Hamilton Blames FIA Revisiting Of Qatar Incident On 'Poor Communication'

Wednesday, 25 October 2023 at 05:00

Mercedes F1 driver Lewis Hamilton reacted to FIA's decision to revisit the incident that happened during the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.

The seven-time World Champion made a mistake during the race in Qatar, which resulted in a first-lap collision with his teammate George Russell, and subsequently could continue the race.

The mistake for which he was fined 50,000 euros came afterward when the 38-year-old "crossed a live track," which is extremely dangerous and strictly forbidden.

Hamilton apologized, and everything seemed to be done and settled, but a week after the incident, the FIA spokesperson announced the organization would be revisiting the case because of Hamilton's "role model" status.

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FIA was concerned about the effect that the actions of such role models might have on younger drivers. Lewis Hamilton came with a response on Thursday at the FIA Press Conference ahead of the 2023 United States Grand Prix.

"I don't think I was singled out. Ultimately, I think it was just poor communication. I don't think what they have said is exactly what they meant."

The Mercedes driver acknowledged the influence that the actions of role models might have on the younger generation. Hamilton elaborated:

"If you look at, I think there was a karting incident recently where a kid was hit. So we really need to make sure that we are continuously focusing on safety, and I think that's really at the root of it. But I just think they probably need to speak to their PR agent to do a better job."

The seven-time world champion made a bad decision in the heat of the moment, and young drivers need to learn rather than take inspiration from this situation. Hamilton added:

"What's important is to send the right message, particularly for the younger drivers throughout the ranks, that that's the wrong thing to do. I apologized at the time, and I think they are just looking how to make sure that doesn't happen moving forwards."