Lewis Hamilton was warned by FIA stewards at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps after refusing to visit the medical tent following his opening lap clash at the 2022 F1 Belgian GP.
The seven-time world champion’s tedious race weekend was brought to an abrupt end after a collision with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso launched him up in the air momentarily. Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes W13 sustained major damage and could not even finish the opening lap of the race.
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While Alonso advised his former teammate on the radio, the stewards took umbrage with Lewis Hamilton for not reporting to the medical tent, as is the protocol after an on-track incident that leads to a DNF. The FIA released a statement that read as follows:
“The stewards received a report from the race director that driver [Lewis] Hamilton refused to visit the Event Medical Service following his crash on Lap 1, where the Medical Warning Light threshold was exceeded, and only did so after the race director informed the team that further action could be taken if he did not.”
Lewis Hamilton did accept blame for the incident with Alonso but has not commented on the warning issued by the stewards at the time of writing this.
Lewis Hamilton won’t speak to Fernando Alonso after being called ‘an idiot’ during 2022 F1 Belgian GP
Lewis Hamilton has revealed he has no intentions of speaking to Fernando Alonso after the latter called him an “idiot” on team radio in response to their opening lap collision at the 2022 F1 Belgian GP.
Fernando Alonso did not mince his words after the coming together of his Alpine and Hamilton’s Mercedes. The 41-year-old said:
“What an idiot closing the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega start but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first.”
While speaking to the media after his DNF, Lewis Hamilton accepted blame for the incident before opting to hit back at the two-time champion. Hey said:
“I don’t really have a response to it. I know that’s how things feel in the heat of the moment, but it’s nice to know how he feels about me. It’s better that it’s out in the open how he fels. And like I said, it wasn’t intentional and I take full responsibility for it. That’s what adults do.”
Hamilton revealed that he would have spoken to Alonso before he heard the Spaniard’s scathing radio message, which is sure to have rubbed him the wrong way. This exchange is in stark contrast to the mutual respect the two showed each other earlier this season during the 2022 F1 French GP – the Briton’s 300th F1 GP start.
Hamilton is now shifting his focus to the 2022 F1 Dutch GP a week from now, where Mercedes will try and bridge the gap between it and local hero Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Coming soon!
Coming soon!
