Hamilton “miscalculation” caused Rosberg crash – Lauda

2016 Spanish Grand Prix

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A “miscalculation” by Lewis Hamilton caused the first-lap collision between the two Mercedes drivers, according to Niki Lauda.

The team’s non-executive chairman told the BBC the situation was “very simple for me”.

“It was a miscalculation in Lewis’s head,” said Lauda. “I blame him more than Nico.”

“But for the team and for Mercedes it is unacceptable. Lewis was too aggressive to pass him.”

“Why should Nico give him room? He was in the lead,” Lauda added.

“It is completely unnecessary and for me the disaster is that all Mercedes are out after two corners.”

However the team’s executive director Toto Wolff declined to blame either driver for the collision.

“I think it is a very difficult situation, a difficult situation to analyse,” Wolff told reporters. “There is definitely not a clear cut [view] so I wouldn’t want to blame any of them at this stage”.

Asked about Lauda’s view, Wolff said: “Niki has, from his driver’s perspective, an opinion. This is his instincts and it’s fair enough that he has this.”

“But when you look at all the data and have the discussions with the drivers maybe it’s different. As I said, it’s a very difficult situation.”

The stewards will give a verdict on the collision after the race.

2016 Spanish Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
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    25 comments on “Hamilton “miscalculation” caused Rosberg crash – Lauda”

    1. And Niki needs to look at the data from the cars and cameras before he opens his mouth. I heard him say that commentary very quickly after the incident. If he’s wrong (and it’s looking that way), then he’s just going to look like a big a premature conclusion drawing fool as Crofty on Sky F1.

      This is the kind of thing you need all the facts to be in before opening your mouth.

      1. I think Lauda is pretty accurate with his assessment really.

        1. Not when you factor in that Rosberg selected the wrong mode and lost pace, allowing Lewis to get an phenomenal run on him…then Nico compounds his error by blocking a move that was inevitable due to Nico’s own fumbling. Two wrongs don’t make a right, sir.

        2. Peppermint-Lemon (@)
          15th May 2016, 21:42

          Agreed

        3. Passing is a bit like playing chicken. Hamilton is a bully when it comes to passing. He has a history of bullying massa and rosberg in the past. He would have shut the door too. When u make a mistake and are clear its your your only move. Hamilton was too aggressive.

      2. I saw the replay over a dozen times. It looked like a racing incident to me. Rosberg was in the wrong engine mode and toggling switches during the corner because he lost a lot of speed, and Lewis saw a gap on the inside and went for it very aggressively. Lewis got on the grass, but instead of backing out, he put the pedal to the metal and lost control, taking both out. I thought Rosberg’s defense was a little too hard as he was trying to make yup for the engine mode error, and Lewis made a bit of a risky move.

        I think it’s stupid of Lauda to blame Lewis for this incident already. It’s not like Rosberg didn’t have his fair share of the blame as well.

      3. Lauda is not wrong; Lewis was too aggressive as he usually is and today it did not work. Like it did not work last year in Hungary.
        That is not a place to overtake, and he should have known better; all he had to do was follow Nico through the right-hander and then jump him on the inside at turn 5.
        He totally should have backed off.

    2. Niki should have had a look at the incident again before commenting. I too blamed Lewis as soon as the thing happened …until I saw the replay. Nico defended left when Lewis was about to over take from there and then swung to the right when Hamilton tried going from the right.
      That is two moves against a car that is overtaking. And the rules are against it.

      1. That is not two moves. It is one move off the line, and may return.
        From the Sporting Regulations: More than one change of direction to defend a position is not permitted. If a driver has moved off the racing line while defending their position, they may move back but must ensure there is at least one car’s width between their own car and the edge of the track.

    3. Lewis is not a calculus master…

      But he didn’t need to perform as a ROOKIE as he did.

      1. “Lewis is not a calculus master…”

        But he knows what switches to press on his steering wheel.

        1. “But he knows what switches to press on his steering wheel.”
          That’s why he lost at the start; again.

          1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
            16th May 2016, 1:08

            @Lolita @ianbond001 yes, he should have played it like Raikonnen did – better chance of winning there! Seriously you guys are practically insane – Nico is 170bhp slower and you are telling Lewis to sit behind Nico and wait it out – come on, to call Lewis a rookie for trying to pass there. Nico forced Lewis into a crash. IMO he should be banned for 6 months.

            1. “IMO he should be banned for 6 months”
              That’s the only way Lewis will win the championship this year.

          2. Nope, Lewis got a good start, he lost it because of a physics effect called slip-streaming, he was also braking on the dirty inside track, and being the fair racer he is, he gave Nico space, because he knows he has the skill and ability to retake positions, that is, when hes not being run off the racing track

            …next

    4. Rosberg’s car was not working optimally at that point hence he was very slow. Hamilton found himself in a situation where he was forced to try get past the car ahead.

      1. Yes, Nico was slowing strangely and significantly. Consider it I can’t blame Nico for full responsibility.

    5. Wow. Lauda can be harsh on Hamilton. That’s surprising.

    6. Agree with Lauda, entirely.

      1. Two of the very best F1 drivers ( one of them, on his day, a supreme exponent of one lap pace )
        both driving for the same team, both desperate to beat their team partner, are finally overcome
        by the pressures they live under and take each other out. As far as I am concerned there were only two golden racing rules broken. 1. Two evasive moves are NOT ALLOWED ! and 2. Never crash into your team-mate. The stewards had no need to impose penalties…both drivers imposed their own penalties !

        And what disastrous penalties they are !
        Sadly…the worst of the penalties were imposed on the superb Mercedes F1 team. A team of the very best professional working their guts out…only for their two highly paid, highly rated drivers to destroy their whole Spanish GP !

        But the irony is…if all the above had not taken place…we would not be celebrating one of the
        most magical, extraordinary, utterly amazing debut wins in F1 history ! Max Verstappen has
        achieved something beyond any superlatives…..and all because the pressures at the top have
        become so massive, the two leading drivers destroyed each others races. Simply amazing !

      2. I also agree entirely

    7. OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
      15th May 2016, 15:59

      This headline you wrote yesterday:
      “Hamilton sure he can make a winning start”
      How ironic.

    8. Team first and last,
      Niki was wrong to call it out before the stewards made their decision, there was no profit in getting Ham (or Ros) a penalty so obviously the play is to call it a racing incident, then he can mouth off :)

      anyway turned out a great race, im happy.

    9. Niki talking out of the wrong end again!

      The stewards don’t agree with him and Toto doesn’t agree with him.

      The only one involved who agrees with him is Nico….. and he would, wouldn’t he?

    10. Lewis apologised. He did not accept blame. Has beens like Stewart & Lauda should bite their tongues. Keke Rosberg does not interfere with Nico’s racing because he sensibly states that things have changed so much from his days as a driver that he is unable to give wise advice.

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