Rosberg incurs stewards’ ire by taking controversial pole position

Mercedes driver denies first place to Hamilton in Monaco qualifying.


Reuters May 24, 2014
After the German took his second pole of the season, the Formula One stewards said they were going to investigate Rosberg’s manoeuvre on turn 5. PHOTO: REUTERS

MONACO:


Germany’s Nico Rosberg took a controversial pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday, after an incident that denied unhappy Mercedes teammate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton the chance to beat him.


Formula One stewards opened an immediate investigation after Rosberg, who had earlier set the pace, locked-up a front tyre on the way down to Mirabeau and went down the escape road in the dying seconds to avoid hitting the tyre wall.

The mistake brought out the yellow warning flags at a crucial moment in qualifying. Hamilton, winner of the last four races, was faster through the first sector but had to settle for second place on the starting grid after aborting his final lap.

“I thought it was over,” a smiling Rosberg, last year’s winner and Hamilton’s closest title rival, told reporters. “I’m happy it worked out. Pole at home is fantastic — it couldn’t be better.

“Of course I’m sorry for what happened to Hamilton. I didn’t know where exactly he was. But once I was reversing I didn’t see who was coming up. Of course it’s not great, but that’s the way it is,” he added.

Hamilton said, a forced smile on his face, that it was ‘ironic’ for his rival to secure pole in such a fashion and that he had been up a couple of tenths of a second.

The incident, and stewards’ actions, revived memories of Michael Schumacher’s infamous 2006 pole lap when the seven-times world champion blatantly blocked the Rascasse corner and prevented Renault’s Fernando Alonso from going faster.

After hours of deliberation, the German was sent to the back of the grid for an ‘incorrect action’.

Incident draws rivals’ attention

With Mercedes so dominant, the driver pairing is the talk of Formula One with all eyes watching for signs of their intense rivalry shifting up a gear into open feuding.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo will start in third place for Red Bull with quadruple world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel alongside on the second row, while the Ferrari pairing of Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen filled the third row.

“I think all three of us don’t seem to be too pleased with ourselves,” observed Ricciardo, sitting alongside Hamilton and Rosberg at a post-qualifying news conference. “I think we could have been much closer, so a little bit disappointed.”

Felipe Massa was furious when Caterham’s Swedish rookie Marcus Ericsson rammed the Brazilian’s Williams at Mirabeau in an incident that meant he could not take part in the second phase.

“I gave him the space and he went over my car,” said Massa. “I don’t know what more there is to say. The race tomorrow [Sunday] will be very tough. I feel disappointed.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2014.

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