LEWIS HAMILTON NIGHTMARE
Brit in misery after first-corner blunder and penalty
LEWIS HAMILTON saw his lead in the World Championship cut after a first lap blunder in a dramatic Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji this morning.
The British ace finished 12th after being hit with a drive-through penalty for forcing Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen off the track at the first corner of the race.
Title rival Felipe Massa also served a drive-through penalty but went on to finish seventh despite hitting both Hamilton and Toro Rosso's Sebastien Bourdais.
The Herts-born star now leads Massa by just five points with two races left but BMW's Polish driver Robert Kubica is five points further back and still in the hunt.
Hamilton, 23, admitted his mistake after out-braking himself at the first corner as he tried to regain the lead from Raikkonen who had blasted past him from second on the grid.
The McLaren racer said: "It was a bad day for me.
"I'm disappointed about my mistake. I locked up and went wide and I couldn't do anything else but I don't know why I got a penalty for it.
"You can always look back and wish you'd done things differently, but I made a mistake. I admit it and have just got to keep my head up.
"But I am still leading the championship and go to China determined to make up for this."
Hamilton and Massa clashed as the Brit racer darted down the inside of the Brazilian on lap two.
Massa cut the chicane and as he came back onto the circuit clipped Hamilton sending him into a spin which tumbled him to the field as he was forced into a quick pit stop.
Hamilton added: "I went up the inside because Felipe braked late and gave me the advantage.
"I took the corner as normally as always and left room but he hit me pretty hard. I I dropped back and then I got the penalty."
Massa charged back through the field after his penalty before colliding with Bourdais on lap 51 as the Frenchman emerged from the pits.
But the stewards decided that Bourdais was the guilty party and hit him with a 25-second time penalty that allowed Massa to move to seventh in the official result.
Massa had seized eighth spot just two laps from the end of the 67-lap race with a daring move down the inside of Mark Webber's Red Bull on the home straight.
He said of the incident with Hamilton: "I had two wheels in the gravel and couldn't stop the car.
"I was in the gravel because he pushed me into the gravel. I don't believe that's the way he sees it."
Renault racer Alonso bagged the 21st victory of his career by 5.2 seconds from Kubica to follow up last week's win in Singapore.
The Spaniard, 27, said: I don't know what to say. I can't believe it. I am just as surprised as I was last year, but it is a result of all the team's hard work to improve the car."
Raikkonen finished third but that was not enough to keep the reigning champion in the title hunt.
Honda's Jenson Button was 14th but David Coulthard's final race in Japan ended as he slammed into the tyre barrier on lap one after a collision with the Williams of local hero Kazuki Nakajima.
This article has 15 comments
In F1, like Football, people inevitably have someone they follow. That's normal. Drivers have always answered for their behaviour. So I'm not surprised that Hamilton seems to have a divisive presence.
On one hand, you have a great 'story' and a great talent. Good for you.
On the other he seems to think 'I'm so talented, criticism is therfore invalid'?
We've seen it with DC, and Button. The Britich press adore them for a few years, causing the rest of the world to pick their words and actions apart. Both of those guys missed their opportunities, and learned do their talking on the track, and own up to their own mistakes. You get to an age in life when you realise that it's not your talent people judge you by, it's your results and how you carry yourself.
He is the Villeneuve of the 2000's. I hope for his sake he grows up faster than Jacques, or at least has a better fallback career path!
By Neil. Posted October 18 2008 at 4:18 PM.
Lewis drives like an idiot and has wel deserved the penalty he got. He needs to shrink that big head of his and start seeing that is has not won a world championship. He is pretty much is useless as the guys driving at the back.
By Paul Langenhoven. Posted October 16 2008 at 1:18 PM.
It is a race, a competitive race, you would expect the drivers to take risks, that is what the spectator seeks. We want excitement and that is what Lewis Hamiliton offers, but consitstenly gets judged for! I agree with many of the critisms regarding the FIA favouring Ferrari, but bias also exisits amongst commentators reporting on the race. This is a blatant case of 'tall poppy syndrome', having built him up just to knock him down.
By Lorraine McGlashan. Posted October 14 2008 at 12:23 PM.
Watching from Australia, at a decent time for once I saw Lewis drive like an idiot, like an over excited little boy with a new scooter!, he nearly wiped the entire field out with his reckless start, he only needed to finish ahead of Massa, what a fool!
Lewis does not deserve to win the championship, he is far too reckless, he shows moments of brilliance but so do many other drivers in F1, put Trulli in a Mclaren, he would always qualify on pole and he wouldn't waste points in the race! Alonso is by far a much better driver than Lewis anyday, Mclarens favouritism for Lewis over Fernando lost them a certain multiple world champ after he left!
