Oscar Piastri, McLaren and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Monza, 2023

Hamilton apologised to Piastri for collision: “That’s what gentlemen do”

2023 Italian Grand Prix

Posted on

| Written by and

Lewis Hamilton apologised to Oscar Piastri after being penalised for the collision between the pair in the Italian Grand Prix.

The pair were battling for position going into the Variante della Roggia when Hamilton squeezed his rival towards the outside, making contact with the McLaren. While Hamilton was able to continue, Piastri had to pit to replace his damaged front wing.

The stewards deemed Hamilton was responsible for the collision and gave him a five-second time penalty, plus two endorsement points on his licence, putting him on a total of four.

“It was, obviously, my fault,” said Hamilton in response to a question from RaceFans, “and it actually wasn’t intentional.

“I got up alongside and just misjudged the gap that I had to the right and clipped him. It could happen at any time.”

Hamilton initially asked his team who was at fault in the collision. He later accepted responsibility.

“I knew shortly afterwards it must have been my fault so I wanted to make sure he knew that it wasn’t intentional,” he said. “And that’s what gentleman do, right?”

Piastri said he appreciated Hamilton’s apology. “I can’t ask for anything other than that,” he said.

“He just moved a bit too far to the right. I think it’s very easy to do in that corner, it’s very narrow. He came and apologised, so I don’t think there’s much more to it than that.”

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

2023 Italian Grand Prix

Browse all 2023 Italian Grand Prix articles

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
Claire Cottingham
Claire has worked in motorsport for much of her career, covering a broad mix of championships including Formula One, Formula E, the BTCC, British...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

107 comments on “Hamilton apologised to Piastri for collision: “That’s what gentlemen do””

  1. An apology is indeed the least you can do. Ultimately the apology won’t fix Piastri’s ruined race while Lewis saw no negative effect from his penalty, so I don’t know if it does all that much to improve Piastri’s mood about it.

    1. Lewis had enough going into that corner, for Piastr to conceed. He didn’t, he held ground, and that is what contributed to the collision. Had he let a charging Hamilton through, he would have picked up Lewis’ DRS and been in a better position to press his teammate.

      Lewis, being ahead of Piastri was of course looking left to the approaching corning, as Piastri behind, saw lewis coming and simply held ground. So go figure.

      As for Lewis, with 10 laps to go he had to make a charge, or trundle along in that DRS train like all the other drivers before him.

      1. Why should Piastri have conceded the place at that point? Hamilton moved under braking and did not leave Piastri enough room. Yes, Hamilton was going to come out of the chicane ahead, but that doesn’t mean Piastri has to disappear

        1. Coventry Climax
          3rd September 2023, 20:01

          Because for some, noone has the right to defend against, or even hold ground, against Hamilton.

          1. Not true. It’s easy to suggest that Hamilton has been unfairly penalized for years for defensive driving.

            The rules for F1 have drifted to a point where it now the responsibility of the driver being overtaken to ensure a clean pass– obviously, the incident with Piastri was an anomaly– under normal circumstances, Piastri should have been penalized for not leaving room for Hamilton to overtake. ;)

      2. The stewards saw it and judged that you are wrong there. Hamilton did not give enough room and that cause a collision, ruining a race that had been very solid for Piastri until then.

        Good that Hamilton apologizes after having seen it. That is how it should be.

      3. Are you serious? It was clearly Lewis’ fault and 5 seconds was not sufficient punishment. He should have had a drive through or stop and go.
        He seems to know how to use his car as a weapon and get away unscathed . This kind of driving from a veteran driver is especially sickening.
        It’s getting more and more difficult to be a fan of his. I hope the old adage “what goes around comes around is true”.

        1. Tell me when has someone got a drive penalty for such incident or is it because its Lewis? Stroll Ended Gasley’s race at Silverstone, no one shouted that he should get the electric chair

          1. Actually what would have been deserving is HAM finishes one spot behind Piastri.
            He’s done it too many times. He’s the dirtiest driver on the grid.
            Maldonado comes to mind.

