‘I Was 100% Open with Them’ – Lewis Hamilton

During the German Grand Prix, the safety car was called out as the heavens opened. Several drivers were caught out especially a certain German Ferrari driver. While circulating behind the safety car, Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas dived in the pits. Lewis Hamilton followed them in before changing his mind at the last second.

He ended up cutting across the grass and rejoining behind the safety car. Following an investigation, he was handed a reprimand. At the summons, Hamilton said that he was “100% open” with the stewards about what transpired.

As it turned out, there was mis-communication between the team and driver. This meant that Hamilton also began to come in only to return to the track.

Ultimately, he won the race but was summoned to the stewards office. He was charged with “crossing the line separating the pit entry and the track.”

“It’s been emotional, the most emotional day, up and down,” he said.

“No one ever wants to go and see the stewards. They have the hardest job, because every scenario is always different.

“They ask you to explain what happened, and I was 100% open with them. I’m very rarely there. There have been many times in the past, I was there a lot, but I hardly ever see them now.

“I respect the rules and I respect the job that they have to do. I just was open, said this is how it was. They could hear and see how confusing it was, and that was that.”

Lewis cleared the air regarding the incident, he revealed: “It was just the most confusing second and a half.

“I honestly thought that I was going to stay out, I was happy with my tyres, and then they said: ‘Come in,’ and I saw Valtteri ahead coming in, soo I was like ‘are they sure about it?’

“By the time I got in it was ‘no, stay out’. It was literally go left, go right? I just slowed down and trundled over some grass and made sure I joined the track as safe as I could.”