Mercedes F1 Boss Toto Wolff Vehemently Denies Race Fixing Claims

The Mercedes F1 team has denied controversial claims regarding Lewis Hamilton's race win at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend.

The British driver took victory ahead of his teammate Nico Rosberg in Monza, but he only got the lead following two mistakes by the German on the same spot at turn one.

Hamilton, who was in second place was closing in on his teammate in the lead, when Rosberg out braked himself missing the chicane and running straight through the escape road, thus handing Hamilton the lead, and it was the second time in the afternoon that Rosberg had committed the same mistake.

Three time F1 world champion Jackie Stewart's comments following the race suggested that Rosberg committed the error deliberately and gifted Hamilton victory to make up for the crash he caused at the previous grand prix in Spa-Francorchamps.

"It was a bit too easy. I thought [Rosberg] could have at least made an effort to get round the corner," Stewart said, as quoted by the BBC.

"I first thought, 'That's wise', because he knew it wasn't a difficult thing to believe; the second time I thought: 'Hello, what's going on here?'"

However, Mercedes sports boss Toto Wolff has categorically denied these allegations, suggesting it was the pressure of the World Championsip fight that caused the driver's error.

"Only a paranoid mind could come up with such an idea. You mean whether we told him to miss the braking, go through the chicane and let Lewis past?" Wolff said.

"No. This is for the drivers' world championship. He was under pressure and that was why it happened," the Mercedes sports boss added.

Meanwhile, Rosberg has admitted that he 'messed up' as he was trying to push harder as he was aware of Hamilton catching him at a fast pace.

"Lewis was quick and I had to step up my game and tried to get that little bit extra out of it and I messed up," Rosberg said, as quoted in the Daily Mail.

But the current Drivers' Championship leader revealed that he could have made the corner, but would have had to forego his strategy as his tyres would have been ruined if he had tried to break into the corner.

"I could have made the corner but the risk is so big that my front tyre would be square from the lock-up, so the safer way, and the best way, and the only way was to go straight on. At least I would not have to do another pit stop and change tyres," the German driver added.