Members of the Formula One community have differing opinions regarding the incident in the Belgian Grand Prix wherein Nico Rosberg clipped Lewis Hamilton’s W05 as he squeezed his way during lap two. The event led to the left puncture of the Briton’s car and eventually to his retirement.

The incident put Rosberg on a negative light, and fans even booed him during a post-match appearance. However, David Coulthard came to the defense of the German.

Although there was an alleged admission from Rosberg that what he did was a clumsy move, Coulthard believed it is unlikely that the German did it intentionally. The F1 Legend explained that while spectators may easily see the clash as a deliberate act, it is an unreasonable to assume such from a driver’s point of view.

Here are the arguments of Coulthard in his column in BBC Sport:

• F1 drivers know that using the front nose to nudge another car would most likely result to the loss of the poking car’s front wing.
• There is no way for a driver to accurately predict where to hit a rival’s tire to guarantee a puncture.

The former rival of Schumacher pointed out that Rosberg’s action was simply a result of a clumsily pulled stunt on the German’s part. He went on to say that Rosberg wanted to prove a point, to be more robust with Hamilton. But the move backfired as he is not as skilled as Hamilton in wheel-to-wheel driving. Coulthard reminded that the strength of Rosberg lies in his technical skills, so engaging Hamilton in the Briton’s own game is just wrong.

In another article from Coulthard from the same source, he later said that the tight competition between Hamilton and Rosberg is actually beneficial for F1. It gives fans of the sport a new rivalry to look forward to during this season.