Lewis disillusioned by SC furore
Lewis Hamilton has expressed his dismay at the controversy about his driving under the safety car at Fuji ? and said such issues are leaving him disillusioned with Formula 1.
The stewards have been examining footage of the crash between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel in Japan to see if Hamilton had triggered the collision, after suggestions that the championship leader had been accelerating and slowing erratically and causing confusion amongst those following him.
Hamilton said he had no idea why he was being implicated in the incident.
"I think, under extremely difficult circumstances with the rain, I did the best job I could to stay out of everyone else's way," he told reporters at Shanghai.
"It's the first situation where I'd been in the wet behind the safety car, having to manage the gap between the guy in front and look out for everyone around you, you've got your visor completely fogged up, your mirrors completely fogged up, you're just scared of crashing with someone else and trying to get out of the way.
"I just don't understand how they're trying to put blame on me, but that's the way it goes, I guess."
Hamilton said he suspected he would now receive a penalty, and vented his frustration about the prospect ? saying such controversies were putting him off F1.
"I had a good weekend ? I don't think I put a foot wrong and I didn't do anything to harm anyone else or put anyone else in danger ? but I've come away to China and all of a sudden I'm no doubt going to be punished for something," he said.
"I just think this is a real shame for the sport.
"Formula 1 is supposed to be about hard competition, but fair, and that's what I've tried to do this year ? just be fair.
"If I've been in the wrong I'm the first to put my hands up and just apologise, and then I don't mind being slapped on the hand or given a penalty.
"But there's been some real strange situations this year where I'm made to look the bad person.
"It looks like this weekend I'm probably going to given a penalty and I think it's just a shame for the sport.
"If this is the way it's going to keep going then it's probably not somewhere that I want to be."
There remains no news on whether any action will be taken against Hamilton.
The rookie also reiterated his belief that he had done nothing improper during the safety car period in question.
"I caught the pace car up, I pulled up alongside him and obviously I can't overtake him so I braked, which also was giving me more heat in my brakes and my tyres," said Hamilton.
"Then I waited for him to pull away, and all of a sudden Mark appeared alongside me. I decided to accelerate away and the next thing I hear is a big thud.
"He's allowed five car lengths behind me; I don't know why he was so close."
2nd Lesmo
Oh grow up Lewis!!
He must be dumber than he looks. "I don't know why he was so close". He was close because...
a) He was behind the safety car in the train
b) He had to be between 1 and 5 car lengths away from Lewis and
c) Because Lewis jumped on the brakes and was offline, which in my opinion he shouldnt have done in the wet.
