Chastened Rosberg ‘not proud’ of Spa role

As Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg addressed the Formula One media for the first time since departing Spa at war, the body language expressed by the Mercedes drivers spoke volumes.

In front of a crammed press conference room at Monza, the circuit the scene of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, all eyes were unsurprisingly trained on the duelling duo.

For the most part, Hamilton was relaxed, taking the questions in his stride, smiling profusely at one point when Fernando Alonso — sat in between the pair — put his arm around the Briton when the Spaniard was asked if he could be an “ambassador for peace”.

At the other end of the front row was Rosberg, giving off an air of someone who wished to be anywhere else other than in that room being grilled by the media.

Credit to Rosberg, he did not duck the issues at hand, but he was mainly hard faced, suggesting the last two weeks had been a strain.

Rosberg was handed a six-figure fine by the team for colliding with Hamilton on lap two of the Belgian Grand Prix which, in the words of Williams’ Felipe Massa, “destroyed” the Briton’s race.

The upside for Rosberg is he came away from Spa with a 29-point lead over Hamilton with just seven races remaining.

The downside has been the fact he was forced to admit he was in the wrong, the criticism he faced from his team bosses and the backlash in general from many observers.

Asked as to what had persuaded him to apologise, after insisting fiercely on Sunday in Belgium and in his video blog the day after that what transpired was “a racing incident”, Rosberg said: “Just with time.

“I took the week to think about it, had a look at it and discussed it with the team last Friday, and in the end decided it was me who should take responsibility for it.

“It definitely was a decision that came from me after hearing people’s opinions and having looked at it myself again. I felt it was my responsibility.

“I definitely was not proud of the way it went because in general I really want to contribute to ‘my sport’.”

Rosberg now finds himself in the uncomfortable position of villain, a role he is unfamiliar with given his previously clean Formula One career.

That much was evident at Spa when he was roundly booed by many fans on four separate occasions during his time on the podium.

Wounded by such a response, Rosberg added: “It was definitely not a nice feeling to hear boos towards me.

“I understand, because they (the fans) travel a long way, some of them, to watch a great, exciting race, a big battle between Lewis and I, and they didn’t get that. I understand that and I accept that.”

Just as Rosberg now accepts motorsport’s number one rule — do not crash into your team-mate.

“It’s been very clear from the beginning we must not have contact between us,” added Rosberg.

From Hamilton’s perspective, it is a future where ‘trust’ in Rosberg seemingly no longer exists.

“Trust is a big word and it’s not something I would particularly apply to racing on the track,” said Hamilton.