Lewis Hamilton apologises to team-mate George Russell and Mercedes for the first-corner clash that saw him spin off into the gravel and damage the sister car; watch the video, SkyPad analysis and hear from the Sky pundits on the dramatic all-Mercedes collision at the start of the Qatar GP
Last Updated: 08/10/23 9:07pm
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Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collide on the opening lap of the Qatar Grand Prix
Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collide on the opening lap of the Qatar Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton has apologised to George Russell and Mercedes after taking “100 per cent fault” for the first-corner collision with his team-mate at the start of the Qatar Grand Prix.
The Mercedes drivers came together as they battled Max Verstappen for the lead into Turn One. Hamilton, starting on grippier soft tyres compared to Verstappen and Russell’s slower mediums, attempted to go around the outside of the sister Mercedes but tagged his countryman’s front wheel and span off into the gravel.
Both drivers initially blamed each other on team radio but Hamilton was quick to accept responsibility in his interviews when returning to the paddock.
Even before seeing a replay of the incident a downcast Hamilton had told Sky Sports F1: “I just feel really sorry to my team. It was an opportunity today to get some good points.
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Hamilton says he takes responsibility for the collision with his team-mate while Russell feels the two have respect for each other and will get past this incident
“In the heat of the moment, I didn’t really understand what happened, I just obviously felt the tap from behind.
“But I don’t think George probably had anywhere to go and, yeah, it’s just one of those really unfortunate situations.
“I mean, I’m happy to take responsibility as the older one.”
And once he had seen a replay a a short while later, Hamilton then reaffirmed his fault and apology to the team on social media.
“I’ve watched the replay and it was 100% my fault and I take full responsibility,” he posted on X.
“Apologies to my team and to George.”
The Sky F1 pundits on where blame lay in Hamilton-Russell collision
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Karun Chandhok takes a closer look at the Mercedes opening-lap collision
Sky Sports F1’s Nico Rosberg:
“It was 100 per cent Lewis’ error. It’s a slight misjudgement. Not a big misjudgement. He doesn’t leave quite enough space for George.
“It’s all on Lewis, which he has already admitted to.”
Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok:
“Russell had no wiggle room.
“He couldn’t move to the right because Verstappen was there. Lewis has gone around the outside for the lunge and made that contact.
“Verstappen was where he was, he didn’t move, and Russell couldn’t move. The point is, out of those two drivers, George couldn’t have given Lewis more room but Lewis could have given more room.”
More to follow…