Hamilton ‘smashed up suite’ during feud with F1 teammate

LEWIS Hamilton threatened to ‘destroy everything’ as he ‘smashed up’ his changing room during his bitter feud with a teammate, racing veteran Niki Lauda has claimed.

The British Formula One world champion has been involved in a series of bitter clashes with his Mercedes colleague Nico Rosberg this season.

Now Lauda, the Mercedes chairman, has told how he saw the ‘wild’ racer having a tantrum in the trackside trailer.

It comes days after the rivals were branded ‘brainless’ by their team boss Toto Wolff after they crashed for the second time in weeks. Mercedes chiefs are considering imposing strict orders to prevent the pair from having another altercation at this weekend’s British Grand Prix in Silverstone.

Former three-time world champion Lauda revealed Hamilton, right, had the meltdown after crashing during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June. Rosberg went on to win the race and now leads Hamilton in the battle to be world champion.

When Lauda tried to talk to Hamilton, the enraged star told him he would ‘destroy everything’ in the trackside trailer used by the Mercedes team.

Lauda said: ‘He did it because he had crashed. He’ll have to pay for that [the destroyed room]. You can count on that.’

The Austrian racing legend also accused Hamilton of lying when he claimed his relationship with Rosberg had improved.

Hamilton, 31, said they had more respect for each other than ever. But Lauda said: ‘Lewis lied. He wanted to be the softener in order to have his peace last weekend.’