F-1: Hamilton rejects talks with Vettel after race clashes

Lewis Hamilton believes Sebastian Vettel’s angry reaction in deliberately driving into him at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday is evidence the German driver is psychologically weak.

Despite Vettel’s actions having marked a new stage in the fight for the F1 title, Hamilton himself says he will not change how he approaches racing the German – and he still hopes the championship can be fought out in a fair way.

“I don’t think Lewis would have brake-tested him”, Ricciardo told ESPN.

The Briton denied that and said Vettel’s driving was “disgusting” and “not sportsman’s conduct”.

The championship leader, now 14 points clear of Hamilton after finishing fourth to the Briton’s fifth, was also given three penalty points which could prove significant.

Vettel now has nine points on his F1 licence and if he obtains three more in Austria a week on Sunday he will be hit with a one-race ban.

Hamilton was on Vettel’s tail on the last lap, but could not overtake.

Hamilton was not penalised. You’re not going to make the restart out of Turn 15.

The three-time world champion and non-executive chairman of the “Silver Arrows” team said he had never seen anything like it before after Vettel had driven his Ferrari into Hamilton’s Mercedes on lap 19 of Sunday’s tempestuous race. An irate Vettel then accelerated alongside Hamilton and appeared to deliberately swerve back into him. We are racing with men. “I don’t have a problem with him”, he said.

“In a way I am happy to see that drivers have emotions. I think it says it all”. Vettel could not brake on time and his car’s nose ended up colliding with Hamilton’s rear diffuser, causing minor damage to both cars.

“I nearly can’t imagine that he did it on goal in shunting into him”.

“In Montreal I think [Stoffel] Vandoorne did it at one point, and at least [Carlos] Sainz [Jr] got a penalty”. If I’m struggling, people at the back struggling even more, so I don’t think it was necessary. “I’m sure that’ll get cleared up”.

Lance Stroll was an 18-year-old under pressure following a hard start to his life in the sport. It is not the way to do it.

“We had a little contact, but I drove alongside him mostly to raise my hand. That was just not necessary”.

Hamilton was on pole position for the 66th time, with Bottas next, followed by Kimi Raikkonen and Vettel fourth.

Hamilton has previously said he does not want to enter into a psychological battle with Vettel but it has clearly begun. As he lost the race due to the fact that he had to get his auto fixed. “I controlled the pace”. I don’t think that was his intention (to damage my car) because he’s also risking damage to his vehicle, and his race is over.

“I don’t agree with the penalty I got”. For me the matter is already history, but of course the heat level is going up! We had the upper hand this weekend. “It’s done and dusted and we move on”.

“It would be very simple to put the complete blame on one man, but what initiated the bad behaviour was what happened before”. I’m willing to sort it out with him. “I don’t think there’s much to sort out”, he added. In that case, it is Vettel’s own fault that he ran into the back of Hamilton, so he had no need to be upset, much less slam into Hamilton because of it. “It might turn into something else”.