Lewis Hamilton accepted the blame for the Lap 1 collision with Fernando Alonso at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The former teammates jumped Sergio Perez into La Source at the start before the Mercedes driver attempted to overtake the Spaniard into Les Combes.
But in an incident similar to that Hamilton had with Nico Rosberg in 2014, the seven-time world champion pinched Alonso with the resulting contact pitching Lewis into the air.
“It was my fault, I couldn’t see him actually, he was right in my blind spot, I’m sorry to the team,” he told Sky Sports.
When world champions collide ?#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/x0SL4PPG20
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 28, 2022
“I mean it’s motor racing. I tried to overtake on the outside of turn five, but I didn’t leave quite enough space. It wasn’t intentional, it just happened.”
While Alonso was able to continue, eventually finishing fifth, Hamilton was forced to retire for the first time this season, coming to a stop just before Blanchimont.
“It was a big hit. I just remember looking at the ground, it was quite high. It was definitely high. I’m grateful to still be alive and in shape,” Lewis admitted.
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“I could hear something was broken in the gearbox. Coming down, I would have broken so much in the back end, so I was told to stop.
“It is a surprise to see [the car] go that high.”
The incident drew a sharp rebuke from Alonso over the radio, with the Spaniard calling him an “idiot” who “only knows how to drive and start in first”.
“I don’t really have a response to it,” Hamilton said. “I know 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 feels. And like I said, it wasn’t intentional, and I take responsibility for it. That’s what adults do.”