Last Updated: 24/08/14
Daniel Ricciardo strengthened his outside chances of an unexpected late-season run at the championship by winning a dramatic Belgian GP after Mercedes' title-duelling drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton finally came together on track – to the detrimental effect of the Briton’s title chances.
It has taken 12 races, and several near misses and off-track flashpoints, but the kind of on-track tangle that most - including perhaps Mercedes' management themselves - had thought was an inevitable consequence of Rosberg and Hamilton's hitherto tense private title duel finally happened on the second lap of Sunday's action-packed Spa race.
Challenging Hamilton on the run to Les Combes having lost the lead into the first corner of the race, Rosberg attempted to go round the outside of the sister W05 at the right-hander, but as the Briton turned in to take the racing line the German only succeeded in slicing the team-mate’s tyre as the race leader came back to take the racing line.
As the puncture took hold of Hamilton’s left-rear tyre the Briton was sent slewing wide at the next corner and forced, with shredding rubber, to crawl his way back to the pits for an emergency change of tyres as the pack streamed past him. Dropping to the back of the field, Hamilton, whose rear floor was also substantially damaged in the incident, didn’t have the pace in the car to claw his way back up the order and after numerous requests to retire the damaged car to save the engine was finally granted his wish in the closing laps – his third scoreless race of the year.
And while Rosberg didn’t go on to win the race – the German requiring a front-wing change at his first stop after damaging the original part in the clash – his fightback to second place behind the impressive Ricciardo re-increased his championship advantage to a joint season-high of 29 points.
The recriminations are, however, only just beginning with an uncharacteristically fuming Mercedes chief Toto Wolff expressing his anger at the situation after the race.
"This is an absolutely unacceptable race for us. For our drivers to crash into each other...unbelievable,” the Austrian told Sky Sports F1. "There is one rule and that is that you don't crash into each other. And it has happened on lap two."
A perplexed Hamilton, meanwhile, said: “While I was driving I didn’t really understand what had happened. I felt a big thud at the rear. I’ve watched it on the replay just now and I gave him space. I don’t understand it.”
For his part however, Red Bull's Ricciardo was only too happy to once more pick up the pieces from self-inflicted Mercedes trouble as the Australian secured the third win of his stunning season and second in a row either side of the summer break.
Passing World Champion team-mate Sebastian Vettel after the German ran wide early on at Pouhon, Ricciardo inherited the lead when Rosberg pitted for his change of front-wing and then brilliantly stopped once less time than the recovering Mercedes to potentially bring himself back into play in the title fight. His deficit to Rosberg is 64 points, but with 50 up for grabs in November's bumper Abu Dhabi finale, shouldn't be counted out yet.The other rising star of the season so far, Valtteri Bottas, delivered his latest podium finish after beating Spa master Kimi Raikkonen to third place in the battle of the Finns.
Vettel came home fifth ahead of McLaren pair Magnussen and Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso - who took a five-second penalty at his first stop for his mechanics still being on the grid after the 15-second start warning - after the quartet engaged in a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle in the closing laps.
It has taken 12 races, and several near misses and off-track flashpoints, but the kind of on-track tangle that most - including perhaps Mercedes' management themselves - had thought was an inevitable consequence of Rosberg and Hamilton's hitherto tense private title duel finally happened on the second lap of Sunday's action-packed Spa race.
Challenging Hamilton on the run to Les Combes having lost the lead into the first corner of the race, Rosberg attempted to go round the outside of the sister W05 at the right-hander, but as the Briton turned in to take the racing line the German only succeeded in slicing the team-mate’s tyre as the race leader came back to take the racing line.
As the puncture took hold of Hamilton’s left-rear tyre the Briton was sent slewing wide at the next corner and forced, with shredding rubber, to crawl his way back to the pits for an emergency change of tyres as the pack streamed past him. Dropping to the back of the field, Hamilton, whose rear floor was also substantially damaged in the incident, didn’t have the pace in the car to claw his way back up the order and after numerous requests to retire the damaged car to save the engine was finally granted his wish in the closing laps – his third scoreless race of the year.
And while Rosberg didn’t go on to win the race – the German requiring a front-wing change at his first stop after damaging the original part in the clash – his fightback to second place behind the impressive Ricciardo re-increased his championship advantage to a joint season-high of 29 points.
The recriminations are, however, only just beginning with an uncharacteristically fuming Mercedes chief Toto Wolff expressing his anger at the situation after the race.
"This is an absolutely unacceptable race for us. For our drivers to crash into each other...unbelievable,” the Austrian told Sky Sports F1. "There is one rule and that is that you don't crash into each other. And it has happened on lap two."
A perplexed Hamilton, meanwhile, said: “While I was driving I didn’t really understand what had happened. I felt a big thud at the rear. I’ve watched it on the replay just now and I gave him space. I don’t understand it.”
For his part however, Red Bull's Ricciardo was only too happy to once more pick up the pieces from self-inflicted Mercedes trouble as the Australian secured the third win of his stunning season and second in a row either side of the summer break.
Passing World Champion team-mate Sebastian Vettel after the German ran wide early on at Pouhon, Ricciardo inherited the lead when Rosberg pitted for his change of front-wing and then brilliantly stopped once less time than the recovering Mercedes to potentially bring himself back into play in the title fight. His deficit to Rosberg is 64 points, but with 50 up for grabs in November's bumper Abu Dhabi finale, shouldn't be counted out yet.The other rising star of the season so far, Valtteri Bottas, delivered his latest podium finish after beating Spa master Kimi Raikkonen to third place in the battle of the Finns.
Vettel came home fifth ahead of McLaren pair Magnussen and Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso - who took a five-second penalty at his first stop for his mechanics still being on the grid after the 15-second start warning - after the quartet engaged in a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle in the closing laps.
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