Nico Rosberg has denied Lewis Hamilton’s accusation that he had bragged about deliberately crashing into him at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, saying his recollection of their chat was ‘very different’. While Rosberg made his first reaction to his title rival’s claims, the Mercedes management were busily applying sticking plaster to their battered team and their conficting stories in an attempt —probably successful —– to avoid punishment for the incident. Rosberg and Mercedes were all responding to the most explosive moment of the 2014 Formula One world championship. It took place over two floors of the Mercedes motorhome — the glistening, portable team hospitality area — in the Spa paddock an hour-and-a-half after the race.
@highlight
Nico Rosberg denies Lewis Hamilton's claim that the German bragged about their crash which forced the Brit to retire from the Belgian Grand Prix
@highlight
Rosberg wrecked Hamilton's race after the German's front right-wing endplate hit the Brit's left-rear tyre to cause a puncture
@highlight
Hamilton claimed Rosberg told him he did it on purpose after the race
@highlight
Hamilton: ‘I was gobsmacked. He (Rosberg) basically said he did it on purpose. He said he could have avoided it. He said he did it to prove a point'
@highlight
Rosberg said his recollection of their post-race chat was 'very different'
@highlight
Drivers gave press conferences on separate floors of Mercedes motorhome
@highlight
Rosberg finished second in Spa to extend lead over Hamilton to 29 points
@highlight
A Mercedes spokesman said the pair would be present at sponsor event in Stuttgart on Wednesday despite the fall-out from the crash
August 24: The two drivers collide on lap two in Belgium, with @placeholder later admitting he did not try to prevent the crash.