Brazilian Felipe Massa reacted angrily after clashing with Briton Lewis Hamilton during yesterday’s Japanese Grand Prix – the second on-track altercation between the pair in as many races.
Massa and Hamilton were fighting over fourth place on lap 21 of the 53-lap race when they clashed under braking at the final chicane, with Hamilton’s McLaren snapping part of the front wing endplate off Massa’s Ferrari.
The resultant debris caused the safety car to come out for a three-lap period, and Massa was furious with Hamilton after the race.
The incident came just one race after Hamilton crashed into the back of Massa in Singapore, a move which punctured the Brazilian’s left rear tyre and saw the Briton hit with a drive-through penalty.
Massa confronted Hamilton after that race, leading to a brief physical and verbal altercation.
Hamilton finished fifth at Suzuka while Massa came home seventh, with the two drivers separated by just four seconds at the end of the race.
Massa said he didn’t care to hear Hamilton’s explanation for the incident, which was the third time this season that the pair have come together in a race.
“I don’t care to be honest about what he said, the only thing I care about is what he did,” Massa said.
“I was much quicker, so I went to the left-hand side and I braked there. I stayed on my line (and) he moved his car and touched my car.
“There’s nothing more to say.”
Massa called for the FIA, the sport’s governing body, to be tougher on Hamilton in future races. Race stewards investigated yesterday’s clash but elected to take no further action.
“They have penalised people for much less this year and this time they didn’t do it,” Massa said.
“For what he says, I don’t care. He doesn’t learn. I race against him, against whatever driver in the same way. He has already passed the time to speak, which I tried and he didn’t.”
Hamilton downplayed the incident, blaming the mishap on the lack of visibility afforded by the wing mirrors on his car.
“I don’t really know what happened with Felipe – I had no idea he was there. I have no problems with him,” Hamilton said.