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Mansell hits out at 'immature' Hamilton

ESPNF1 Staff
July 19, 2011 « Vettel extra motivated for home race | »
Nigel Mansell says Hamilton's recent behaviour is unbecoming of a former world champion © Press Association
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Former world champion and current driver steward Nigel Mansell says that Lewis Hamilton needs to 'settle down' and 'act appropriately' in the wake of a number of recent outbursts.

Hamilton's on-track woes have been compounded by a number of run-ins with FIA stewards for his overly-aggressive driving - particularly regarding his collisions with Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado in Monaco.

His latest outburst came at the British Grand Prix when he slated his team for a tyre decision that left him qualifying tenth on the grid and again after the race when ordered to conserve fuel at the expense of a podium finish.

"Lewis is not mature and he's not got a head on him," Mansell told F1 Racing magazine. "I think he needs to settle himself down because the recent episode at Monaco was unnecessary and unflattering both for himself and Formula One. I thought his driving style was very poor because he had no respect for anyone else because where is anyone going to go?

"To say that overtaking is impossible at Monaco, well... I've done it coming out of the tunnel several times... but then to say what he said about the stewards was appalling. I was very disappointed and he's got to remember that he has been a world champion so he should act accordingly and appropriately at all times."

Mansell added that Hamilton ought to take a leaf out of fellow team-mate Jenson Button's book about the right way to behave as a former world champion.

"Both Lewis and Jenson were both great world champions at the time and it's absolutely fantastic to have them both in the same team but Jenson, for me, carries with him just that little bit more maturity."

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