Hamilton says brush with the wall was 'innocent mistake'

©Formula1

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Lewis Hamilton made no excuses for the error that cost the Mercedes driver his FP2 afternoon session, claiming the mistake was made as he was seeking the limit of his W10.

In the first 30 minutes of Friday's second practice session, the championship leader drifted wide at the exit of the Turn 9 chicane, thumping the wall and damaging the right rear of his car.

The mishap forced the Mercedes crew to dismantle the back end of Hamilton's W10, leaving its driver to sit out the remainder of the session.

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"The morning session went smoothly," Hamilton said. "The track was very dirty in the beginning, but we're all in the same boat.

"I made a mistake in FP2 and damaged the car. The boys tried really hard to fix it, but there wasn't enough time.

"I don't remember the last time I missed a whole session before. It's definitely not great to watch the session from the garage; it feels like sitting in the headmaster's office, wishing to be back in class.

"It was an innocent mistake, I was doing multiple laps on the medium tyre and was really trying to find the limit.

"Obviously I went slightly over, I had a big snap out of Turn 9 and was drifting for a long time, hoping I wouldn't hit the wall."

©Mercedes

Hamilton was philosophical about his fault and vowed to immediately put it behind.

"These things happen," he added. "You just have to put it behind you straight away and get back on the horse.

"Luckily Valtteri had a good session today, so there'll be a lot of analysis from that. The boys will do a great job fixing the car tonight and we'll come back ready for a better day tomorrow."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.