The Mercedes drivers' charge for victory in Melbourne will be unfettered by 'team orders'. 16 years ago, McLaren enraged the spectators at Albert Park, having arrived for the 1998 season opener with its totally dominant car.
Now, the similarly-silver Mercedes cars are the class of the early 2014 field, but Nico Rosberg insists there will be no McLaren-style controversy this time.
"Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard had a deal in place in whichever driver got to the opening corner first would be allowed to win the race," he wrote in a column for the Daily Mail newspaper.
So when Hakkinen ran into mid-race trouble, Coulthard pulled over on the straight to let him back into the lead.
"I wouldn't like that," German Rosberg added, "and I don't think the team would either, so we are going to try and avoid such measures."
Team chairman Niki Lauda agrees that Rosberg and his teammate Lewis Hamilton will be free to race throughout the 2014 championship.
"They can race against each other and collect as many points as possible for the team," he told Germany's Sport1.
There have already been some signs of strain between the silver-clad duo, but Briton Hamilton insists he and Rosberg will cope with a heightened rivalry in 2014.
"Nico and I have known each other since we were 13," he is quoted in Melbourne by the Mirror. "We've raced and won and lost championships together.
"We will remain professional," he insisted.
No team orders at Mercedes for Melbourne
- Published on 15 Mar 2014 04:53
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- By: Danny Sosef
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
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Spain
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Driver profile
- Team Ferrari
- Points 3,680
- Podiums 137
- Grand Prix 241
- Country United Kingdom
- Date of b. Jan 7 1985 (41)
- Place of b. Tewin, United Kingdom
- Weight 68 kg
- Length 1.74 m
- 484,843 comments on Ferrari
67 members have this team as their favourite
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Team profile
- Team name McLaren
- Base Woking, United Kingdom
- Jenson Button 1
- Lewis Hamilton 1
- Fernando Alonso 1
- Niki Lauda 1
- Stoffel Vandoorne 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Gerhard Berger 2
- Daniel Ricciardo 3
- Jenson Button 3
- Lewis Hamilton 3
- Kimi Räikkönen 3
- Mika Häkkinen 3
- Lando Norris 4
- Lewis Hamilton 4
- Jenson Button 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Jenson Button 5
- Sergio Perez 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Niki Lauda 8
- Alain Prost 8
- Kimi Räikkönen 9
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Kevin Magnussen 20
- Jenson Button 22
- Lewis Hamilton 22
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Stoffel Vandoorne 47
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- Oscar Piastri 81
- 306,624 comments on McLaren
- 163 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about McLaren
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