1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve lays the blame for the Mercedes first-lap collision at the Spanish Grand Prix firmly at the door of Nico Rosberg, labelling his actions “100 per cent wrong”.
Having slipstreamed past pole sitter Lewis Hamilton at the first corner, Rosberg was then on the wrong engine mode, which allowed his team-mate to close back on him on the approach of turn four.
Hamilton tried a move on the inside only for the race leader to close the door. The triple world champion ended up spinning on the grass and sliding sideways into Rosberg, thus taking both W07s out of the race.
Mercedes non executive chairman Niki Lauda called the incident “unacceptable” and was quick to blame hamilton for being “too aggressive”. Villeneuve, who won the 1997 title after he survived a collision with Michael Schumacher at the final round of the season, begs to differ.
“You never saw it in the ‘80s because they’d kill each other,” the 45-year-old Canadian told the Mirror. “Now the drivers think they are in a video game,” said Villeneuve.
“It’s the one thing you never do. You can ask if Lewis should have been so aggressive but if you want to blame someone its 100 per cent Nico.
“He moved when Lewis had already made his move. You don’t do that, it’s why there is a rule in place. It’s the most dangerous thing you can do in racing - and the unfairest.
“From that point of view he was 100 per cent wrong.”
The stewards at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya eventually decided to take no further action regarding the collision, saying “neither driver was wholly or predominantly at fault”.
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