Fans can watch the Italian Grand Prix online and watch as the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, heat up.
Two weeks ago at the Belgian Grand Prix, Rosberg collided with Hamilton, according to BBC . The collision caused a punctured tire that effectively ended Hamilton’s race, while Rosberg finished second, giving him a 29-point lead in the championship with seven races left. Hamilton was quick to blame Rosberg for the wreck.
“We just had a meeting about it and he basically said he did it on purpose. He said he could have avoided it, but he didn’t want to. He basically said, ‘I did it to prove a point’.”
Mercedes Formula 1 chief Toto Wolff has made it clear, according to BBC , that he will have zero tolerance for such shenanigans at the Italian Grand Prix, or moving forward.
“We would have to take decisions and take the consequences of having a different line-up. If we are not able to manage the two of them following the Mercedes-Benz spirit then we need to admit that.”
At Italian Grand Prix practice on Friday, Hamilton was able to secure a “searing” (according to BBC Sport writer Andrew Benson) first-place win, while his Mercedes teammate Rosberg was only able to finish third. Fellow Brit Jesnon Button took second; meaning that if the pattern set at practice holds on race day, the British may well dominate this year’s Italian Grand Prix.
In other Italian Grand Prix news, The Telegraph reports that the FIA continues to be concerned about declining television viewers, and declining attendance, at Formula One races, particularly in Italy. Telegraph F1 writer Daniel Johnson blames the Italians’ lack of enthusiasm on vehicle modification that have made the cars less exciting to watch – at least, for Italians – and poor results from the Ferrari team.
While the new engine sound may have played a role – Italians are petrolheads through and through – Ferrari’s dismal form once again seems to have been the primary cause.
Organizers of the Italian Grand Prix are doing their part to help attendance, offering 40 percent discounts on tickets, which cost a whopping €400 ($529.73) for a grandstand seat! And only one quarter of tickets have been sold, as of this post.
Fans who want to watch the Italian Grand Prix online can click here for streaming video through NBC Live Extra.
[Image courtesy of: Car And Driver ]