Former Mercedes Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg has defended the Brackley outfit's team orders during the Dutch Grand Prix.
The race at Zandvoort was heavily disrupted on the opening lap when Red Bull's Max Verstappen suffered a massive crash, resulting in a red flag. Following the restart and a subsequent late virtual safety car, Kimi Antonelli pitted for soft tyres while George Russell stayed out to maintain track position.
Mercedes ultimately instructed Russell to yield to his team-mate. The Briton argued over the team radio that the swap risked throwing away a double podium. He then had to fend off the charging Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the closing laps of the race to hold onto third.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Rosberg defended Mercedes' pitwall decision.
"The team is under threat, and the two drivers have to drive for the team. In my time also, I had to let Lewis past once in Monaco, even though we were fighting for the championship against each other," the 2016 champion explained.
"Here it's the same situation, the team result was under threat by the two Ferraris behind, so you have to apply team orders, and they have to follow them, and I think it was fair play. George did a fantastic job to hold on to that third place."
Acknowledging Russell's point on the team radio, Rosberg added: "The expectation at the time was that George was really going to struggle with pace and that the Ferraris would therefore threaten not only his position but also Kimi Antonelli's position if Kimi was stuck behind George.
"So it really risks both positions at the same time. It's a tough one, it's really a horrible decision to make. I would not want to be in their position. And if I was in George's place, it would hurt so much. It would be a disaster. But it's somewhat understandable because I do know the team rules very precisely."
Russell admitted after the race that it was the right decision by the team. "Kimi was ahead of me anyway, so he deserved to finish ahead. Of course, when you're in the race, you want to fight for every single position," he said.
Photos from Dutch GP - Sunday
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