Lewis Hamilton And Nico Rosberg Escape Penalty

 

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have escaped further punishment after their collision on the first lap of the Spanish GP resulted in both Mercedes cars crashing out.  After Rosberg overtook the pole-sitting Hamilton off the line, the pair clashed as world champion Hamilton strove to regain the lead at Turn Four. Both drivers were summoned to face the stewards after the race but escaped without punishment with their clash adjudged to have been a racing incident.

Hamilton said “He made a mistake and started in the wrong engine setting, before the race we have to pick which engine setting and there is only one, maximum power, and he hadn't gone to that. So he derated at that point and it meant that he lost about 180 bhp.I was catching him and as I was catching he wasn't on the racing line. As a racing driver when you are going 17kph faster you go for the gap”

Rosberg said “I was aware of the situation and saw Lewis coming closer, so I went for the usual racing driver action of closing the inside line and closing the door as early as I could. I made it very clear I wasn't going to leave any space on the inside and I was very surprised he went for the gap.
Team boss Toto Wolff refused to pin the blame on either driver. He said “We talked to both drivers, it is not a clear cut. It is a very difficult situation. They are both pretty upset. Of course they have their perspective, we need to talk to them again, look at the pictures, look at the data and then avoid this in the future”

After losing the lead through the first corner, Hamilton got a run on Rosberg as they exited the long Turn Three, with the Briton moving towards the inside in an attempt to overtake. But as the Rosberg's Mercedes moved across the track, Hamilton went on the grass, lost traction and was pitched into a spin. Hamilton spun into the back of Rosberg, sending both cars into the gravel trap and out of the race.