Nico Rosberg, Martin Brundle disagree in "100%" blame verdict on Lewis Hamilton-Charles Leclerc clash

Nico Rosberg has disagreed with Martin Brundle as he put “100%” of the blame for the clash between Ferrari Formula 1 team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on the latter. 

The Ferrari drivers nearly came to blows at the first chicane as they battled it out over third place after starting together on the second row of the grid at Monza. 

Hamilton made an aggressive late dive down the inside of Leclerc into the braking zone, but Leclerc held his nerve on the outside, which became the inside for the following left-hander. 

Seven-time world champion Hamilton was squeezed out onto the gravel and plummeted down the order in a nightmare start for Ferrari, which got worse when Leclerc suffered a hard crash at the Parabolica at the end of the second lap. 

Former F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 analyst Brundle was quick to absolve Leclerc of blame. 

"So Leclerc was far enough ahead on the inside of the corner there," Brundle said. "I don't think Leclerc would have taken a penalty, which is rather incidental now, of course.

"Lewis dived down the inside of him into the first apex - fair enough. That's motor racing. Then goes to the outside, which was bold. Leclerc, I think, at the apex was ahead. He was far enough ahead. And on the inside, which is another key element.”

Asked by Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft if Leclerc could have left Hamilton more room, Brundle replied: "Probably, if he had enough command over his front tyres, which are not up to pressure and temperature. 

“I suspect he wasn't overly pleased to have... no, he just understeers wide. You can see. He turns the wheel and the car didn't bite. And that's very normal on the first lap.

"If Charles had more command over his front, you can say he should have left his team-mate [more room]. I suspect he was pretty underwhelmed with what happened on the way into the first corner!”

‘No way Martin!’ - Rosberg questions Brundle’s take 

But Rosberg had a different take on the near-collision and was adamant that it was “100 percent Charles’ fault”. 

"That's an easy one,” Rosberg said. “The rules are, if the driver on the outside - which in this case is Lewis - is ahead at some point towards the apex, then the inside must leave room. 

“It's very straightforward and simple. Lewis was ahead going in, so Charles has to leave room, and he didn't. So it's 100 percent Charles' fault. The rule is very clear. It is written in black and white. I can tell you which page - page 11.”

When Brundle responded saying he had called the incident in “exactly the opposite way”, Rosberg jokingly replied: "No way! Martin, I thought you knew what you were talking about usually!”

Brundle added: "I think that Charles had the inside line. He was far enough ahead. My call is that I think he was a bit upset with what happened on the way into the first corner.”

On this, Rosberg was in agreement, with the 2016 world champion saying: “That’s true. Lewis was too aggressive."