        2. Why not just call for him to be banned from F1?

          Every single other “causing a collision” is handed a 5 second penalty– what’s so special about Hamilton that he should receive a stop/go?

      4. How could Piastri have avoided it in your opinion? They were both on the brakes when Hamilton came across him. Piastri couldn’t brake any harder, he couldn’t go further to the right. That’s we moving under braking is so dangerous: The other car can’t conceal, bail out or disappear

      5. Petty comment of the week award goes to… Ajaxn! Well done!

    2. @Sjaakfoo
      99% of the of drivers o the grid wouldnt bother with an apology!

      IMHO you wouldnt be satisfied if Hamilton sacrificed his firstborn.

      I think Hamilton is twice eceptional, being the most succesful driver ever, and he still bothers to apologize if he feels its his fault.

      How does your thinking apply to Abi Dhabi?

      1. You mean Lewis should apologize for cutting the corner when he passed Verstappen out of track?

        1. Yes Osnola, lets stick with a miniscule metric curated by Osnolas 100% unbiased worldview!

          Osnola! Since its text you are free to apply any amount of snarkiness and sarcasm in my response.

        2. So Max forgets to break in Brazil by a mile force ham in Spain off, try to murder ham in monza? Break check in Saudi? Hmm not to mention a free vip seat just for himself in Abu Dhabi? Shamelessly took that fixed game, God knows what were the odds of him winning that race until that moment and how many people he made rich at the end. Fia’s top always involved in shaddy businesses but that takes the cake of any shadiness before it! Let’s see who should apologise.

          1. It’s ‘brake’, not break. Like apply the brakes…..

      2. 99% of the drivers on the grid basically means no one else apart from hamilton would apologise, and not only, if you go back to the 2000s and then the 1990s etc. till you find a total of 100 different drivers no one of them would apologise but hamilton!

        Seems an excessive % to me.

    3. Wonderful attitude pal

  2. That still makes it even harder for me see how they both came out intact and even pointing the same direction.

    That did remind me of LeClerc and Hamilton at the same spot a couple years back. Now the penalties are more consistent and more frequent. People forget when it was completely mysterious when rules were being enforced and some obvious things were never even investigated. Now we argue about the degree of penalty.

    1. It is still inconsistent.

      I have no idea how do current rules apply on T1 situations we saw today. Clearly on many occasions drivers were quite alongside but still could be pushed off the track.

  3. Lewis had enough going into that corner, for Piastr to conceed. He didn’t, he held ground, and that is what contributed to the collision. Had he let a charging Hamilton through, he would have picked up Lewis’ DRS and been in a better position to press his teammate.

    As for Lewis, with 10 laps to go he had to make a charge, or trundle along in that DRS train like all the other drivers before him.

    1. Oh wow, so now piastri is at fault?

      1. My interpitation of Ajanxn comment. Hamiltons fault, Piastris shortsightness and @Richards less than smart or maybe fake surprise answer!

        1. Just buy a fast car… try to experience the real thing.. and then give a bit of respect to what Piastri is doing in his rookie season vs the one you are defending …

          1. As a rookie, experiences like this will help to improve his anticipation so that rather than wait the outcome, he actively seeks to avoid them. This is all good for the rookie.

            // tongue firmly in cheek //

    2. Ajaxn: you’re not credible with this opinion

      1. Hahahahha when is someone’s opinion more credible than your opinion?

        Come back when you are stating facts.
        Facts are more credible then your opinion, but people seem to forget that

        1. The fact is the stewards blamed Lewis.

        2. Imho Hamilton allways brings the racists and bigots. Personaly i spend less 0,01 % in non Hamilton threads.

          That lot feels it is really important to diminish all that is Hamilton. They breastfeed until 8 filled with a sense of superiority and entitlement. Its extremly jarring for them watching someone (SLH) they feel he is inferior to them. Ham getting in spitting distance of a F1 car doesnt fit in their worldview. Because they deserve and not that rapper/thug maltliqor drinking,
          7 + 2 WDC!

