Pit Stop | Dangers abound in Mercedes rivalry
Fans are lapping up the simmering Formula One row between Hamilton and Rosberg, but it is unhealthy for the team in the long term
I bet they have one at Mercedes. Possibly in the pits. Perhaps in the motorhome, who knows. I suppose, like all things F1, it will be shiny, made from the best materials and cost an absolute fortune.
I'm talking about a naughty seat because Nico Rosberg is in the doghouse with his bosses.
Alright, they might not have an actual place at the bottom of the stairs where you are sent for a 10-minute spell, but they've done their best to signal their displeasure with the German.
Managing the monsters you've created is never going to be a simple task
Inevitably, the simmering tension between him and Lewis Hamilton spilled over into contact at Spa. Once again Hamilton seemed to get the raw end of the deal, not finishing the race.
At the time the stewards saw nothing wrong, but the Mercedes management did and voiced their displeasure.
Then came the team meeting. I'm sure Christian "Toto" Wolff and Niki Lauda both did their best impressions of exasperated parents and scolded both drivers.
Suitably chastised, both drivers released statements acknowledging they had made mistakes and how much they respected the other. This is a bit like a parent trying to get a child to say sorry to their sibling, and then asking them to say it again "as if you mean it", before they sneak off and continue fighting.
Rosberg has been punished, presumably with a fine. It would have to be a substantial one to mean much. To be honest, it shows how impotent Mercedes are in controlling their drivers and the situation. Their drivers sit one and two in the championship in the fastest car by some distance. They both want the title so badly they are tempted to grab it by almost any means. Managing the monsters you've created is never going to be a simple task.
