The F1 smash hits

A doctrine of smash-and-grab driving, hopefully short of do-or-die, has invaded Formula One to such a degree the protests from the victims are as manifold as the incidents.

Accidental collisions are part and parcel of the grand prix melee when the hurly-burly action is close fought, and always have been, but a new level of carelessness has plunged the spectacle into disarray with a rush of irresponsible daredevilry.

So much so that there has been an upsurge in moans from drivers who would otherwise accept the threat of danger as a condition of the job.

A wilder element of drivers too bold for their own or anybody else’s good, or just plain stupid, has triggered the top men who have to go to work at 220-plus mph into retributionary complaint about the culprits.The latest, and fully justified, outburst comes from Nico Rosberg shunted out for the second race running last Sunday.

Bruno Senna clouted him onto the sidelines in Japan two weeks ago and in Korea he was taken out by Kamui Kobayashi.

The double dose of lax driving stirred the normally placid Rosberg to react: “Out of the race two weeks running has been really poor. And out on the first lap each time — terrible.

“There is a bunch of drivers who are pushing too much and taking too many risks. They need to calm down.”

And it doesn’t stop there.

Former champion Jenson Button was moved to fury as the second victim of blundering Kobayashi after being nudged into first-lap retirement by the Japanese.

It was a reckless incident that effectively wrecked Button’s chances of a second world championship.

“What an idiot!” was distraught McLaren ace Button’s raging comment on the Sauber driver over the radio to his pit-lane crew.

He added: “The race is not two corners long and some people need to learn that. Kobayashi wiped out two cars that had very good chances of scoring points.”

And afterwards he angrily dubbed him: “Kobacrashi,” adding, “it is pretty poor driving considering we are supposed to be at the pinnacle of motorsport.”

Romain Grosjean has been the biggest blameworthy offender, causing seven pile-ups, But now he has been joined in the grand prix dock by careless Kobacrashi.

And that’s a nickname he’ll never live down.