Lewis loses out in Nico safety row

LEWIS HAMILTON was plunged into a safety row after Nico Rosberg plundered a controversial last-gasp pole in Hungary.

And social media was flooded with complaints from furious fans as the German appeared to speed through safety warning flags.

The controversy came a year after the drivers stood in a circle here to commemorate the memory of tragic Jules Bianchi, killed after he failed to slow sufficiently in dangerous conditions.

World champion Hamilton was roaring to top spot until forced to slow when Fernando Alonso spun in the final seconds of a marathon two-hour qualifying thriller littered with smashes.

Rosberg, behind him, briefly lifted his foot off the gas then sped on to steal a crucial top spot by just a tenth of a second on a circuit where overtaking is almost impossible in the race.

“The rule needs to be clarified for all us drivers,” said Hamilton. “The way it’s written is not how it’s interpreted by us all.

“For me there was no question I had to lift because Fernando was on the track but for Nico, Fernando had cleared the track though there were still flags.

“It’s not just our safety which is the concern because it could be a car or a marshal on the track.”

Despite Hamilton’s concern, four and a half hours after qualifying, stewards ruled Rosberg would keep his pole, saying telemetry had shown he reduced speed significantly. Rosberg insisted he did nothing wrong. “The rules are very clear. I did what you have to do and that is lift,” he said.