Fernando Alonso apologises to Lewis Hamilton and plotting talks with Mercedes star | F1 | Sport
Fernando Alonso has apologised to Lewis Hamilton after calling the seven-time world champion an ‘idiot’ after the pair collided in the Belgian Grand Prix. The Spaniard said he plans to speak to the Mercedes driver as he looks to bury the hatchet after last week’s tension.
Alonso was asked by reporters if he had any regrets over his comments ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. The Alpine man said he believed the situation had been overblown as a result of the 37-year-old’s nationality but still apologised for his language.
“It has been made a huge thing,” the two-time world champion said. “First of all it is Lewis, he is a champion, a legend of our time and then when you say something – and I am sorry to repeat this – against a British driver, there is a huge media involvement after that.
“They have been saying a lot of things to Checo [Sergio Perez], to Carlos [Sainz], to me – if you say something to a Latin driver, everything is a bit more fun. If you say it to Lewis it is a bit more serious.
“But yes, I apologise. I feel… I am not thinking about what I said. There was not much to blame in that moment, to be honest, looking at the replays because it was the first lap and we are all very close together.
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“The heat of the moment and the adrenaline of the moment, finally fighting for top two, top three, made me say those comments that I should not say.
“But at the same time, and as I said after the race, I said it was a racing incident in my opinion.”
He later said he would look to approach his fellow star after they had completed their television duties in order to try and mend relations.
“No not yet. When we are doing the TV pen I will approach him and say sorry if he understood it in that way,” he said.
“I have absolutely no problems with him and I have huge respect for him.”
The two former world champions crashed during the first lap of Sunday’s Grand Prix at Spa with tensions rising between the pair as a result. The impact sent the Brit airborne with the resulting damage forcing the Mercedes man to retire. Alonso recovered well to finish in an impressive fifth position.
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In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the Spaniard launched a verbal tirade against his former McLaren team-mate calling him an ‘idiot’ who only knew how to race from first position. In response, Hamilton said he did not care what his rival had to say while conceding he was at fault for what happened.
He later jokingly posted a picture on his Instagram of a signed Mercedes cap addressed to Fernando in a bid to make light of the situation.
It remains to be seen whether or not Hamilton will accept Alonso’s request for talks but the two drivers are expected to handle the situation professionally given their vast experience.
