The FIA investigates the Hamilton case

The end of the Monaco Grand Prix was marred by Lewis Hamilton’s remarks, questioning, under the guise of humor, the integrity of the stewards. Although the driver explained himself to those involved and apologized, it seems, according to the *Telegraph*, that the FIA does not wish to leave it at that. Indeed, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile told the British newspaper on Monday that they are gathering all pertinent information on this matter, with the British driver risking sanctions under the well-known article 151 of the FIA International Sporting Code, and more specifically, paragraph F which considers: Any statement, act, or writing that causes moral or material prejudice to the FIA, its bodies, its members, or its executives.

The fact remains that after apologizing to the stewards, the 2008 World Champion took to his Twitter account to apologize to his fans as well as Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado, whom he had called ridiculous and stupid in his post-race statements.

« Hi guys, I wanted to apologize for my performance this weekend as well as for my comments afterward, I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. To Massa and Maldonado, I offer, with the utmost respect, my apologies if I hurt you. You are both fantastic drivers whom I respect. »

The 2008 World Champion also told the British press that the tension started to rise from his first stop: « They asked me to come in and there was no one there. Then, all the tension started to overflow. »

The Englishman has, since Sunday, been under fire from many of his detractors as well as from certain members of the paddock, like Jackie Stewart: “I think both incidents were debatable and he was lucky to get away without any damage to his front wing in the last accident,” commented the Scottish champion.

« You create your own luck and you create situations for yourself, but the important thing is not to put yourself in a position where another driver can react in a way that will harm you or be perceived negatively by the stewards. »

The triple World Champion also reacts to the comments made by his compatriot regarding the stewards: « You also need to listen to the stewards because the presence of a driver [among the panel of stewards] is a big step forward. Alan McNish is a very experienced driver, so if that is their opinion, you have to deal with it. […] When you are a driver, you don’t see things from another point of view [than your own]. [The stewards] have all the angles. They have the videos and they can sit down and watch all the replays. So, they analyze it even better than the one in the cockpit. »

For the Scottish driver, the style of the 2008 World Champion exposes him more than others: « But you must also always keep in mind that you are very exposed. Your own car can be seriously damaged, and I could already say there would be questions when incidents occur with Lewis. »

The McLaren driver also admitted that his reaction after the Grand Prix was in keeping with his style: « I didn’t do it to offend or hurt anyone. I did it because I love racing. I feel like I can do it better than others. »

The Englishman also explains that the Monaco circuit, the playground of his idol, Ayrton Senna, who had won there 6 times, was the source of an extra motivation in his drive to win: « Deep down, I believe I can ‘own’ this circuit. I feel that I can be the fastest here. I was, and not with the fastest car. »

Lewis Hamilton also gave a testament to the determination that drove him this Sunday: « I was hit, my rear wing was hanging off and I was asked to come in and retire, but I refused. »