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• Ricciardo wins at Spa for Red Bull
• Aussie's second win in a row and third of year
• Mercedes drivers collide on lap two
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium - Australian Daniel Ricciardo won the 2014 Belgian Formula 1 GP for Red Bull on Sunday while Mercedes title rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton provided the first drama of the day by colliding on the second lap.
Hamilton failed to finish after fighting with a damaged car but Rosberg, blamed by his bosses and booed by the crowd on the podium, finished second to extend his championship lead to 29 points with seven of the 19 races remaining.
SECOND IN A ROW
The victory, on a surprisingly dry afternoon at a circuit famed for rapid changes in weather, was Ricciardo's second in succession and third of his first season with the reigning champions. It was also his team's second in succession in Belgium after four-times F1 champion Sebastian Vettel triumphed in 2013 and set off a run of nine wins in a row.
Finland's Valtteri Bottas was third for Williams.
Ricciardo's win was almost a sideshow to the major talking point, a further stirring up of already troubled waters at Mercedes. The team mates had been expected to dominate the race after qualifying on the front row but the intense rivalry between them blew up in their faces.
Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolf slammed the incident as “absolutely unacceptable” and blamed Rosberg, who refused to comment on the incident until he had seen replays. He then told the BBC: "Lap 2 of a long race and a crash between team mates, we have often discussed the situation and it happened today.
"You don't try to overtake with the knife between your teeth on Lap 2 and damage both cars."
'NOT CLEVER ENOUGH'
The team's non-executive chairman, Niki Lauda, was also fuming. "It is unacceptable. If these things happen at the end of the race, when they are fighting for the win, then you discuss it but on the second lap to hand the victory to Red Bull..." said the former champion.
"I thought they were clever enough to know that but obviously they aren't."
Hamilton passed pole-starter Rosberg at the start but his race was effectively over moments later when Rosberg tried to retake the lead in the misjudged move that would prove extremely costly for Hamilton. The German's front wing touched Hamilton's rear tyre and sliced it, leaving the Briton to nurse his car back to the pits in a trail of tyre debris.
He rejoined a minute behind Rosberg. After complaining that he had no downforce and repeatedly asking the team to save the engine, the Briton was recalled to the pits five laps from the end of the race and retired.
SUPPORT FOR HAMILTON
Mercedes has been struggling to keep the peace between the evenly matched team mates since the start of 2014 and arrived at Spa after a controversy in Hungary in July 2014 where a “team orders” controversy left Rosberg aggrieved.
Hamilton started from the pits in that race but finished third, with Rosberg going from pole to fourth and complaining that his team mate had not let him through. Then, as on Sunday, the team made clear its support for Hamilton and will have its work cut out again in the days ahead.
Wolff added: "This is a decisive moment in the battle between the two and for the team. Lewis is very upset... we kept him out there for a long time with a damaged car. He will recover quickly. It is going to be handled.”
Rosberg now has 220 points to Hamilton's 191 with Ricciardo moving closer on 156. Mercedes remains comfortably in front in the Constructors' championship with 411 points to Red Bull's 254.
FOUR-WAY BATTLE
Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth for Ferrari, the first time in 2014 that he has beaten Spanish team mate Fernando Alonso. Vettel was fifth.
Denmark's Kevin Magnussen was sixth, ahead of McLaren team mate Jenson Button and Alonso eighth after a thrilling four-way battle in the closing laps.
Mexican Sergio Perez took ninth for Force India and Russian rookie Daniil Kvyat grabbed the final point for Toro Rosso.
2014 Belgian Formula 1 GP result
1 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1hr24min36.556
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes +3.383
3 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams +28.032
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari +36.815
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull +52.196
6 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren +54.262
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren +54.580
8 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari +1min01.162
9 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India +1min04.293
10 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso +1min05.347
11 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India +1min05.697
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso +1min11.920
13 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams +1min15.975
14 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber +1min22.447
15 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber +1min30.825
16 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia +1 lap
17 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham +1 lap
18 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia +5 laps
Retired
Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes - 6 laps
Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - 11 laps
Andre Lotterer (Germany) Caterham - 43 laps
Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - 43 laps
Fastest lap: Nico Rosberg,1min50.511, Lap 36
Drivers’ and Constructors’ points
Drivers
1 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes - 220
2 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes - 191
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - 156
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari - 119
5 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - 110
6 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull - 98
7 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India - 69
8 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren - 66
9 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren - 45
10 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams - 40
11 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari - 39
12 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - 31
13 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - 11
14 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - 8
15 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso - 7
16 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - 2
17 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber - 0
18 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham - 0
19 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - 0
20 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - 0
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - 0
22 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham - 0
Constructors
1 Mercedes - 411
2 Red Bull - Renault - 254
3 Ferrari - 158
4 Williams-Mercedes - 150
5 McLaren - 111
6 Force India – Mercedes - 100
7 Toro Rosso - Renault 18
8 Lotus - Renault - 8
9 Marussia - Ferrari - 2
10 Sauber - Ferrari - 0
11 Caterham - Renault - 0
• Aussie's second win in a row and third of year
• Mercedes drivers collide on lap two
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium - Australian Daniel Ricciardo won the 2014 Belgian Formula 1 GP for Red Bull on Sunday while Mercedes title rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton provided the first drama of the day by colliding on the second lap.