    3. Hamilton judged it wrong. He accepts that he judged it wrong. Has apologised to Piastri for getting it wrong. Lewis continued to make up places til the end of the race.

      So what is your point?

      1. Lewis should not be making bad judgments at this point of his career. If it was by some small chance a miss judgment then he is not the great racer he is purported to be, Alonso said last year at Spa when LH made made a desperate attempt to pass him he didn’t know how to race unless he is in the lead and he appears to be correct.

        He’s like a bull in a China shop. Let’s see how the rest of the season goes for him.I think he is burning bridges left and right and will pay the price. He’s not driving a dominant car anymore and driving in the midfield is frustrating him and causing him to make stupid moves like today. His legacy is becoming tarnished.

        It’s obvious he did it on purpose.

        1. Why dont you go tell Lewis more life choices @Scott?! Then come back and tell us if you got through, through the telly?

          You sound like a dedicated life expert with life changing expertise accrued from many years of armchairing at the highest echelon privileged…armchairs!?

        2. Can’t tell if this is sarcasm or idiocy.

          1. Sorry, that was meant for Scott. I suck at posting!

        3. Scott

          It’s obvious he did it on purpose.

          Can you just clarify this for me. Obvious? I’m sure it’s just me so I would like to benefit from your greater understanding as to why it is more obvious LH would risk both cars by engaging in a highly dangerous contact, than the possibility that he would mistakenly assume that his passing speed would take him clear of OP as he cut back across.

        4. How old was Schumacher when he tried to carve Barrichelo’s face on pit straight wall at the Hungarian GP??
          or crashing into Jean Eric Verne, Bruno Senna, DiResta, Kobayashi, Rosberg etc

    4. Lewis had enough going into that corner, for Piastr to conceed. He didn’t, he held ground, and that is what contributed to the collision.

      Ridiculous, that is like saying that all other cars have to disappear from track to not have accidents.
      Even Hamilton accepts his responsibility that he should not have squeezed Piastri.

      1. Regardless of whether I agree with the text you quote or not, suggesting that Piastri should have conceded is categorically nothing close to the same as saying he should disappear.

        It’s clear you would make a very poor magician.

        1. It is the same meaning: if the person that is not a fault was not there the accident did not have occurred.

  4. Still waiting for that Silverstone 2021 apology then.

    1. I don’t expect Verstappen to own up any time soon.

      1. You mean the crash that served Lewis a penalty…
        Not really gentleman like behaviour afterwards either …

        1. David is a blind Lewis fanboy. As are plenty here.

          It’s just how it is with them and plenty others. Nothing Lewis does is ever wrong. Him punting off the other guy repeatedly is always a racing incident at worst.

          1. Awkward as I’m a fan of both. Doesn’t stop me thinking Verstappen could/should have left more space and the attempt was legitimate. Also I just said below Hamilton was wrong (at fault) today. So not ‘nothing ever’.

        2. @osnola, yes that one.
          Still think it was 50/50: what I meant was that I doubt Verstappen will ever accept he could have left more space too.

    2. Coventry Climax
      3rd September 2023, 20:06

      Just did something I’ve never done before: Press the ‘Report comment’ button.
      Just so you know it was me; that’s what Gentlemen do.

      1. @Coventry climaxes, earlier. Was it beacause i said he had 2 anuses?

        And you are also mother Theresa, but without a blue checkmark your stuck in unverified.

        Because that is what i do. Feel free to take offense.

        1. Coventry Climax
          4th September 2023, 0:21

          None taken, as I’m in the habit of not blaming the mentally impaired.

    3. That was a racing incident/Verstappen turned in. No apology needed.

  5. That happened because Piastri didn’t do what Perez did earlier with Leclerc and Hamilton himself did with the same Leclerc in 2019 in that corner and went a bit for the grass.

    If he had, Hamilton hardly would get a penalty. So, again, it’s only worth a penalty if someone comes out of it with a damaged car.

