Lewis Hamilton denies that he needs to apologise to Max Verstappen following their clash on the opening lap of Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
On the way into Copse corner, Hamilton attempted to overtake his title rival for the lead – but contact was made, which eliminated Verstappen in a high-speed clash with the barrier.
Hamilton received a 10-second time penalty for the incident, as well as two penalty points on his super licence.
The Mercedes driver went on to win the race, with Verstappen labelling the post-grand prix celebrations as “disrespectful and unsportsmanlike”.
However, Hamilton says that while he was concerned that Verstappen was taken to hospital for precautionary checks, he doesn’t think there is reason to apologise.
“I don’t think I’m in the position to have to apologise for anything, we’re out there racing,” Hamilton said.
“I heard Max is in hospital and that definitely concerns me. None of us ever want any of us to ever get injured, that’s never my intention, so I really hope he’s OK.
“I’ll hit him up after this just to check he’s okay, and we live to fight another day. There’ll be a lot of tough races coming up and we have to learn to strike a decent balance.
“I don’t agree with the stewards but I take my penalty on the chin and get on with my job.
“I’m not going to whine about it, everyone’s going to have a different opinion, I don’t really care what people think. I do what I do and am really grateful for today.”
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner stated after the race that it was a “hallow victory” for Hamilton, however the seven-time world champion disagrees.
“It doesn’t feel hollow,” Hamilton said. “There’s 2000 people that work incredibly hard in my team, it’s not just about me naturally, of course this is not the way I want anything to happen in the race.
“I think it’s important for all of us to take a step back. I’m sure emotions are running high there, I know what it is like to lose points within a team and be in that position so I don’t feel any way about it.”
Hamilton is a dirty bastard. He is an out and out cheat and the penalty he received was grossly insufficient. The start of today’s race was almost a replay of Monza 2018 when Hamilton tapped Vettel’s rear left with his front right at turn one, but failed to spin him out so went back in at La Roggia chicane and hit Vettel’s car even harder, sending him spinning off the track. Countless times he has foced opponents off the track far more brutally than did Norris and Perez when they received penalties in Austria, yet he repeatedly gerts away with it. Helmut Marko is correct. He should be stripped of the win and banned from at least one race as punishment for his deliberate ramming of Verstappen. He could have killed Verstappen, and wouldn’t have been in the slightest concerned if he had. Leclerc had to jump out of the way in fear for his life at the same corner. Hamilton is a dirty and dangerous driver and needs, however belatedly, to be given punishment which reflects that fact.
Seriously dude, check your eyes and climb down off Max’s dick.
If you think that way then your memory is as bad as your eyes . Max has tried so many times in dangerous positions and Hamilton has at least twice this season backed out.
This time he didn’t and Max turned in and got what was nothing more than a racing incident pure and simple. The operative word being racing here.
All part of the sport.
And as for Christian H & Helmut the Dick with their outbursts just shows how shit their memories are also.
Stones in glass houses is the phrase, now jog on and wipe your 😢 little man.
That’s a feeble attempt to try and justify what was a pre-meditated and dangerous piece of dirty driving, designed to put an opponent out of the race with no care whatsoever for what the consequences could be from the resulting crash.
Adrian If you believe Hamilton’s words that he was ahead and in the right to take the line he did then you concede Verstappen was in the right to hold the line he did when Hamilton had to back out. I’m not usually one to comment but your arguement seems to fight itself here…
You can’t call it a racing incident when the.line Hamilton was on took him straight through the apex, he did turn the wheel until he was through turn. Watch the replay Hamilton could not make the turn and it is obvious that he stuck.his nose in knowing he could not make the turn. The angle he was taking would put him through the turn and on the outside of the corner before he could finish his turn. Hamilton was desperate for a win, and if he were the one in the hospital he would have raised hell. He is a bit spoiled, did you see that servant of his was following him with a blower to help keep the poor baby cool. I hope his umbrella protected the poor thing from the hot sun.
Hi Robert, I think they punished him didn’t they?
Crashstappen is the dirty driver and Horner loves to talk on the telley each race about something.
You shouldn’t be able to post when you call people names you racist P___K.
Hamilton is a cheat, pure and simple, has no regard for other drivers safety and should have been stripped of his ‘victory’ and given a one race ban as well. He has now met his match and Mercedes will employ dirty tactics in an effort to try to ensure that their spoilt ‘boy blunder’ wins the championship. The stewards lacked balls to make the correct decision. Shocking !!
As Hamilton said “I don’t agree with the stewards” “I don’t really care what people think.” ” I do what I do and am really grateful for today.” Those comments say a lot about Hamilton. Dami is right.
Watch Senna on Prost at Suzuka if you want to see a true psychopath in a F1 race.
MV has to learn the hard way, it seems. hHe´s run very close to the edge many times and once in a while it goes pear-shaped. Max also had choices in the situation, didn´t have to claim the line and would then have 70 something laps to regain the lead.
