Hamilton apologises for his Ali G impersonation
FORMER world champion Lewis Hamilton has apologised for his Ali G inspired response to being reprimanded twice by the Monaco stewards during Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver, who finished sixth and remains a distant second to Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ championship, was penalised for tangling with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa before being handed a 20-second penalty for a skirmish with Pastor Maldonado.
Asked why he thought the stewards had taken a dim view of his antics, Hamilton responded: “Maybe it’s because I’m black. That’s what Ali G says.”
Later, however, the 26-year-old, mindful that his remark may have caused offence wrote on Twitter: “Hey guys, I wanted to apologise for my performance and my comments. I never meant to offend anyone.”
Immediately after the race, Hamilton said: “Massa held me up in qualifying, I got the penalty. He turned in to me [during the race], I got the penalty. These drivers are ridiculous. It’s stupid.”
But Hamilton added on Twitter: “To Massa and Maldonado, with the greatest respect I apologise if I offended you. Both of you are fantastic drivers who I regard highly.”