F1 driver NICO ROSBERG accused F1 world champion LEWIS HAMILTON of "selfishly compromising his race" as old tensions between the Mercedes teammates "flared up" at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, according to Abhishek Takle of REUTERS. Hamilton led from start to finish, with Rosberg finishing second, but there "more recriminations than celebrations afterwards." After "accusing Hamilton in a news conference of 'just thinking about yourself' as he controlled the pace," Rosberg said his afternoon had been "compromised" by his teammate driving too slowly. Rosberg said, "Did Lewis do it on purpose or not? I don’t know. I can’t answer that. But he said in the press conference he was just thinking about himself." Hamilton "shrugged off" the criticism. Hamilton: "It’s not my job to look after Nico’s race." The spat "revived memories of last year's flashpoints between the two," particularly in Belgium and Monaco, when the team had to intervene. Mercedes Exec Dir TOTO WOLFF and Non-Exec Chair NIKI LAUDA said that the latest spat "would be managed internally, but saw little fault in what Hamilton had done." Lauda:
"They sit down, they have a briefing, they cool down and I think it will be stopped quickly" (REUTERS, 4/12).
