Hulkenberg apologizes to Hamilton
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| Hulkenberg had the measure and was going to pass Hamilton if he had more patience |
11/25/12 Nico Hulkenberg has visited Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren hospitality area at Interlagos, in order to apologize for taking the 2008 Champion out of the lead in Brazil. While trying to pass the slower Hamilton, the Force India driver spun into his rival at Turn 1.
“The dude didn’t even say sorry…so that says a lot," Hamilton initially commented after the race, having pulled over as Hulkenberg went on to finish fifth.
Hamilton then received his visit from the 2009 GP2 title winner, who had led this afternoon’s race after passing eventual winner Jenson Button for the top spot.
“That was a lot of fun – very entertaining and there was so much happening all the time!" Hulkenberg said of his own race. “We had a great chance to finish on the podium today, but it slipped away which is a shame. In the early laps it was difficult to keep the car on the track in the very damp conditions, but it was not really wet enough for Intermediates and I stuck with the Slicks: it was the right decision and soon I was leading the race.
“I felt comfortable but eventually I made a small mistake and Lewis got ahead of me. I managed to stay with him and was fighting to get the lead back when we touched. It’s hard to say what happened but I was making a move going into Turn 1 and had a slightly loose rear. I was about to turn in and suddenly there was contact. It’s a shame for both of us because we were having a great battle. I managed to keep going but I had lost a lot of time."
Hulkenberg finishes his year 11th in the Drivers’ Championship and just three points behind Sergio Pérez, who he will replace at Sauber in 2013.