Schumacher urges Mercedes to “intervene now” after Hamilton-Russell tangle

Hamilton spun Russell at Turn 1 on the opening lap of the race as he attempted to overtake his teammate and Max Verstappen.

The seven-time world champion took “full responsibility” for the collision which cost Mercedes a good chance of finishing on the podium in Qatar.

Russell ultimately recovered to fourth, while Hamilton was out on the opening lap.

Tensions continue to simmer between the two Mercedes drivers after the pair raced each other hard in the Japanese Grand Prix.

Speaking on Sky Deutschland, Schumacher - who won seven races in his F1 career - called for Mercedes to get involved from a management perspective.

“Lewis gives in too early, simply doesn’t give George enough space,” he said.  “The Mercedes were strong, they threw away good points. 

“There’s a bit of work to be done between the two now. You can deal with each other either way, the team has to intervene now.”

Nico Rosberg also gave his view of the incident.

“There’s not that much to discuss,” he added. “It’s relatively one-sided. “Lewis tried it on the outside because he had the soft tyres. 

“He was very fast, had a lot of grip. But then he misjudged something, he pulled in a little too early. 

“The mistake wasn’t a big one, but it had big consequences. Of course, something like that shouldn’t happen.”