    1. Exactly. And leclerc on Lewis in 2019. People are so blind when it comes to Lewis they dissociate from reality staring at them in the face

      1. Exactly Leclec got the black and white flag, but are expecting Lewis to get the electric chair

  6. Saw it on the highlights video. It’s a bit clumsy, but it happens. Piastri had every right to be there and potentially benefit from Hamilton having to break harder from a tighter line. He could still have tucked in behind Hamilton afterwards.

    Good to see them both having a relaxed take on it.

  7. Good thing he apologized for his brief lack of spatial awareness, but as the above post points out, Piastri could’ve done similarly to the two other similar moves.

    1. lack of spatial awareness

      yep, that will cost him in the next F1 game .

    2. Ah yes the same lack of spacial awareness that got piastri a penalty the lap before and got leclerc a penalty defending Perez at the same corner earlier on. The same lack of spacial awareness that got leclerc a penalty for doing the same thing to Lewis in 2019 at the same corner. Your lack of awareness btw is right in front of your face.

    3. Since you want to talk about lack of awareness, let’s celebrate Max’s awareness this race. He just won his 10th race in a row because on lap 6 at turn 2 he decided he didn’t want to park his car on sainz’s head, because fortunately for them both sainz isn’t his title rival.
      Near mirror image of 2021 but for some totally unknown reason they didn’t crash today. Well done max for awareness but of course your lack of awareness probably didn’t notice :)

      1. @Yellow Baron

        Osnola heard the mic drop! Like BOOM!!!!

        Osnola: Damn what was that!?

        Anyone reply with suggestions within Osnola mind!

        1. I’m not sure what you mean lol but Jere has been real quiet since the mic dropped

  8. Misjudged from Hamilton, could have just as easily been a puncture for him. A bit naive from Piastri, the defending bit was over, Hamilton was past, and he could have left a bit more room precisely to allow for misjudgement.

    1. He’ll (Ham) probably leave more room next time, don’t normally see these two battling on track, but in general in the race did see some very close battles in the usual spots and the Ferrari and Rbr battles were just as tight but not detrimental. The turn 1 battles were hilarious.

      1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
        3rd September 2023, 19:32

        @icarby – that’s a good point – Lewis has no frame of reference for Piastri’s racing. I’m sure he’ll account for that in future encounters.

        1. Passing a car and stealing in at that point has nothing to do with piastri. It was a stupid action, showing lack of spatial awareness.
          Good thing is at least Lewis agrees. It’s only his fans that missed the responsibility part.

          1. @Osnola

            Osnola:Yess Lewis bad! Must punish more! Maybe Osnola convince more people! Muaha haha ha! Yes Osnola is sssmmhh,, ssmar,,,tt.

          2. @Osnola

            I’m an LH fan and totally agree he was at fault.

            It seems it’s only his non-fans that missed the ‘perils of stereotyping’ part.

    2. I don’t think Piastri could have left any more room without actually taking to the grass. Hamilton was moving across and clearly had no intention of leaving a car’s width, as required by the rules. He was fortunate to come away from it without damage, as you say.

      1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
        3rd September 2023, 19:34

        @red-andy that straight and chicane is so weird – it’s usually where you see a lot of contact and pushing out. Was it Vettel or Alonso who was pushed all the way to the grass by the other driver? But all the great drivers make moves there and make them stick and half the time they deserve a penalty…

      2. @red-andy I was expecting contact, not sure why, a mixture of the drivers concerned and corner involved. I think it was misjudged but I also think Hamilton was impatiently trying to close off Piastri. Poor weekend all told.

    3. I do not understand the comments about Piastri in this at all. He was in his own race vs Lando and others. Why would he not be on that part of the track? It provides him the ideal racing line and would have slotted right in after Lewis who he saw was clearly on his inside. So, he knew he lost the battle and just wanted to continue in the best way possible. To state he should do anything is just so not racy/racing. This was 100% a slip up of Lewis. Not a big, unfortunately a biggy for Piastri, but hey it happens and was unintentional. But why does a percentage needs to move from Lewis to the other all the time and always? That is just fanboy talk. Has nothing to do with reality. There were many copies of this overtake yesterday without anyone touching each other.

