Hamilton: Why did team interfere?posted in F127 | 11 | 2016

    LEWIS HAMILTON CONGRATULATED his team-mate Nico Rosberg on winning his first Formula 1 World Championship, then questioned why Mercedes bosses tried to interfere in his battle for the title. (Related: Rosberg claims maiden F1 title)

    Understandably — knowing he needed to win the race and have at least two cars between his car and Rosberg to overhaul the German’s 12-point advantage — backed his team-mate into the chasing pack.

    Repeatedly, Mercedes asked him to pick up his pace to make sure the team won the race, but he ignored those instructions.

    Abu-Dhabi-GP-Lewis-2.jpg

    "I don't know why they didn't just let us race," the three-time world champ said after the race. "There was never a moment where I felt I would lose the race.

    "It's a shame, but it's quite clear their thought process. I don't really have much to say."

    Hamilton was then asked whether he found the radio contact annoying while trying to manage the race from the front. Smiling, he answered it was straightforward from his position on the track.

    "It wasn't intense, it was pretty chilled at the end," Hamilton, who finished the season with 10 wins to Rosberg’s nine, but tantalisingly just five points behind his team-mate, said.

    Abu-Dhabi-GP-Lewis-5.jpg

    "It might have been intense for you watching but it wasn't for me. I'm in a position where I have lost a lot of points during the season, so I'm out there fighting.

    "We had won the constructors' championship so it was down to me and Nico today. But the team still felt they needed to make comments.

    "I don't think I did anything dangerous today. We were fighting for the world championship, I was in the lead, I control the pace. Those are the rules.

    "We'll discuss it afterwards, as we always do as a team, but we can't let it overshadow that Nico has just won the world championship."

    Abu-Dhabi-GP-Lewis-6.jpg

    Rosberg, while admitting the race “was not enjoyable”, did ultimately acknowledge Hamilton’s actions were understandable.

    "Lewis was using all his skill to do it perfectly so there was absolutely no way for me to get by,” the newly-crowned world champ said.

    "I thought about trying to pass him, but it was pointless; he did it in a perfect way. It's simple. You can understand the team's perspective and Lewis's perspective."

    Related: Hamilton rules out 'back-up' bid

    Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/Scotcars

    Jim McGill

     

User Comments

Login or register to post comments.