Lewis Hamilton heads into the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend on the back of a positive result in Monaco, though the Barcelona track does not hold good memories for the Ferrari star
Lewis Hamilton was threatened with the sack back when he was driving for Mercedes after crashing into team-mate Nico Rosberg during the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix. Hamilton is currently driving for Ferrari, with the Barcelona track the next stop this season.
The British star has a mixed record at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, claiming five wins but also having his share of forgettable moments. One of the races Hamilton will not look back on with any fondness came in 2016.
Hamilton started on pole for that race, ahead of then team-mate and title rival Rosberg. But the German driver flew round the outside of Hamilton in turn one to take the lead, with Hamilton fighting back.
But as Rosberg defended his position, Hamilton was squeezed onto the grass. He lost control of his Mercedes car, colliding with Rosberg at turn four and putting both of the Silver Arrows out of the race.
The incident infuriated team chiefs and led to boss Toto Wolff installing new rules of engagement. The late Niki Lauda, who was a key advisor to Mercedes, revealed that the duo were even threatened with the sack if they ignored the new guidelines.
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“We put some regulations in, we told them – especially in Barcelona when they pushed each other off the track – we said this was unacceptable for Mercedes,” Lauda said in an interview with Graham Bensinger on YouTube.
“We have to win, one of you guys has to win, you cannot push each other off. We had some rules put in, that you are not allowed to and you have to pay a penalty if you do it again or we will think of releasing you from your contract, because we are team players here and we cannot destroy each other.
“Toto came up with some good rules and we had peace again. We fought hard and the accidents got reduced between them. The big discussion was whose fault was it? For me it was clear Lewis was too aggressive going to the right, hit the grass, couldn’t stop his car and then hit [Nico] off.
“I said right away if I have to choose between the two it’s more Lewis’ fault than Nico’s fault. Lewis did not appreciate that, because he was of a different opinion. He said, ‘Why do you criticise me?’ I said, ‘Excuse me. I cannot accept that you guys crash and then we have nothing and nobody’s fault. For me it has to be somebody’s fault.'”
Hamilton is now starring for Ferrari, though it has been a difficult start to his time with the Scuderia. He did enjoy a positive Monaco Grand Prix, coming home fifth, with Hamilton keen to build on that in Barcelona.
“I knew starting in P7 was going to be a challenge today, but it’s good to see our progress overall. Once I found some clear air, I was able to make up a bit of ground,” Hamilton said after Sunday’s race.
“We lost quite a bit of time in traffic and the balance wasn’t quite where we wanted it. Still, we came away with a podium for Charles, as well as some solid points for the team and it’s encouraging we’re heading in the right direction.
“We made a step forward in qualifying, which was a key focus, so a big thanks to everyone for the hard work in getting the car into a more competitive place across the whole weekend. We’ll keep pushing and look to build on this in Barcelona.”
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