Lewis Hamilton avoids ban over Monaco outburst after written apology

Published on Thursday 9 June 2011 17:35

Lewis Hamilton wrote a personal letter to the head of Formula 1's governing body to escape a possible race ban for his Monaco Grand Prix outburst against stewards and rivals.

International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt revealed the McLaren driver could have faced a heavy punishment for his comments after the 29 May race. "It is unacceptable. I didn't want to over-react," the Frenchman said. "I could have asked the judicial court to address the problem but we never officially opened the case and he went with his father to the stewards to apologise.

"He wrote to me and it was between him and the FIA. Maybe it would have been a better decision to send him to the judicial court and ban him for six grands prix or something," added Todt. "But for me this thing is over."

Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, went to see the stewards to make peace on Sunday evening in Monaco and also apologised to his rivals via his Twitter feed after losing his cool in the heat of the moment.

The McLaren driver had collided with Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Williams rookie Pastor Maldonado, ending both of their races although he himself finished sixth, and called them ridiculous afterwards in a BBC television interview. The Englishman also wondered jokingly whether he was being singled out by stewards because he was black. Hamilton had already described the stewards' actions against him in imposing drive-through penalties as a 'joke'.

Hamilton will be a favourite in Canada this weekend, round seven of the championship, at the Montreal circuit where he took his first pole position and grand prix win in 2007. The 26-year-old, currently second overall in the championship and the only man to have beaten Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel this year, has won twice in Canada in three visits after starting all three races on pole. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez has been cleared by the FIA to race in this weekend's Crace in Montreal.

Perez ploughed into the harbour chicane in qualifying for the race in Monaco 11 days ago which resulted in him spending two nights in hospital after suffering concussion and a sprained thigh. But following an examination today by FIA medical delegate Jean Charles Piette and the medical officers at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Perez "has been found fit to race".

Sauber's Mexican rookie Perez said: "I've had the tests with the FIA. It was a very good examination as they checked all my bones, my memory, my reaction. We also gave them the results from our doctors, and everything is fine for me to race this weekend.

"After the accident I felt dizzy, which is why I stayed another day in hospital, but we were always positive there would be enough time to recover ahead of this race."