      1. You’ve answered yourself. Piastri knew the position had gone. Hamilton assumed (wrongly) that Piastri would know the corner was lost and brake earlier. It was clearly Hamilton’s fault. However racing is about anticipating other drivers too. I don’t think either expected the collision to happen: Piastri expected sufficient room, Hamilton expected Piastri to cede earlier, presumably anticipating that he knew Hamilton was much faster and they weren’t racing for position. Was that presuming too much? Yep, obviously. All I’m saying is that Piastri next time this situation happens (not just with Hamilton but especially with him) will be evaluating his response differently. Likewise Hamilton, he’ll probably give Piastri more room next time.

  9. What a stupid move by Lewis. Is this really a 7 time world champion? Looks more like a sort of Latiffi. No spatial awareness…

    1. Verstappen broke his front wing all by himself on the pitlane, hitting the wall. How’s he even in formula 1??

      That’s your logic.

      It’s racing, stuff happens.

    2. @Bojangles infinetly less stupid compared to your comment.

      On one hand Hamilton made it in front of the camera in a Formula 1 car and you Bojangles made it to the couch;)

      Thats the situation! Now feel free to administer your stupidity quota.

      Thats the context! And you are included!

    3. what a stupid comment

      1. There’s many more on here, note none of them are site supporters either. Sad sad individuals.

        1. @slowmo.

          Its common practice by skinheads, they get employment in police departments and corrupt systems from within.

  10. It makes sense to stay friendly with McLaren. Keep all the options open.

  11. gutsy drive by Lewis again, to take a desperate race strategy (FOMO issues with strategists) and poor attention to his setup, going wrong two different times on Friday and Saturday. Just glad his tires held on till the end of the race. Mercedes do not deserve P2 in the championship, hopefully Ferrari and Aston can wipe them off the map in the next few races. Not impressed at all at Mercedes garbage leadership as they keep pushing that aero design which destroying their rear wing. Ferrari, Williams clearly understand how to work their rear wing, and until just recently so did RBR. Which is probably why RBR has fallen back so much recently in the last two races. Anyways… Go Lewis.

    1. Sorry pcmax i accidently flagged your comment:( Got so overeager to say +1!!!!!
      I 100 hundred % agree with you.

    2. Red Bull has fallen back? Seriously man?
      This was likely Ferrari’s (and any other team) strongest showing of the season and they weren’t even close to winning this race.
      The only reason it took 15 laps was Sainz’s gutsy drive. Someone like Norris there wouldn’t last 10 laps there, would let Max through in the first more serious attempt and then race hard those behind “because there’s where his race is”.

  12. He deserved a 10 sec penalty for that and he keeps doing these mistakes.

    1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
      3rd September 2023, 20:30

      @illusive I know… we can’t go one race without that happening! Not 10 seconds, he should have gotten the same penalty Max gets which means no investigation… Now, that’s a penalty or a free card to break the budget in 2023 for Mercedes. Now, that’s a draconian penalty…

      1. good comback

      2. His reply is so illusivenits lacking spatial awareness

  13. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
    3rd September 2023, 19:30

    Class act, as always… That’s how champions behave! They don’t blame the other driver.

    1. Class act, as always

      ruining another drivers race?

  14. And how is it possible again and again that Lewis gets away with it without any substantial damage while ruining the other’s race? This guy is always so lucky….

    1. Well its like sometimes when cars… Ahh screw it!

      Your frustration is like ambrosia to me! Your pain is delicious. I somewhat admire you Boj angle.Your inherent limitations and resenments are your own and you proudly display them on a thread about Lewis Hamilton, earning Keith money on Hamilton content. Whom you dont like.

      Between you and me Bo, i think Ham did it to spite you! Beacause Bojan you are very important! I’am whispering this. So dont tell the rest of the thread ok!

    2. It’s not a matter of luck. It’s a trademark move. Sir has done it dozens and dozens of times. It takes a lot of practice and skill that could have been put to better use, like actually racing.

      The result is always (or almost always? the same. The other car gets ruined but Sir gets no damage. There is almost never a penalty and when there is, it is ineffectual.

