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Hamilton escapes ban after apologizing to Todt
Source: Agencies |
June 10, 2011, Friday
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LEWIS Hamilton wrote a personal letter to the head of Formula One's governing body to escape a possible race ban for his Monaco Grand Prix outburst against stewards and rivals.
The Times newspaper yesterday quoted International Automobile Federation President Jean Todt as saying the McLaren driver could have faced a heavy punishment for his comments after the May 29 race.
"It is unacceptable. I didn't want to over-react," the Frenchman said. "I could have asked the judicial court to address the problem but we never officially opened the case and he went with his father to the stewards to apologize.
"He wrote to me and it was between him and the FIA.
"Maybe it would have been a better decision to send him to the judicial court and ban him for six grands prix or something," added Todt. "But for me this thing is over."
Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, went to see the stewards to make peace on Sunday evening in Monte Carlo and also apologized to his rivals via his Twitter feed after losing his cool in the heat of the moment.
The McLaren driver had collided with Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Williams rookie Pastor Maldonado, ending both of their races although he himself finished sixth, and called them ridiculous afterwards in a BBC television interview.
In a reference to comic character Ali G, the Briton also jokingly wondered whether he was being singled out by stewards because he was black.
Hamilton had already described the stewards' actions against him in imposing drive-through penalties as a 'joke'.
Hamilton will be a favorite in Canada this weekend, round seven of the championship, at the Montreal circuit where he took his first pole position and grand prix win in 2007.
The 26-year-old, currently second overall in the championship and the only man to have beaten Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany this year, has won twice in Canada in three visits after starting all three races on pole.
The Times newspaper yesterday quoted International Automobile Federation President Jean Todt as saying the McLaren driver could have faced a heavy punishment for his comments after the May 29 race.
"It is unacceptable. I didn't want to over-react," the Frenchman said. "I could have asked the judicial court to address the problem but we never officially opened the case and he went with his father to the stewards to apologize.
"He wrote to me and it was between him and the FIA.
"Maybe it would have been a better decision to send him to the judicial court and ban him for six grands prix or something," added Todt. "But for me this thing is over."
Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, went to see the stewards to make peace on Sunday evening in Monte Carlo and also apologized to his rivals via his Twitter feed after losing his cool in the heat of the moment.
The McLaren driver had collided with Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Williams rookie Pastor Maldonado, ending both of their races although he himself finished sixth, and called them ridiculous afterwards in a BBC television interview.
In a reference to comic character Ali G, the Briton also jokingly wondered whether he was being singled out by stewards because he was black.
Hamilton had already described the stewards' actions against him in imposing drive-through penalties as a 'joke'.
Hamilton will be a favorite in Canada this weekend, round seven of the championship, at the Montreal circuit where he took his first pole position and grand prix win in 2007.
The 26-year-old, currently second overall in the championship and the only man to have beaten Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany this year, has won twice in Canada in three visits after starting all three races on pole.
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