Lewis Hamilton has accused Felipe Massa of deliberately crashing into him during the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix.
The pair were scrapping on track at the chicane when Hamilton moved past Massa. The Brazilian driver fought back, taking his car over the kerb and grass before clipping the rear end of Hamilton, sending him into a spin. Massa was later given a drive-through penalty for his manoeuvre, however the move cost Hamilton any chance of a points-finish in the race.
“He outbraked me so I didn t get past him on the way in,†Hamilton explained. “I did the corner normally and he came back very aggressively and hit me. I think that was pretty much as deliberate as can be.â€
However the Ferrari driver is adamant that it was just a racing incident and there was no malicious intent there whatsoever.
“He braked very late and I braked very late,†Massa said. “Then I was a little bit wide in the first part of the corner. Then he had my inside line and pushed me a little bit wide in the gravel, and then I went with the wheels on the gravel but the next corner was on the left. Then we just touched each other so in my opinion, it was a racing incident.â€
When asked if the tap he gave Hamilton was deliberate, Massa said, “For sure not! I had two wheels on the gravel. I could not stop the car and I was on the gravel because he pushed me into the gravel.â€
