Hamilton accepts full responsibility for Albon collision
Lewis Hamilton said he accepts full responsibility for the Brazilian Grand Prix collision with Alex Albon that led to him being penalised by the Formula 1 stewards.
Hamilton knocked Albon's Red Bull into a spin at the tight Bico de Pato corner on the infield while trying to reclaim second with one lap to go following a late pitstop for fresh tyres during a safety car period.
Though Hamilton crossed the line in third and took part in the podium ceremony, he was already under investigation and was given a five-second time penalty soon afterwards - dropping him to seventh in the results.
He had expressed remorse for the incident in immediate post-race interviews and underlined after the penalty that he had no qualms about accepting blame for the tangle.
"I've got a penalty. I totally accept the blame as I was coming from behind," said Hamilton. "You don't hardly ever see me do that, collisions with anyone.
"In hindsight, I could have waited to come across the line, but hindsight is always a great thing."
The clash cost rookie Albon what would have been his first F1 podium. He finished 14th.
"We'll live to fight another day and that won't be the last time that he's in position for a podium and he'll have many more great races," said Hamilton of Albon.
"So I hope, as hard as it is a pill to swallow, that he can learn from the experience also."
Albon admitted he was "upset" to lose a potential second place but understood why Hamilton tried the move.
"Of course he didn't mean to do it. I'm not angry at Lewis," he added.
He suggested that Hamilton had been in a hurry to overtake him because he still felt he had an opportunity to catch leader Max Verstappen, which Hamilton confirmed.
"It's always a big question of when is the right time to try it," said Hamilton. "We only had a lap and a half to go. An opportunity came up, I was quicker through Turn 9 [Pinheirinho].
"And I was in shooting distance, so I gave it a shot. Ultimately, in my mind, I'm trying to catch Max. It's highly unlikely, but that was the goal."
Vettel, Leclerc called to stewards over accident
Gasly: "Insane" podium "the best day of my life"
The six subplots to watch in 2022 as a new F1 era begins
As Formula 1 prepares to begin a new era of technical regulations in 2022, We pick out six other key elements to follow this season
Why newly-retired Kimi Raikkonen won't miss F1
After 349 grand prix starts, 46 fastest laps, 21 wins and one world championship, Kimi Raikkonen has finally called time on his F1 career. In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com on the eve of his final race, he explains his loathing of paddock politics and reflects on how motorsport has changed over the past two decades.
Unpacking the technical changes behind F1 2022's rules shake-up
Formula 1 cars will look very different this year as the long-awaited fresh rules finally arrive with the stated aim of improving its quality of racing. We break down what the return of 'ground effect' aerodynamics - and a flurry of other changes besides - means for the teams, and what fans can expect
Why F1's new era is still dogged by its old world problems
OPINION: The 2022 Formula 1 season is just weeks away from getting underway, but instead of focusing on what is to come, the attention still remains on what has been – not least the Abu Dhabi title decider controversy. That, plus other key talking points, must be resolved to allow the series to warmly welcome in its new era
The Schumacher trait that will give Haas hope in F1 2022
Mick Schumacher’s knack of improving during his second season in a championship was a trademark of his junior formula career, so his progress during his rookie Formula 1 campaign with Haas was encouraging. His target now will be to turn that improvement into results as the team hopes to reap the rewards of sacrificing development in 2021
The “glorified taxi” driver central to F1’s continued safety push
As the driver of Formula 1’s medical car, Alan van der Merwe’s job is to wait – and hope his skills aren’t needed. James Newbold hears from F1’s lesser-known stalwart.
When BMW added F1 'rocket fuel' to ignite Brabham's 1983 title push
There was an ace up the sleeve during the 1983 F1 title-winning season of Nelson Piquet and Brabham. It made a frontrunning car invincible for the last three races to see off Renault's Alain Prost and secure the combination's second world title in three years
How “abysmal” reliability blunted Brabham’s first winner
Brabham’s first world championship race-winning car was held back by unreliable Climax engines – or so its creators believed, as STUART CODLING explains