Reuters
London, July 6: Lewis Hamilton need fear no boos or whistles at Silverstone this weekend but the Formula One (F1) World Champion cannot escape the fallout from Austria as he chases a fourth British Grand Prix victory when the race gets underway here Sunday.
The Mercedes driver was jeered after he won in Spielberg last Sunday following a last-lap collision with teammate Nico Rosberg, who limped home fourth with his overall lead cut to 11 points.
The threat of ‘team orders’ hangs over proceedings, however, with Mercedes bosses meeting to discuss what to do after two costly collisions in five races. Even if they decide on nothing more than another warning, the drivers can expect their every move on the track – and body language off it – to be closely monitored and analysed.
If the drivers are ordered to hold station at a certain point, then the crowd may feel robbed. Hamilton said after Spielberg: “My fans feel what I’m feeling and it’s why I have such a connection with them. Team orders are not something that should deprive them.”
The solution, Hamilton suggested, is to give Rosberg as little chance as possible and he will aim to do that Sunday. “As a competitor I’ve got to get on pole and lead the whole way,” he said. “That’s what I have to do for the fans, it’s my solution. It’s a lot of pressure but that’s my goal,” said the defending champion. “I’m massively driven. I want World Championships more than anything.”
Rosberg will see it equally as a chance to turn the tables. Denied a hat-trick of Austrian wins, he can end Hamilton’s bid for three in a row at home.
