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Lewis Hamilton does not want to see Sebastian Vettel following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, after the two came to blows under a safety car period. Vettel hit the rear of Hamilton's car as the field prepared for a restart, with the German claiming that the Mercedes driver had brake tested him.
Vettel then drove up alongside him and touched his rival sideways on which sparked controversy. Vettel was handed a time penalty for the incident, but Hamilton believes the punishment was too lenient.
"He's obviously sleeping and drove in the back of me, that for me wasn't an issue," the three-time world champion said. "Driving alongside and deliberately driving into a driver and getting away scot free pretty much, he still came away fourth, I think that's disgrace, he disgraced himself today to be honest."
Vettel said post race that they should sort the problems out as grown up men. However, Hamilton stated that he does not wish to see the 29-year-old at all, fearing that it could turn into something much more heated.
"I don't fancy seeing him. It might turn into something else. I've heard what he said after the race. Firstly, he doesn't have my number. I'm going to do my talking on the track. All I'm thinking is 'get my head together'. I want to kill it in the next 12 races."
After a rather respectful championship battle up to this point, Toto Wolff thinks that things have now changed between Vettel and Hamilton. Vettel stated that he has no problem talking with Hamilton in an attempt to resolve the issues that arose yesterday.
"I don't have a problem with him," he said. "I respect him a lot for the driver he is. I don't think this is the right time to talk. I will do that just with him. I am willing to sort it out with him but l don't think there is much to sort out. I will talk with him when you [the media] are not here. I don't think there is a big problem."
Fergal Walsh
Hamilton should not be acting like the big moralist in this matter. The brake check against Vettel was pretty clear. Looking in his mirrors, braking in the mid of a corner, not accelerating after that. Sure, Vettel should not have turned into him (although I really can't be bothered by it, these things are good for the sport imo) and the penalty was deserved. But Hamilton got away with what he did, while he should have been penalised too.
And I don't care what the stewards state, the tv broadcast clearly showed Lewis pressing the brakes mid-corner!
"Karama is a bitch" was so true on in this race.
This whole episode is good for spicing the action and providing talking points but is not in the spirit of any top class sport, let alone the supposed pinacle of motor racing. The stewards have access to all data relating to this incident and their judgement must be relied on. With no brake lights for us to see can any of us judge if Lewis braked at all, well no of course not. This whole thing seems to stem from Vettel assuming Lewis would accelerate hard out of the corner but he didn't. Running into him was his fault alone and the actions afterwards those of a spoiled child. He needed a severe reprimand of the order of sending him to the naughty step and out of the party. With 9 points now on his licence is this more not evidence of a driver pushing beyond what is acceptable too many times. This is a sport and these actions are not sportsman like.
As a matter of fact, we can judge. There is usually a circular thingie on the corner showing how the driver gears up, down, accelerate and brake. If you take a look at the picture Kevin shared from the incident, you can clearly see that Hamilton does in fact brake.
Ham out smarted him, didn't actually hit brakes, just cut the gas, just at right time, and good luck to him not often ya outsmart a German!
pbs.twimg.com/media/DDLpvqrXgAAAToD.jpg
I saw it during the broadcast, but couldn't find it back on YT. Luckily, someone shared this on another forum. It's why I'm surprised stewards state that Hamilton "did not lift or braked completely". I would have gone along with them had I not seen this, but it clearly shows he applied full brakes in the mid of a corner. The "acceleration testing" maybe came after he had pushed the brakes lol.
I found it in a replay of the race on Youtube, but sadly, said replay has been removed from Youtube, so cannot view it anymore. But really, this is the kind of behaviour Im expecting from Famineton, and even worse, I expect him every time to get away without a penalty. I havent forgotten Mexico last year, Im sure the marshalls appreciated him helping them with mowing the grass.
Yes, it is to be expected from Hamilton. But I do think it is good for the sport to have guys like him and Vettel. Who dare to cross lines in order to win championships. It creates heroes & villains scenarios with big rivalries. There are too many drivers who just want to be the "good boy". I, as a viewer, don't find those drivers interesting. It's why I absolutely loved Vettel driving into Hamilton yesterday. It was pure emotion. Over the line, but not dangerous imo. This is a moment we might be talking about in 20 years from now. Like we are still talking about Senna driving Prost off the road or Schumacher driving Damon Hill off the road.
I dislike Hamilton, because I find his character fake. But he is one of F1's "villains" for me, and one of the best drivers we have seen in the modern era. I would not enjoy seeing him leave the sport. To someone else, Hamilton is the hero and Vettel is the villain. But I think F1 really needs such characters.
How do you think about this? I understand you hate Hamilton's guts, but don't you think you'd hate it if he were not there? Who else would you have to hate? I remember so many people hating Schumacher, but when he was gone, they wished he never left.
Well, I dont necessarily hate Hamilton, I dont look at him in the same way I look at Jägermeister or Konami, and I find him to be a skilled driver, but I certainly do not approve of what he tend to do both on and off track. I dont really watch F1 to hate on Hamilton, I just get annoyed when he do the things he do. So I wouldnt exactly miss him if he were to go at the end of this season.
I didnt really like like what happened in Baku, but it has certainly spiced things up quite a bit, in a way the Rosberg vs Hamilton battles never really did, and I certainly dont mind spicyness. This season, if things go the way I think they might go, could very well be one people will remember. So I agree with you, this incident could very well be what F1 need.
I dont fancy seeing you either, Hamilton, yet there you are.
Is anyone legitimately surprised? This is how Hamilton role. Tease your opponent until they retaliate on track, and follow up by attacking them via media. I can only hope Vettel react better next time, make Famineton's helmet boil over by not budgning.
What is it with LH that causes so much bad feeling on (and off) the track? Oh yeah, lying, hypocritical, cover-my-ass, little weasel, that'll be it
Be careful the BLM brigade it out in force to seek "justice"
The punishment should have been a black flag for Hamilton for slowing down to the point it was no different than a break test, it was deliberate. There is nothing more dangerous than break testing or slowing down just too quickly especially under SCD. Vettel's swerve into Hamilton was way more controlled aggression in comparison, one to give the turd boy a good nudge. FIA stewards have disgraced themselves by trying to keep the championship battle close by hand waving a big safety liability that is Hamilton.
Yeah it is absolutely despicable how the the stewards have acted in this race, the wrong man gets the worst of the punishments. Thankfully some sort of universal justice was dished out to that merc pos of shit in the form of the loosening head rest fastener. Vettel should not seek to clear the air with this turd, that air will only smell of shyte.
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Kevin
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Hamilton should not be acting like the big moralist in this matter. The brake check against Vettel was pretty clear. Looking in his mirrors, braking in the mid of a corner, not accelerating after that. Sure, Vettel should not have turned into him (although I really can't be bothered by it, these ... [Read more]