Lewis Hamilton was “smart” to sympathise with Sebastian Vettel over the German’s first-corner crash in the French GP, says Sky F1’s Martin Brundle.
Having already refused to be directly critical of his championship rival after last Sunday’s race when Vettel collided with the other Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton told media on Thursday in Austria that an error did not deserve to be pounced upon.
“I already spoke about that after the race and I don’t feel like Sebastian needs criticising,” said Hamilton.
“He’s a four-time world champion. He’s won more than most. One single fault for many of us and people jump on the bandwagon and love to talk negative about someone.”
Hamilton’s measured comments have drawn praise from Brundle, who said the Englishman is aware such an incident can happen to any driver in the frenzied opening stages of a race.
“I really respect Lewis for how he was describing that and making the point that ‘we all make errors’,” said the Sky F1 analyst during the channel’s Austrian GP coverage.
“Unless you have sat in the cockpit heading down to Turn One on the inside, at an acute angle, unsighted of the apex… of course, he’s a four-time world champion and there are no surprises when you head down to Turn One at the start of a race behind another car, you have less downforce on your front wing.
“It wasn’t reckless, it wasn’t a crazy, dangerous mistake or intentional move. It’s what happens he you go steaming in to the first corner. You’re trying to keep in second place.
“These things happen and Lewis is smart enough to know he can make the same mistake and has make the same mistake and so is not sticking the boot in on that particular one.”
With Vettel and Bottas dropping to the back of the back of the field after their collision last Sunday, Hamilton enjoyed a relatively straightforward run to victory which allowed him to reclaim the lead of the world championship by 14 points.
Meanwhile, Bottas has confirmed that Vettel had apologised to him after the race when they finished seventh and fifth respectively.
“He came to me after the race and apologised, which is a nice gesture, but there wasn’t much I could say because I had already lost the points from that race and you can’t change anything.
“But he admitted he made a mistake and told me, which was good. I know from myself also that everyone makes mistakes, so that’s life. It’s nothing personal against him and we move on.”
