Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is reportedly threatening to quit the team due to the clash that has been building all year between him and teammate Nico Rosberg, which reached its peek in the Belgian Grand Prix when the German collided with him while disputing the race lead.
Although Australia's Daniel Ricciardo won the race, the focus of attention was firmly trained on Mercedes following Hamilton's bombshell revelation that Nico Rosberg admitted that he had failed to avoid the crash on purpose.
The explosive claims have left Mercedes in a state of disarray and Formula One in possession of arguably the most acrimonious teammate pairing since Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, Fox News reported.
Former Formula One champion Niki Lauda admits that there is tension in the Mercedes camp, and feels the team needs time to cool off following the clash between Hamilton and Rosberg in Belgium.
According to British media reports Hamilton and Rosberg are at outright war with each other, plunging their Mercedes team into meltdown and the seemingly irrevocable breakdown in relations between the pair may cause The Brit to leave the team in 15 months' time.
It was reportedly revealed that the 2008 world champion's 17 million pounds-a-year contract with Mercedes expires at the end of next season and he has yet to agree new terms.
However, Hamilton might now reportedly be reconsidering his options as Rosberg has already been confirmed for the next three years.
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The reports also suggested that Sunday's collision during the Belgian Grand Prix was an accident waiting to happen but one accelerated by the breakdown in trust between Rosberg and Hamilton in Budapest last month.
It has also been suggested that there seems no doubt that Rosberg is willing to play dirty to win the world championship, the report added.
