04/07/2016
NEWS STORY
As Mercedes ponders introducing team orders following Red Bull Ring clash, Lewis Hamilton admits he dreads the idea.
Speaking in the wake of yesterday's controversial last lap clash, an apoplectic Toto Wolff could barely contain his anger and frustration.
Describing the incident as "brainless", he continued: "Cars colliding seems deja-vu. It's absolutely not what we want.
"We are looking like a bunch of idiots," he told Sky Sports F1, "and it's disrespectful to 1,500 people who work their nuts off to prepare the cars and this is why it needs to end.
"It seems that talking doesn't bring us any further," he continued, sounding like an angry parent sick and tired of his kids fighting and squabbling, "so we need to think about all possible solutions and go as far as implementing the not very popular team orders.
"I hate team orders," he admitted, "we owe it to the fans to let them race but if every race ends up in a collision between team-mates, it's not what we want."
However, it's not just race fans who shudder at the thought of team orders, so too does Hamilton.
"I want to race," he said, according to Motorsport.com. "I grew up wanting to race. I wanted to get to F1, race the best and be the best, by out-driving another individual.
"They showed a replay of Michael and Barrichello many years ago," he continued, referring to the infamous incident in 2002 - ironically at this very same circuit, when the Brazilian capitulated to his teammate on the run to the line, provoking fury among fans and the sport's powers-that-be, "and I was disappointed as a fan back then.
"You never want to see team orders happening," said the Briton. "The great thing is Toto and Niki have been great and allow us to race, and that is what racing is about.
"It is not always going to be blue skies and perfect, but that is motor racing. Every engineer and mechanic has been through Formula Ford and Formula Renault and all the different categories. They have seen the good and the bad and know these things can happen. We are driving at 200-plus mph. You expect us to drive around and never, never, never have a problem? I doubt it.
"I hope it doesn't change and I hope we can continue to race," he concluded. "That is my honest opinion from a love of this sport."