Hamilton did see Leclerc 'show respect' during overtaking action
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton won this Sunday's Grand Prix at Silverstone but did not do so without the necessary controversy. Max Verstappen was, thanks to contact with the Brit, already eliminated after the first lap. Verstappen could not continue his race, Hamilton got a ten-second penalty for the incident and eventually won the race.
After the incident, he found himself in a similar situation later in the race with Charles Leclerc in the battle for first place and the win. During the press conference of the FIA, he compared that moment with that of Verstappen during the first lap.
"He was very respectful in terms of leaving a gap. I came up relatively somewhere next to him, so he knew I was there, but he stayed committed and drove a wider line and he almost kept it. That was really great racing."
What was the difference between Verstappen and Leclerc?
Hamilton also explained this during the press conference. From his side, he did go off his brake at Leclerc, where he didn't in the incident with Verstappen.
"I think I stepped back at that point to make sure we didn't hit each other, but I think it was a nice balance and I think that's how racing should go and end. In a perfect world it would have happened at the first attempt, but a different time, a different place, a different driver."
Hamilton's win means he has overtaken Verstappen by 25 points, who will be out for sporting revenge at the Hungarian Grand Prix.