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Did Hamilton threaten to quit F1 after Barcelona disaster?

According to Sky Sports, Lewis Hamilton threatened to quit Mercedes as a result of how the team dealt with his controversial collision with team mate Nico Rosberg on the first lap of the Spanish GP.

While Sky F1 offered no tangible evidence linked with the claim, in an interview with commentator Martin Brundle last Sunday, Hamilton refused to deny the story.

"After the crash in Spain there was a story you said 'I'm going to stop, I'm going to give up'. Is there any truth to that?" asked Sky F1's Martin Brundle.

"That is all private stuff that is in the past," was Hamilton's reply.

In the aftermath of the Barcelona mishap which ended both driver's race, Hamilton was allegedly angry at Mercedes for refusing to blame Rosberg for the first lap collision.

He subsequently expressed his will to quit and walk away, a frame of mind which Mercedes took very seriously.

Over the summer, reflecting on the Barcelona incident which came on the back of four successive wins by Rosberg, Hamilton said the moment had been a "massive low" for him.

"There's things you won't know until I retire that I tell you that I experienced. I got up the next day and I went for a run, that's my process, through my run I'm thinking about lots of different things."

In hindsight, one will recall that Mercedes unexpectedly drafted in Pascal Wehrlein for a two-day test immediately after the Spanish GP. This could be perceived as a case of prepping the German for a race seat in case Hamilton effectively did pull out.

Regardless of whether the story of Hamilton's threat to quit is true or not, the defending world champion came back with his mind totally reset in the following race in Monaco.

His victory in the Principality kick started his race to bridge the 43-point deficit with Rosberg at that stage of the championship.

Perhaps the truth will one day be revealed in that book Lewis Hamilton has promised to write some time way down the road?

"I get excited about the thought that, one day, I can talk about this year," Hamilton said last week.

"There are so many thoughts I have on my mind, which I can't share with you just yet."

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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.