Lauda would make Red Bull drivers pay for crash damage!

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If he was running Red Bull Racing, Niki Lauda would lower the boom on Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo and force the pair to pay for the accident damage caused by their Baku run-in.

Verstappen and Ricciardo were locked in a thrilling but uncompromising wheel-to-wheel battle for almost 40 laps in yesterday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but it all ended in tears when the Aussie challenged his team mate on the run down to Turn 1 and ran into the back of him, sending both drivers into retirement.

Harking back to the days of fierce rivalry at Mercedes between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, Lauda was asked how he would have dealt with yesterday's inner-team issue.

'Both Red Bull drivers at fault,' says unhappy Marko

"I would bring them in the office together with Toto and tell them how much less they will get paid because of the damage they have done," said the F1 legend.

"Really. We thought about this once but we didn't have to do it."

Interestingly, assessing the Red Bull debacle, Lauda believes Max Verstappen was the main party to blame for the team's painful demise.

"It's a disaster and we had it once [at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix]," said the Austrian.

"For me, it is 70 percent Verstappen and 30 percent Ricciardo. He was moving on him all the time, where can the poor guy go?"

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff suggests a team with two blindingly fast drivers always runs the risk of having to deal with on-track clashes.

"I just think you have to remind them that beyond all the racing that the drivers are here for, there is a large structure in the background that is working 24/7 to provide them with the best possible cars," said Wolff.

"But equally, you don't want that lion spirit to be taken away.

"I've said it before, you can't expect to have two guard dogs in the car and for them to behave like puppies. There are upsides and downsides about having two fast drivers in the car."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.