Hamilton failed to finish after fighting with a damaged car but Rosberg, blamed by his bosses and booed by the crowd on the podium, finished second to extend his championship lead to 29 points with seven of the 19 races remaining.
SECOND IN A ROW
The victory, on a surprisingly dry afternoon at a circuit famed for rapid changes in weather, was Ricciardo's second in succession and third of his first season with the reigning champions. It was also his team's second in succession in Belgium after four-times F1 champion Sebastian Vettel triumphed in 2013 and set off a run of nine wins in a row.
Finland's Valtteri Bottas was third for Williams.
Ricciardo's win was almost a sideshow to the major talking point, a further stirring up of already troubled waters at Mercedes. The team mates had been expected to dominate the race after qualifying on the front row but the intense rivalry between them blew up in their faces.
Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolf slammed the incident as “absolutely unacceptable” and blamed Rosberg, who refused to comment on the incident until he had seen replays. He then told the BBC: "Lap 2 of a long race and a crash between team mates, we have often discussed the situation and it happened today.
"You don't try to overtake with the knife between your teeth on Lap 2 and damage both cars."
'NOT CLEVER ENOUGH'
The team's non-executive chairman, Niki Lauda, was also fuming. "It is unacceptable. If these things happen at the end of the race, when they are fighting for the win, then you discuss it but on the second lap to hand the victory to Red Bull..." said the former champion.
"I thought they were clever enough to know that but obviously they aren't."
Hamilton passed pole-starter Rosberg at the start but his race was effectively over moments later when Rosberg tried to retake the lead in the misjudged move that would prove extremely costly for Hamilton. The German's front wing touched Hamilton's rear tyre and sliced it, leaving the Briton to nurse his car back to the pits in a trail of tyre debris.
He rejoined a minute behind Rosberg. After complaining that he had no downforce and repeatedly asking the team to save the engine, the Briton was recalled to the pits five laps from the end of the race and retired.
SUPPORT FOR HAMILTON
Mercedes has been struggling to keep the peace between the evenly matched team mates since the start of 2014 and arrived at Spa after a controversy in Hungary in July 2014 where a “team orders” controversy left Rosberg aggrieved.
Hamilton started from the pits in that race but finished third, with Rosberg going from pole to fourth and complaining that his team mate had not let him through. Then, as on Sunday, the team made clear its support for Hamilton and will have its work cut out again in the days ahead.
Wolff added: "This is a decisive moment in the battle between the two and for the team. Lewis is very upset... we kept him out there for a long time with a damaged car. He will recover quickly. It is going to be handled.”
Rosberg now has 220 points to Hamilton's 191 with Ricciardo moving closer on 156. Mercedes remains comfortably in front in the Constructors' championship with 411 points to Red Bull's 254.
FOUR-WAY BATTLE
Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth for Ferrari, the first time in 2014 that he has beaten Spanish team mate Fernando Alonso. Vettel was fifth.
Denmark's Kevin Magnussen was sixth, ahead of McLaren team mate Jenson Button and Alonso eighth after a thrilling four-way battle in the closing laps.
Mexican Sergio Perez took ninth for Force India and Russian rookie Daniil Kvyat grabbed the final point for Toro Rosso.
2014 Belgian Formula 1 GP result
1 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1hr24min36.556
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes +3.383
3 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams +28.032
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari +36.815
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull +52.196
6 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren +54.262
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren +54.580
8 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari +1min01.162
9 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India +1min04.293
10 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso +1min05.347
11 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India +1min05.697
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso +1min11.920
13 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams +1min15.975
14 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber +1min22.447
15 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber +1min30.825
16 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia +1 lap
17 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham +1 lap
18 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia +5 laps
Retired
Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes - 6 laps
Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - 11 laps
Andre Lotterer (Germany) Caterham - 43 laps
Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - 43 laps
Fastest lap: Nico Rosberg,1min50.511, Lap 36
Drivers’ and Constructors’ points
Drivers
1 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes - 220
2 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes - 191
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - 156
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari - 119
5 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - 110
6 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull - 98
7 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India - 69
8 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren - 66
9 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren - 45
10 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams - 40
11 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari - 39
12 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - 31
13 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - 11
14 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - 8
15 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso - 7
16 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - 2
17 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber - 0
18 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham - 0
19 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - 0
20 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - 0
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - 0
22 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham - 0
Constructors
1 Mercedes - 411
2 Red Bull - Renault - 254
3 Ferrari - 158
4 Williams-Mercedes - 150
5 McLaren - 111
6 Force India – Mercedes - 100
7 Toro Rosso - Renault 18
8 Lotus - Renault - 8
9 Marussia - Ferrari - 2
10 Sauber - Ferrari - 0
11 Caterham - Renault - 0