Lewis Hamilton apologized to Oscar Piastri after the race at Monza
The Australian driver was hit by Lewis Hamilton while the two men were battling. This damaged the front wing of the McLaren, which had to go back to the pits. He therefore lost several positions.
A judgment error. That’s how we could describe the collision between Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. Both men were stuck behind Alexander Albon and his ultra-fast Williams on the straight line. The British driver, with fresh tires, was faster than the two men ahead of him.
He then decided to go on the attack. First against the Australian. After putting pressure on the McLaren approaching the first chicane, he made a better exit to get alongside him in the third corner. With a better position for braking in turns 4 and 5, Lewis Hamilton seemed to have gained the advantage.
An unintentional movement
But when braking, he veered to his right, where Oscar Piastri was. The two made contact, which broke the McLaren’s wing. The Australian had to come back to the pits to change it, causing him to drop down in the hierarchy. The Briton was given a five-second penalty.
« I apologized because it was obviously my fault, and it was definitely not intentional. I positioned myself wrong and misjudged the margin I had on the right, and I bumped into him. It can happen at any time. But shortly after, I realized that it was probably my fault. I wanted to make sure he knew it wasn’t intentional. That’s what gentlemen do, right? », confessed Lewis Hamilton.
Excuses acceptées
Accepted excuses
Apologies accepted by the main person involved, who is also responsible for a slight collision with his teammate that resulted in a five-second penalty. « I think he just shifted a little too much to the right, but I believe that can happen very easily in this turn. It’s very narrow. He came to apologize, so I think there’s not much else to say. »
A behavior also appreciated by Andrea Stella, the director of McLaren. « Lewis is a loyal competitor. If he apologized, it shows his value as a competitor and as a person. He has our full respect. We lost points when we could have gained two more today, and it’s a shame because our goal is to score points with both cars. »
Lewis Hamilton finally finished the Italian Grand Prix in sixth place. Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, finished in 11th place.
