user icon
icon
link-icon
<< Return to the news list
Prost advice helped contain Mercedes rivalry - Wolff

Prost advice helped contain Mercedes rivalry - Wolff

  • Published on 17 Dec 2014 12:47
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra
Alain Prost gave Mercedes crucial advice early this year to help avoid a repeat of his troubled pairing with Ayrton Senna in the late 80s. Only in the past days has the bitter extent of the intra-team championship clash between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg become clearer.

Briton Hamilton suspected Rosberg deliberately faked a mistake to spoil his qualifying session at Monaco, and a few months later at Spa all-out "war" was declared as the pair collided. It reminded many observers of the iconic Prost versus Senna battles of 1988 and 1989, when the fiery duo went head-to-head as dominant McLaren teammates.

Mercedes' similar 2014 clash was managed by relative team boss newcomer Toto Wolff, who confirmed to Italy's Autosprint this week that he took advice straight from Frenchman Prost's mouth. "You have to learn from past mistakes," Wolff said. "I discussed it a bit with Niki Lauda when we signed Hamilton and Rosberg."

"Then at the beginning of this season I was talking with Prost and I asked him his opinion about what I should do not to fall into the same all-out war situation he had with Ayrton," Austrian Wolff explained. "Then he said the magic word -- transparency. He told me that at the time McLaren did not act in a transparent way with the drivers. Perhaps because Senna was the last to arrive so he was the novelty."

"Prost said that in the end he couldn't understand how the team was organised as disagreements and rivalries between the drivers spread to the mechanics. The team was split in two. So Alain gave me very precise advice not to do the same. (He said) 'Put the two drivers on an even footing and tell everyone exactly the same things. Do not play favourites. It is the only way to contain the rivalry'. And so I did. It was one of the most important lessons I have learned about becoming a good team leader," Wolff added. (GMM)
F1 News Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg Mercedes McLaren

Replies (0)

Login to reply

BE Grand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

BEGrand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

World Championship standings 2023

Pos
Team
Points
1
Red Bull Racing
822
2
Mercedes
392
3
Ferrari
390
4
McLaren
284
5
Aston Martin
272
6
Alpine F1
120
7
Williams
27
8
Alpha Tauri
21
9
Alfa Romeo Racing
16
10
Haas F1
12
Show full world champion standings

Test calendar

Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing

See full test schedule

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2023

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
3 - Mar 5
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
31 - Apr 2
Australia
Albert Park
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
5 - May 7
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
19 - May 21
Italy
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
26 - May 28
Monaco
Monte Carlo
2 - Jun 4
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
16 - Jun 18
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
30 - Jul 2
Austria
Red Bull Ring
7 - Jul 9
United Kingdom
Silverstone
21 - Jul 23
Hungary
Hungaroring
28 - Jul 30
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
25 - Aug 27
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
1 - Sep 3
Italy
Monza
15 - Sep 17
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
22 - Sep 24
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
6 - Oct 8
Qatar
Losail International Circuit
20 - Oct 22
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
27 - Oct 29
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
3 - Nov 5
Brazil
Interlagos
17 - Nov 19
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
24 - Nov 26
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2023

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
3 - Mar 5
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Mar 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
31 - Apr 2
Australia Albert Park
28 - Apr 30
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
5 - May 7
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
19 - May 21
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
26 - May 28
Monaco Monte Carlo
2 - Jun 4
Spain Circuit de Catalunya
16 - Jun 18
Canada Gilles Villeneuve
30 - Jul 2
Austria Red Bull Ring
7 - Jul 9
United Kingdom Silverstone
21 - Jul 23
Hungary Hungaroring
28 - Jul 30
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
25 - Aug 27
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
1 - Sep 3
Italy Monza
15 - Sep 17
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
22 - Sep 24
Japan Circuit Suzuka
6 - Oct 8
Qatar Losail International Circuit
20 - Oct 22
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
27 - Oct 29
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
3 - Nov 5
Brazil Interlagos
17 - Nov 19
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
24 - Nov 26
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Driver profile

GB Lewis Hamilton 44
Lewis Hamilton
  • Team Mercedes
  • Points 3,154
  • Podiums 127
  • Grand Prix 184
  • Country GB
  • Date of b. Jan 7 1985 (38)
  • Place of b. Tewin, GB
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.74 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Mercedes
Mercedes
Show full profile
show sidebar