Home » Sports » Motor Racing
Lauda works to defuse ‘star wars’ at Mercedes
Print Edition
MERCEDES team chief Niki Lauda yesterday acted to defuse the ‘star wars’ between his drivers and reintroduce cordiality before next month’s Canadian Grand Prix.
In the wake of Nico Rosberg’s triumph ahead of Lewis Hamilton in Sunday’s Monaco GP, Lauda, who is the team’s non-executive chairman, said the pair had overstepped the mark by refusing to behave in a sporting manner and by not speaking.
“I spoke to the drivers before the race and it is not finished,” said Lauda. “I understand all the comments and I have to wait two or three days, but before it goes to Canada it will be solved.
“I will speak to them like I always do. They always call me when they have problems, so I think it will sort itself out...
“It is normal. I had the same with [Alain] Prost. I hated the guy, but at least I said hello in the morning. There are certain limits and these certain limits I can reintroduce because I speak their language, the drivers’ language, and they do understand me.”
Lauda, who won the drivers’ world championship three times, explained that he and the team had been most offended by Hamilton’s surly behavior after the race and in front of a global media audience.
“What I did not like, and I have to say, and I will tell him this, is that when you are up there [on the podium] and you don’t say hello to your teammate, which Nico has always done, that is not good.”
Rosberg’s win was achieved in a controversial fashion, because Hamilton believed that Rosberg had deliberately driven off the circuit on his final qualifying lap to spoil Hamilton’s bid for pole.
The incident prompted a stewards’ investigation, which cleared Rosberg of any wrong-doing, enabling him to retain the critical pole position that was the foundation for his second successive win in the Mediterranean principality.
Hamilton appeared to find his Monaco defeat difficult to take and continued to complain about the circumstances on Sunday evening.
The Monaco row followed an argument between the drivers at the Spanish GP where Rosberg was upset when Hamilton ignored team protocol by turning up his engine settings in the final laps of the race.
“Lewis not happy finishing second is normal, but in the end he has to accept another guy was quicker. This is very simple in racing,” Lauda said.
(AFP)
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
