Mazepin explains his near-crash with Hamilton in Turkey – “I drove blind”

Despite the pole position at the Turkish GP, Lewis Hamilton started the race from P11 thanks to an engine penalty. The Brit quickly made up positions and moved up into the top 5. Halfway through the race, however, Hamilton was involved in a near-accident.

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As the Mercedes driver stormed through the field, he came across one of the returnees, Nikita Mazepin. The young Russian driver was shown the blue flags but chose not to let Lewis Hamilton take the inside line. On the other hand, the Brit seemed convinced that Mazepin should show him the way.

The duo was almost able to avoid the collision after the Knight had moved to the sidelines and then overtook the Haas driver a few hundred meters later. Meanwhile, after the race, Nikita Mazepin reveals his near miss with Lewis Hamilton.

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What did Nikita Mazepin say?

As reported by Motorsport, Nikita Mazepin apologized to Lewis Hamilton and explained what happened on lap 28 at the end of the Turkish Grand Prix.

“First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize to Lewis. I am very sorry. I told the team that I can’t see anything in the mirrors and that I need an adequate guide from the garage to know where the other cars are, ”said Nikita Mazepin. (Translated with Google translator)

Formula One F1 – Great Britain Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, UK – July 15, 2021. Nikita Mazepin von Haas during a promotional photo shoot for the unveiling of the new 2022 F1 car REUTERS / Andrew Couldridge.

“The problem turned out to be splashing water. It’s not exactly the cleanest thing we’ve found in Turkey. So it flies and then dries up without showing me anything. I drove blind. I will definitely see Lewis and apologize directly to him, ”concluded the Haas driver.

Yuki Tsunoda had the same problem

Yuki Tsunoda started the race on P9 – two places ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The Japanese held Hamilton in check for eight laps to hamper his recovery ride, which eventually helped Max Verstappen regain his lead in the championship.

The Mercedes driver finally overtook Tsunoda on lap 9 in turn three and a few laps later the AlphaTauri driver spun.

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“There was no clean area on the track. I couldn’t see anything because of the dirt and dust, ”said Yuki Tsunoda after the race.

Formula 1 F1 – Turkish Grand Prix – Intercity Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Turkey – October 9, 2021. AlphaTauris Yuki Tsunoda during the REUTERS / Murad Sezer qualifying.

“On the other hand, I thought I had someone behind me and started pushing. I turned around and ruined my race, ”added the young Japanese.

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Should Nikita Mazepin get a license license after a near miss with Lewis Hamilton in Istanbul Park? What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.