This was racing, No-one wants to see big accidents, but honestly….the lady doth protest too much
It appears the Lady (you) still protests. I bet you have a poster of Hamilton in a speedo on your wall.
I seem to recall a dnf comment from Lewis …just one away. Well SLH got his way.
I believe the refs got it right and Lewis’ saying it isn’t so doesn’t wash.
Man up Lewis and I know you’re not a selfish man but think about all those little kids who adore you. Do it for the kids. And maybe your legacy will follow.
Just kidding you won’t because you have no class which you have shown.
Why are crashstappen’s front wheels pointing for a right turn when Hamiltons are pointed straight?
Crashstappen was pinching him in and was hoping Lewis would back off. Have you also noticed Christian Horner has an opinion about everything? He likes to talk on the telley vision.
Verstappens wheels are pointed for a right turn as the track goes right, why weren’t SLH wheels pointing for a right turn? He just wanted to eliminate his opponent.
The fact that he claims the way the wheels were pointing is evidence in Hamilton’s favour indicates that either he is terminally biased, or he is an idiot.
Max turned right because he followed the bend to the right, if he hadn’t he would have crashed out of the corner like Leclerc 2 laps from finish when Lewis again at the same spot pushed through the corner. Wyhy does Ham not overtake on a straight track, why squeeze through the narrowest gap when he has all that space on a straight track? And why did he have to elbow his way through the way he did on the first lap when he could have overtaken any time in the rest of the 52 laps. Because he’s greedy and desperate to win his 8th championship to outdo Michael Schumacher. Winning is addictive and dangerous.
Lewis Hamilton gets more repulsive with each passing race weekend. It’s becoming more and more difficult to even watch F1 because of his downright bizarre behavior and comments towards other drivers and situations. He is so condescending towards other drivers, and he is completely out of touch with reality and nothing that comes out of his mouth seems sincere at all. This is definitely not the same Lewis Hamilton that used to be my favorite driver back in the day — he was much more mature, disciplined, and far more personable when he first started at McLaren. I really thought he would become the next Senna and be just as respected, but most fans are now finally coming around to what some of us started to notice about 10 years ago after he hired a hip hop management company to manage his F1 career. He then morphed into a very confused virtue signaling-adult toddler who has accumulated an ungodly amount of money (and he and his family weren’t exactly poor to begin with, despite his revision of history), who constantly surrounds himself with handlers and celebrities who are famous for being famous because he probably no longer has any real friends in life. He started segregating himself from the rest of the paddock and no one else on the grid seems to particularly like him, including any of his ex-teammates; and he seems to have a lot of ex-friends, including those who made his career (but you’ll never hear him mention those people any longer because his gimmick is now being a self-made man and no one gave him anything because of his skin color — right).
The story of Lewis Hamilton is actually very sad — to see a once great man and talent turn into the desperate attention-seeking human that is he now. Lewis needs to walk away from the sport and get his head straight, because he seems like a mess.
I agree with these comments, I too loved Lewis because of his racing and his lovely personality, but now he’s a changed man, clinging onto Tom Cruise and any celebrity he can find on the way.
As for the Silverstone race 2 weeks ago, he only won the race because he crashed Max off the track, then Bottas was told to let him pass and to top it all he pushed Leclerc off the track. Call that a Victory? Winning is addictive and dangerous.
Lost any respect for Hamilton my opinion he cheated he has enough experience to avoid Max. He was not going to let max win in front of his home crowd at any cost. No longer a Lewis supporter its Max and Redbull for me all the way.
Hats off to you Ying, great statement.
Hamilton knew exactly what he was doing when he took Max out. Whatever it took to win in front of his home crowd was exactly right.
I agree.
Hats off to you Ying, great statement.
Hamilton knew exactly what he was doing when he took Max out. Whatever it took to win in front of his home crowd was exactly right.
Hamilton asks for respect. OK, but does that only apply to him or all non Caucasian’s. He has no respect for the race officials who determined that he was at fault. He’s taken Albon out in the same fashion. Does SLH stand for ‘sore loser Hamilton? iTools used to admire him. I am English and there is no shame in not winning if you try your best. He simply is not as good as Verstappen. Lucky for him he has back up Bottas and not George Russell who might show him a clean pair of heals.
What a sore loser. No respect for you anymore SLH
Whilst Lewis Hamilton has talent, he lacks style, grace and true sportsmanship. He is a fake sore loser with a chip on his shoulder and an unlikable demeaner. He may win his 8th world title, but Schumacher will always be better and took Ferrarri to winning heights at a time when Ferrari was low. Hamilton has always had the faster car compared to his rivals who may have had the ability to out race him with equal equipment, so his World Championships have been easier than most.
Verstappen is no saint, but Hamilton trying that move at close to 200mph was just f’in stupid and truly dangerous. Signs of a desperate man?!