Lewis Hamilton owned up to an opening lap contact with Fernando Alonso in the Belgian Grand Prix that was inconsequential for the Alpine driver but was terminal for the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton was running in Alonso's slipstream up the Kemmel straight after the start and outbraked the Spaniard on the outside into the Les Combes complex.
But the Mercedes veered into the corner without leaving a car's width to his rival on the right. Hamilton's rear right wheel clipped the Alpine's left front, which sent the Mercedes into the air.
The car then violently hit the ground and while Hamilton was initially able to continue, the Briton was immediately asked by his team to stop his car.
©Mercedes
Hamilton said the contact was "definitely my fault" although he said that Alonso was "in my blind spot".
"So it’s unfortunate," he continued. "I mean, it’s motor racing, I gave it everything.
"I tried to overtake on the outside into turn five. Just didn’t leave quite enough space and I paid the price for it. It wasn’t intentional, it just happened."
In the heat of the moment, the contact drew a violent rant from Alonso over the radio.
"What an idiot!" he said. "Closed the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega start but this guy only knows how to drive starting first."
Hamilton was told of Alonso's comment but chose restraint rather than to add fuel to the fire.
"I don’t really have a response to it. I know that’s how things feel in the heat the moment," he said.
"But it’s nice to know how he feels about me in a way, better that it’s out in the open, how he feels. Like I said, it wasn’t intentional and I take responsibility for it. That’s what adults do."
Hamilton made clear that he had no intention talking or apologizing to Alonso.
"I mean, I would have until I heard what he said," he said.
On another matter, Hamilton was given a warning by the FIA stewards for refusing to visit Spa's Medical Center, a mandatory duty for a driver when a crash or contact triggers a car's onboard G-force sensors.
"This is not the first time this season that drivers (not Hamilton) have initially refused to go for medical check," said the stewards.
"The stewards issue a warning in this case, with a reminder to all drivers that stronger action may be taken in the future."
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