage to let them fight, for to do it any other way would be utter disaster for Formula One.
Hamilton and Rosberg have far and away the best car in F1. The Englishman wants a third successive world title, to make his tally four; the German wants to emulate his father Keke and take his first. They are so evenly matched that contact is always going to be likely.
It happened at Spa in 2014, and again in Spain this year. When you have two hugely motivated and competitive individuals, it's hard to rein in their passion.
Mercedes are to be praised for having the courage to let them fight, for to do it any other way would be utter disaster for Formula One.
Hamilton was booed on the rostrum in Austria - unfairly if you agree with the stewards' decision to doubly penalise Rosberg.
We saw something similar here back in 2002, but the circumstances underlying such behaviour then were far worse. Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello had Michael Schumacher beaten all weekend and deserved to win. After all, at the same race the previous year, he had been cheated of rightful success by orders imposed by team boss Jean Todt - today the president of the International Automobile Federation - that Schumi should be allowed to win.
Now, to the intense dislike of everyone else, Todt again insisted on the Brazilian handing undeserved victory to his so-called team leader.
When Schumacher - who was believed to have had such things enshrined in his contracts - put on a display of embarrassment and tried to insist that Barrichello take the top spot on the rostrum, and then took the first-place trophy from the Austrian Chancellor and handed it to his team-mate, the crowd saw through it and jeered.
That isn't racing, and it isn't sport, though team orders can highlight nobility, such as that shown by the faster Gilles Villeneuve to Ferrari partner Jody Scheckter at Monza in 1979.
Ferrari had decreed that whoever won at Monaco would be their favoured championship challenger for the rest of the year. Scheckter won there, so Villeneuve was duty-bound to ride shotgun in Italy, even though passing Scheckter would have prolonged his own title aspirations. But one of the fastest men ever seen in F1 was too honourable to resort to such underhand tactics. Scheckter became champion.
In 1982, Villeneuve was allegedly cheated of victory in San Marino by team-mate Didier Pironi, and that is widely believed to have played a key role in the French Canadian's death at the next race.
Team orders suck, and they cheat the public. What satisfaction can there possibly be in winning, when the other guy has a hand tied behind his back?
What should Mercedes do?
In desperation, boss Toto Wolff admitted on Sunday that the time might finally have come to consider imposing orders on his errant racers - "freeze the order at a certain stage in the race". This is for the pragmatic reason that continual collisions are not the reason why Mercedes invest so much in their racing programme. Going home empty-handed in Barcelona really hurt.
He said: "It's unpopular, it makes me puke, because I like to see them race, but if racing is not possible without contact, then that's the consequence."
I really hope it never comes to that.
CREDIT TO:http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/formula-one/mercedes-caught-between-rocking-their-drivers-and-a-hard-crashHamilton- No team orders please
Mercedes'
Nico Rosberg reacting after the Austrian GP, where he collided with
team-mate and eventual winner Lewis Hamilton in the last lap. PHOTO: REUTERSBriton hopes he can still continue to battle Rosberg after their third collision in five races
SPIELBERG (Austria) • Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has urged Mercedes to reject team orders and allow him to continue fighting team-mate Nico Rosberg for the drivers' title.
After clashing and colliding with the German leader of this year's championship on the last lap of his victory in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, the defending three-time champion said he hoped Mercedes boss Toto Woff would reject the temptation of team orders.
"I hope it doesn't change and I hope we can continue to race," said Hamilton. "That is my honest opinion from a love of this sport."
"Certain circumstances have led us to where we are today," he added. "We have a lot of races ahead and we will continue to race. I am fighting for the world championship so we will keep fighting.
"You never want to see team orders happening. The great thing is Toto and Niki (Lauda) have been great and allow us to race and that is what racing is about."
DON'T STOP THE FIGHT
We have a lot of races ahead and we will continue to race. I am fighting for the world championship so we will keep fighting.
LEWIS HAMILTON, Mercedes driver, on why he hopes team orders will not be imposed.
Meanwhile, Rosberg has been assured that his ongoing contract negotiations with Mercedes will not be affected by Sunday's collision with Hamilton.
"The contract is a long-term decision and isn't influenced by a race incident," Wolff said.
An exasperated Wolff, who has a 30 per cent stake in the team as well as being Mercedes motorsport director, had earlier slammed the latest clash between the two title rivals as "brainless".
Sunday's collision was their third in five races and came only four races on from their crash in Spain, where both men were forced into retirement on the opening lap.
Stewards blamed Rosberg for causing Sunday's last-lap incident, imposing a meaningless 10-second time penalty and reprimand.
The German, who has been at Mercedes since 2010 and turned 31 last week, finished fourth to lie on 153 points. Hamilton's victory allowed him to cut the gap to championship leader Rosberg to 11 points with 12 races remaining.
While Hamilton has a contract till 2018, Rosberg's future is up for discussion. The German has won five of nine races this year and, despite talk of a possible move to Ferrari, has said that he expects to remain at Mercedes for years to come.
"It feels great to be here, and the team's also very happy with me," he said. "I feel really very much at home. This is my racing family and this is where I want to be for the foreseeable future."
Asked on Sunday whether anything had changed, he replied that he was just disappointed to have lost another victory.
"I had it in the bag and would have loved to win here. To lose it in such a way in the last lap is unbelievably hard," said the German, who had been chasing a hat-trick of Austria wins.
