Mercedes will not impose any instructions between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg

The images went around the world: during the last lap of the Austrian Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg widened his trajectory on the second turn and thus collided with Lewis Hamilton, who was going faster than him. The German thus lost the chance for victory and only finished fourth, which caused him to lose many points compared to his rival for the title.

But this new incident also made the team lose points. It’s not the first time this season, as both drivers knocked themselves out during the first lap of the Spanish Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton pushed his teammate onto the grass at the start in Montreal.

The team has thus lost a significant number of points in the Constructors’ Championship: « This freedom comes with a requirement for our drivers to respect the values of the team. In the last five races, there have been three incidents that have cost the team 50 points in the Constructors’ Championship. »

Mercedes has therefore decided to strengthen its rules of engagement to avoid further contact in the future. It also states that it reserves the right to require drivers to let each other pass if it risks losing more points, as was the case in the Monaco Grand Prix. And as a last resort, Mercedes has also announced that it is ready to impose team orders if the drivers still do not comply with the new rules of engagement.

On the other hand, the leaders made sure to reaffirm that they considered Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg as the best pair on the grid: « Finally, we reaffirm our belief that Lewis and Nico are the best pair in Formula One. Since 2013, we have won together 43 races and 40 additional podiums, as well as two consecutive titles. That speaks for itself. »

It is a clear sign that Nico Rosberg’s contract should be extended in the near future.

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr