Win will be best revenge for Hamilton
LEWIS HAMILTON has been told that beating Sebastian Vettel rather than shunting him in Austria today will be the perfect retribution for his antics in Azerbaijan.
German Vettel deliberately drove into the Brit ace last Sunday because he felt he had been “brake-tested”.
Vettel was furious with Hamilton but, unsurprisingly, Hamilton in turn was livid at his rival’s conduct, and even more so when the FIA decided not to punish him.
The two will resume hostilities this afternoon though Hamilton was hit with a five-place grid penalty after his Mercedes needed an unschelduled gearbox change during practice of Friday. He will start eighth and Vettel in second.
And former Formula One star David Coulthard said: “Beating Vettel would be the best form of retribution for Lewis, 100 per cent. And that is the way Lewis is wired anyway.
“Even if he’s made the odd mistake in the past, I don’t think they have been borne out of malice.
“We can say Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher both had this malicious streak and that there were some premeditated actions.
“I don’t remember Lewis ever doing anything that looked premeditated or as if it was unsportsmanlike behaviour.
“Lewis will feel vindicated by the FIA position to, at least, have looked further at it. Seb has definitely come out of it as the perpetrator, the baddie, and Lewis as the innocent.
“So, going into Silverstone next weekend, it’s the perfect storm.”