DOHA, Qatar – British race car driver Lewis Hamilton said he accepted responsibility for the collision with Mercedes teammate George Russell that put him out of the Qatar Formula 1 Grand Prix on Sunday.
Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton (Photo credit: AlessioDeMarco / Shutterstock.com)Hamilton, the seven-time world champion with Grenadian heritage, said at the end of the race that he was going to have a conversation with his fellow Briton and their relationship was still great at the moment.
“I think we are a great team,” he said in a post-race interview. “George and I still have a great relationship. We will discuss things and work it out. I’m happy to take responsibility as the older guy. I don’t think George had anywhere to go at that point.”
Hamilton started from third on the grid at the Lusail International Circuit on soft tires, but Russell started from the front row next to pole sitter and newly-minted world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, both on medium tires.
As Russell and Verstappen dueled into the first corner, the fast-starting Hamilton attempted to go around the outside of them, but he made contact with his teammate, who was sandwiched between him and the Red Bull.
Hamilton was pitched into the gravel with his right rear tire destroyed, complaining over the radio that he had been taken out by Russell, who was able to continue the race, which was won by Verstappen, and finished fourth.
“I was trying to get ahead of both of them and just an unfortunate situation,” Hamilton said. “I had the worst tire of everyone around me, so I needed to try and get ahead. Big risk, big penalty.
“The relationship isn’t broken. I don’t have any problems with George, we have a great relationship, we work, and we always talk about things.
“So this is definitely unfortunate, and I’m sure he was frustrated at the moment like I was. But we will talk about it off-line, and we move forward. As I said, just apologies to all of the team.”
Hamilton, 38, was later reprimanded and fined by the stewards after he violated safety protocols and walked across the track and back to the pit lane.
After assessing video footage, and hearing from Hamilton and a Mercedes team representative, the stewards dished out a non-driving reprimand and a fine of a little more than U.S. $50 000, half of which is suspended for the remainder of the season, providing there is no further breach of a similar nature.
“During the hearing, the driver of Car 44 was very apologetic and realized that the situation could have been very dangerous for him as well as the drivers approaching,” a statement from the stewards indicated
“The stewards reinforced the fact that crossing a ‘live’ track can cause extremely dangerous situations, and the drivers have to be very cautious about it.”
The panel also looked into the clash between Hamilton and Russell at the first corner but after reviewing the various evidence available to them ultimately decided that no further action was required.
Hamilton, Russell, and the Mercedes team now look to the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, October 22, over 56 laps of the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of the Americas in the city of Austin in the state of Texas.