      1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
        4th September 2023, 1:32

        @melanos you do realize that if Hamilton can hit another car intentionally as you claim and not get any damage, that would make him the best wheel-to-wheel racer of all time by a significantly larger margin than he already is. It would also make you his #1 fan and ironically you were completely unaware of it until I pointed it out which does call into question your spatial awareness…

  15. Stop hitting other drivers or drive in their way like you did during free practice – or stop trying to get drivers penalized by lying that Perez impeded you during qualifying.
    You have ruined some people’s races (often rookies) in the last years that it becomes pathetic. Add the constant lying, politics and narcissistic sad comments/remarks.

    Lewis is anything but a gentlemen – sadly in the last 5 years Lewis behavior has only gone downhill. He may be on everyone’s top 10 great drivers of F1, he is far from a great champion and human being.

    He should really look at Alonso – how he should behave as a senior WDC in the sport but sadly Lewis isn’t gaining wisdom with age.

    1. Who is to tell how should someone act?
      That’s racing. It happens. Don’t want to break your toy? Stay home then.

    2. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
      3rd September 2023, 20:29

      Yes, he is a terrible person for apologizing when making a mistake. He should be inspired by other drivers who blame everyone else when they make a mistake or by you who blames him for apologizing for making a mistake.

    3. @Jimmy Cliff

      I dont know why you cant see clearly? Because the rain is gone.
      Maybe its just you?

    4. @Jimmy Cliff

      He should really look at Alonso – how he should behave as a senior WDC in the sport

      Fair enough that you qualified this as behavior’s as a ‘senior driver’, because you wouldn’t necessarily highlight Alonso as the perfect gentlemen over his whole career.

      And for the record, I disagree with you about Hamilton, but it is – like yours – just an opinion, so I am not going to argue over it.

  16. I think you’ve all missed the obvious culprit.
    Tsunoda should get a penalty.
    Because, well because…

    1. Rubbish parking?

  17. Wow it’s really ridiculous to go on insulting lewis. He made a mistake and got a penalty then apologised. it happens in racing and drivers are human so at times make mistakes so get over it. he didn’t do it on purpose as it could hurt him too, yes he does deserve his 7 titles as he earned them and silverstone with max is controversial with max being deemed as sharing the fault too.
    why can’t max fans just enjoy his success without constantly trying to knock lewis down?

    1. Jp have you ever had a conversation with a old white Southafrican about the wrongs of aparthaid? There is a commonality somwhere in there. Most humanbeings assume their good and therefore…

  18. Hamilton did very well not to end up in the barrier, I’ve no idea how he managed not to crash there.

    Obviously this wasn’t intentional and I feel his approach in the way he’s apologised is good. It’s a shame for Piastri as it wrecked his race while Hamilton’s penalty basically made no difference to his race, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

  19. I’ve seen dumpster fires prettier than this comment section and drunks more articulate and thoughtful than some of the commenters here.

    I really suggest to enforce stricter comment moderation to keep this website legible and enjoyable for the fans that don’t thrive of false animosity.

    1. I was just about to write something along the same lines! This isn’t the F1 I fell in love with. The tribalism is a bit off putting. Lewis is a generational talent. So is Max. They both make mistakes occasionally. Be thankful that you get to see these guys racing together. It’s like if Fangio and Clark’s careers overlapped.

    2. @BamBoomBots @tommy-c
      This. Media (this site included) keep instigating by leading questions and misquoting, just to keep fire going or start a new riot. And there are just too many people who run with whatever is fed to them. Add the ‘anonymity’ of a screen and all filters are gone. It’s not just about Hamilton and Verstappen, it’s basically about everything

  20. Tiaki Porangi
    4th September 2023, 1:13

    Oscar Piastri himself has accepted Hamilton’s apology and moved on, saying that’s all there is to it.
    Internet experts on pages like this one will have none of it – they seem to have declined the Hamilton apology on Oscar’s behalf.
    Who’s Piastri to decide whether to accept the apology or not, though?

Comments are closed.