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Lewis Hamilton says he was “100% open” with Formula 1’s stewards when called to explain his controversial pit entry move during the German Grand Prix.
Hamilton was summoned for cutting across the grass from the pit entry and back onto the track when there was some confusion within the Mercedes F1 team about whether he should pit under the late-race safety car.
The stewards – who included driver representative Mika Salo – gave Hamilton a reprimand rather than a more stringent penalty because the incident happened under a safety car, and there was no danger to other drivers.
“It’s been emotional, the most emotional day, up and down,” said Hamilton just after hearing the outcome.
“No one ever wants to go and see the stewards. They have the hardest job, because every scenario is always different.
“They ask you to explain what happened, and I was 100% open with them. I’m very rarely there. There have been many times in the past, I was there a lot, but I hardly ever see them now.
“I respect the rules and I respect the job that they have to do. I just was open, said this is how it was. They could hear and see how confusing it was, and that was that.”
The stewards also noted that “the driver and the team candidly admitted the mistake and the fact that there was confusion within the team as to whether to stay out or to enter the pits and that led to the infringement”.
Hamilton admitted he didn’t know what to do, especially as team mate Valtteri Bottas pitted just in front of him.
“It was just the most confusing second and a half,” Hamilton added. “I honestly thought that I was going to stay out, I was happy with my tyres, and then they said: ‘Come in,’ and I saw Valtteri ahead coming in, soo I was like ‘are they sure about it?’
“By the time I got in it was ‘no, stay out’. It was literally go left, go right? I just slowed down and trundled over some grass and made sure I joined the track as safe as I could.”