Why do the English hype up their sportsmen/teams so much? they do it so often that they begin to believe that they are gods! Lewis is not a champ, he's a chump! If you want to see a real racing World beater, look no further than the Italian Valentino Rossi, he's a living legend, a genuine race winner!, he makes Lewser look like the undisciplined, overhyped English amateur he is!, the only reason Lewis is where he is is because he is Rons pet, he does not deserve the drive, and he keeps reminding us of it.
By Nigel Mansteall. Posted October 14 2008 at 6:17 AM.
It is unfortunate but from a non brit perspective the way i see it is that both Mclaren and Lewis believe they can do no wrong and that they consider themselves GOD. They both need to grow up and play the game as it is intended.
By Frank Large. Posted October 13 2008 at 12:17 PM.
Another disgraceful decision by the stewards. How could they penalise Bourdais and give Massa another point. What did Bourdais do wrong, he came out the pits and held his line, Massa cut him up. The F1 season is a joke, it has become a Ferrari benevolant club, they get every assistance from the authorities who seem determined that Ferrari will be declared champions in every category. Waste of time watching
By Ian Whitburn. Posted October 12 2008 at 8:35 PM.
So annoyed with Lewis Hamilton for his foolishness from pole today! He seems incapable of handling the start when he is on pole and its not the first time he's behaved like a complete moron off the start line. What a waste of my valuable sleep time to get up for 4.30 am to see him lose the plot again.
No doubt he will stuff up royally next week too in and kiss the championship goodbye just like he did last year.
I am an increasingly frustrated Lewis Hamiton fan. It seems he still has a lot to learn because he refuses to listen to anybody. Even after admitting he messed up in this race its clear from his comments that nothing will change next week. So what will it be this time? Failing to qualify for the top 10 shoot out, a ten place grid drop for some infringement during qualifying or another insane decision during the race that will end with him failing to finish? Idiot!
By Gen. Posted October 12 2008 at 7:57 PM.
ferrari heavy handed as usuall i thought it was dangerous why kimmi had to do that in the first lap if he was a good driver as he says he could have passed him in the race but he working for massa now has to take back seat if this is the way they are going to win by cheating there not sportman lewis should have won today ferrari back off is he that scary that the two off you have to attack him grow up before you ruin the sport lewis to win he really deserves it he is a true champ
By nigel linton. Posted October 12 2008 at 7:42 PM.
Three incidents in one race but only one attributed to Massa, yeah.....Stewards sponsored by Ferrari.
F1 going to new countries as they are driving away old fans with their silly verdicts and edicts
By lynne. Posted October 12 2008 at 7:24 PM.
I've given up on F1 after decades of watching the sport. Every race is decided by penalising people (largely Lewis Hamilton). The Bourdais incident has finally done it for me. The sport is administered by people who are completely out of touch. We can all see the blatant Ferrari bias, but they think we can't.
Well, Max we know what you're up to (in more ways than one).
By Richard Williams. Posted October 12 2008 at 5:08 PM.
It looks as if they will do everything possible to stop hamilton winning the championship.
By Tony Keane. Posted October 12 2008 at 12:59 PM.
How Bourdais got a 25 second penalty for his collision with Massa is beyond me and Hamilton should not have been given a drive-thru for his mistake at the first corner. The FIA are desparatly trying to make sure it goes to the wire, with ideally a Ferrari man winning the title.
By Phil. Posted October 12 2008 at 1:14 PM.
its funny really when michal shumacker was doing the same as lewis nothing happend he got away with it all.u just got to look at the whole pic, who is with farrari now on the bench.thay just dont like being beat. i say go on lewis drive ur nuts of and bring the title home im 100 percent for u go on son u can do it......
By m riley . Posted October 12 2008 at 11:58 AM.
Everybody makes mistakes, but why Hamilton always makes mistakes when should make sure that he does'nt.
Last year he made several mistakes which cost him the title. This year is not different,
I wonder if he is going to lose the title again.
I am sorry but Hamilton has only himself to blame.
A.Messina
By Alex Messina. Posted October 12 2008 at 10:05 AM.
Lewis drove like a complete pratt today. Why he had to be so aggresive into the first corner I have no idea. He says he is calm but still seems to lose his head at the wrong times and it may cost him the title this year. I know that he wants to win every race but at this rate he is going to be lucky to finish one. I know it is easy as a spectator to say calm down but I hope he does because it would be great to get a British champion this year.
By Derek Nicholson. Posted October 12 2008 at 8:37 AM.