• Belgian Grand Prix - Qualifying
Comments: 11

Hamilton 'fortunate' to avoid big crash

ESPNF1 Staff
August 27, 2011 « Button frustrated at qualifying 'misunderstanding' | »
Lewis Hamilton is left to reflect on what could have been a big accident © Getty Images
Enlarge
Related Links

Lewis Hamilton says he was lucky to avoid a big accident after Pastor Maldonado's Williams appeared to deliberately side swipe his McLaren on the run in to Eau Rouge.

Hamilton earlier squeezed past Maldonado during Q2 and the Venezuelan's response looked like a deliberate reaction to the incident.

"I can't remember absolutely everything that went on but it did feel quite a hard thud and I thought that my front wheel and suspension was broken as it was very light for the rest of the lap," said Hamilton. "I felt a big shunt on the side of the car and through the wheel and the front wing bracket had gone so I think it was quite serious and I think fortunate that neither of us flipped it or had a big, big crash.

"At the end of Q2, I got to the end of the lap, the Williams was sitting there going very slow, and I had to try and get past. Then I lost quite a lot of time and as I was coming down the exit of Turn 1 I saw Maldonado approaching quite quickly. He came around me, I didn't move anywhere, and he tried to swipe across me. I don't know if it was intentional."

Maldonado was given a five-place grid penalty for the incident while Hamilton received a reprimand.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
ESPN Staff Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices