Lewis Hamilton believes he would have won the United States Grand Prix regardless of team-mate Nico Rosberg’s mistake, which cost the German the lead in the closing stage of the race.
Hamilton won the race – and in the process the title – after Rosberg ran wide on lap 49 of 56 as he came under increasing pressure from a quicker Hamilton who had fresher tyres following a late stop under the Safety Car.
Despite the error, which Rosberg described as “very strange”, Hamilton reckons he would have found a way past in the final five laps of the race.
HOW TURN one PLAYED OUT in AUSTIN…
Was it too aggressive? (© Octane Photographic)
“Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but it doesn’t matter because I won the race so I feel pretty good about it,” he said after his team-mate criticised him for their opening lap clash.
“I don’t go to finish second. Growing up, as a family, we never had anything handed to us. Today, absolutely we fight for position in turn one but we went in so quick and I was on the inside, so we touched.
“Nico got back to the lead [later in the race]. But I was going to take him anyway. Somehow I was going to get past him in those last ten laps.”
The Briton is set to meet with Rosberg and the team to discuss the first lap contact before the Mexican GP next week, but Hamilton insists he did nothing wrong.
“I didn’t try and push him hard, it wasn’t intentional,” he said. “I just watched the replay, we were both on wets and the outside is always the grippier side. So Nico had the grippier line, but I was ahead, so it was my line.
“We went in and I started to turn but I understeered into him. He steered round and we touched.
“I don’t feel like I was aggressive, but at the end of the day I was on the inside so it was my line.”
Discussion about this post