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Lauda: Mercedes threatened to release Rosberg and Hamilton during F1 spat

Mercedes non-executive chairman Lauda opens up on the effect the Rosberg-Hamilton rivalry had on the Mercedes team.

Mercedes threated to release Formula 1 drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton from their contracts at the height of their rivalry in 2016 in a bid to stop on-track clashes, according to non-executive chairman Niki Lauda.

Rosberg and Hamilton were teammates from 2013 to 2016 at Mercedes, and went head-to-head for the drivers' championship in each of their final three years together, resulting in a number of tense moments.

On-track incidents at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix, 2016 Spanish Grand Prix and 2016 Austrian Grand Prix were flashpoints in the Rosberg-Hamilton rivalry, with Lauda revealing Mercedes threatened to sack them if they could not behave.

Zdroj: crash.net