Rosberg Penalized For Last-Lap Collision with Hamilton

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief

Nico Rosberg received a 10-second time penalty for his part in the final lap crash with teammate Lewis Hamilton in the Austrian Grand Prix.

However, the penalty does not hinder the German’s finishing position of fourth.

Rosberg also had two penalty points added to his superlicense.

Stewards felt the Formula 1 championship points leader was to blame for the collision and was also reprimanded for continuing the race with a damaged car.

“Having taken note of the extensive evidence given by both drivers and the video and telemetry data, it was apparent that Car 44 (Hamilton) was in front of Car 6 (Rosberg) – i.e. more than fully alongside – and that the driver of Car 44 could have clearly made the turn (Turn 2) on the track, if not for the resultant collision. Car 6 did not allow Car 44 “racing room” and hence the driver of Car 6 was responsible for the collision,” the stewards said in a statement.

The stewards also discussed the front wing damage to Rosberg’s Mercedes and took into account the situation.

“Article 22.11of the Formula One Sporting Regulations requires a driver with serious mechanical difficulties to leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so,” the stewards continued. “We do note the extenuating circumstances and the fact that the driver of Car 6 (Rosberg) did slow down significantly and attempted to mitigate the risk to other drivers and cars.”

About Joey Barnes 596 Articles
Joey Barnes is the Founder of Motorsports Tribune, an outlet that began with the goal of helping aspiring journalists break into and grow the industry. A regular on the racing scene since 2013, the journey for Joey started by covering a Grand-Am event at Circuit of The Americas in his home state of Texas. He has since primarily focused on the IndyCar Series, with appearances in the garages of NASCAR, paddocks of Formula 1, IMSA and World Endurance Championship, while also occasionally engulfing clouds of dust at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals and select Supercross rounds. With previous stops at Autoweek, IndyCar.com, Motorsport.com and RACER, among others, Joey evolved from the singular task as a freelance writer to advanced roles behind the copy desk and alongside some of the best editorial teams in the business. Recognized as a multi-time award winner by the National Motorsports Press Association, Joey currently resides in Dallas-Fort Worth with his trusty four-legged canine companion, Rocket.

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