Lewis Hamilton was reprimanded by Formula 1 stewards after failing to seek out medical help following his crash at the Belgian Grand Prix.
After a disappointing performance in qualifying, the Brit's weekend at Spa-Francorchamps went from bad to worse when his race lasted for barely a minute. A decent start off the line counted for nothing as he made contact with Fernando Alonso while trying to overtake his former McLaren team-mate.
He later admitted he had not left enough room for the Alpine on the inside of Les Combes, which led to the contact. His Mercedes was sent flying into the air and took a beating as it hit the ground hard, while Alonso was fortunate to escape any meaningful damage.
Given the significant impact, Hamilton was told to go to the medical centre as a precaution. But he failed to do so, instead trudging back to the paddock on foot before facing the media.
"He's actually been given a warning for refusing to go to the medical centre," revealed commentator David Croft on Sky Sports. "The bounce up in the air and return to the ground set off a warning light in the cockpit. He didn't go to the medical centre and he's been given a warning by the stewards for that."
Speaking to the broadcaster during the race, Hamilton admitted that he had been at fault for the crash. "I'm looking back at the footage and he was in my blind spot and I didn't leave him enough space," he conceded. "So it was my fault and I paid the price."
Seconds after the contact, Alonso jumped onto team radio to vent his anger about almost being taken out of the race. "What an idiot!" he yelled, adding: "Closing the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega start – but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first."
Hamilton was given the chance to respond to that message, but was quick to avoid getting into a war of words. He added: "It doesn't really matter what he said – I don't really care. Like I said, It was my fault. I couldn't see him, he was right in my blind spot."
The seven-time world champion sits sixth in the drivers' standings after a point-less weekend in Belgium. He is now 24 points adrift of team-mate George Russell, who continued his impressively consistent form this season with another fourth-placed finish at Spa.