"I don't think of a big picture like that," he added when asked about working with Hamilton. "I'm just thinking of today and I'm gutted and that's it."
He had made clear to reporters, before the officials' decision, that he considered Hamilton to blame.
"The collision completely took me by surprise. I didn't expect Lewis to turn in... I can say that for sure I didn't drive into anybody, because I had the car fully under control at all times," he said.
"Apparently he said in a TV interview that I was in his blind spot so maybe that is why he turned in."
Wolff will call an inquest this week with the two drivers and their engineers to thrash out how they can avoid crashes that endanger team results.
Rosberg said on Sunday he would accept the team's decision but Hamilton is unlikely to be so compliant.
CREDIT TO:http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/formula-one/no-team-orders-please-hamiltonLewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg face suspension threat from angry Mercedes to prevent more collisions
Lewis Hamilton has pleaded with Mercedes not to impose team orders for the British Grand Prix after the collision in Austria
Credit:
Getty Images Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg could be fined or even suspended by Mercedes if they crash again under drastic deterrents being considered by the world champions in a bid to avoid imposing team orders.
Hamilton will plead with Mercedes not to “rob” fans by forcing them to obey team orders in next Sunday’s British Grand Prix, with executives fearing they may have to unleash the nightmare scenario on Formula One to control their feuding drivers.
However the alternative punishment, understood to be one of the options under consideration, could be even worse news for Hamilton. The Telegraph understands increasingly exasperated team bosses feel they have been left with no choice but to act firmly and decisively after Hamilton and Rosberg collided for the third time in five races in Austria on Sunday.
This could include either a sporting penalty – the ultimate sanction being to take one or both drivers out of the car – or a financial one, a fine worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. How exactly the system would work when there is no clear culprit for a collision, which was not the case on Sunday with Rosberg penalised by the stewards, remains unclear.
Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes motorsport, was absolutely livid on Sunday night, and seemed at the end of his tether with his “brainless” drivers.
Toto Wolff: " Brainless. Seeing both cars nearly colliding is upsetting. It could have easily been a double DNF" #F1 pic.twitter.com/BfIGXClteu— Formula 1 (@F1) July 3, 2016
Team orders would be a PR disaster in front 140,000 British fans, reminiscent of the worst days of Ferrari in the early 2000s, which is likely to be why other more extreme alternatives are being considered.
The decision will be taken in the coming days, principally by Wolff along with Niki Lauda, the three-time champion and Mercedes chairman, and Paddy Lowe, the technical boss. Dieter Zetsche, the chairman of Mercedes, will be kept in the loop but is expected to leave the decision itself to Wolff.
Hamilton was at pains not to put himself at odds with the team as he left Spielberg, but he will use all his powers of persuasion to try to stop Mercedes implementing team orders, something which is at odds with everything he stands for as a racing driver.
He is likely to feel especially aggrieved given the overwhelming consensus – and the verdict of the stewards – that Rosberg was the guilty party in their last-lap crash in Austria last Sunday, one which gave Hamilton victory.
“I didn’t come into this to be in that situation [team orders], so I will pray and hope that’s not the situation,” the three-time champion said. “Firstly for myself because that would take the joy out of racing and second for the fans because it will rob the fans of what they pay so much for.” Many believe Hamilton would ignore team orders if they were imposed in the British Grand Prix on Sunday, including Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion.
But Hamilton was by no means categorical. While the 31-year-old said Mercedes employed him to race – on a deal worth £100 million over three years – he also indicated he would listen should the order come. There will be a clause in his contract which states he cannot go directly against the wishes of the team, but drivers have ignored direct orders before, most memorably Sebastian Vettel in Malaysia three years ago.
Hamilton added: “I’ve been in that position before [team orders] and it goes against all my racing values and rules and the foundation of what racing is about. But ultimately I race for this team and I do want the best for the team. I’m the three-time world champion and my job is to do what they say.
“I feel like I have the right to say my opinion regardless of the boss. You can talk to anyone on that level with respect so I would tell them, just like I’m talking to you, I would have an opinion that needs discussion whether that’s with Dieter [Zetsche, the chairman of Mercedes] or … they could have that respect.”
Hamilton was critical of Wolff’s description of the incident as “brainless”, without the Austrian explicitly blaming one driver. The Englishman felt it was important the team projected themselves properly to their 1,300 employees back in Northamptonshire and the wider world.
Should Mercedes introduce team orders, against their policy of the last three years, Hamilton would have no choice but to qualify on pole position and make sure he gets away in the lead, unless he ignored the instruction. At least now after the result in Austria the gap in the drivers’ championship is back down to just 11 points.
Three collisions in five races
Spain Hamilton and Rosberg failed to even make it through four corners before they took each other out of in Barcelona. Rosberg defended aggressively, forcing his team-mate onto the grass. Hamilton lost control, hitting Rosberg and sending both out of the race.
Verdict Too close to call.
Canada Heading into turn one, Hamilton and Rosberg were side by side. The German took the riskier move, heading for the outside, and Hamilton slid into his team-mate, banging wheels. Rosberg fell down the field.
Verdict Racing incident.
Austria They made it to the final lap but heading towards turn two, Rosberg barely attempted turn in, spearing into the side of his team-mate. Hamilton won the race while Rosberg limped home fourth. The stewards punished the German.
Verdict 100 per cent Rosberg.
CREDIT TO:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-1/2016/07/04/lewis-hamilton-and-nico-rosberg-face-suspension-threat-from-angr/