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SPA, Belgium - Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he may not be able to trust his team mate Nico Rosberg in future on-track duels for the 2014 Drivers'title.
The 29-year-old Briton, forced to retire from Sunday's (Aug 24) Belgian GP after suffering a puncture when Rosberg drove into him on Lap 2, said he was uncertain how to approach the next race at Monza in Italy on September 7.
He had claimed that Rosberg admitted he had deliberately collided with him "to make a point" in but the German, who now leads the title race by 29 points, said it was only a racing incident.
'SUPPORT OF FANS WAS GREAT'
"Well, when you're out there you have to trust the people to think with their heads and don't do things deliberately," said Hamilton. "I don't really know how to approach the next race, but all I know is that I've got to push, I've got a long way to come back from it.
"What was great this weekend is the support that I've had from the fans. On the parade lap, when we went round, so many British flags were here, caps and team tops. I'm gutted that I wasn't able to get a result for them this weekend."
Hamilton and Rosberg have been involved in a series of incidents this season, but none raised the stakes as high, or so dramatically, as Rosberg's decision to hold his line and allow his front wing to clip Hamilton's left rear tyre.
'GOING TO BE EXCITING'
Hamilton added: "I can't imagine what the team would do now. We came in to this weekend with a really positive mind-set -- I really was excited. We had eight races (to go) and we're close - there's only 11 points in it - and I thought it was going to be good for all of us.
"Good racing... I thought this was going to be a track that was going to be exciting.
"It's interesting because we had that meeting on Thursday and Nico expressed how angry he was (about the Hungarian GP where Hamilton ignored a team request to allow him to pass). "I was thinking 'It's been three weeks and you've been lingering?!'
"He expressed how angry he was and he literally sat there and said how angry he was at Toto and Paddy but I thought we should be good after that... and then this result? It's interesting..."
WARNING FROM BOSSES
Hamilton was clearly pointing to the connection between Rosberg's smouldering mood and his aggressive misjudgement in Sunday's race when he could have lifted and steered his car out of danger. Instead, Rosberg kept his speed and racing line and the team, as well as each driver, paid the consequences.
Aggrieved and angry, the Mercedes bosses made clear they would reflect on the disgrace and chaos they experienced at seeing their two title contenders collide on only the second lap and would then make any decisions.
