21/10/2007
NEWS STORY
While the British media continues its love affair with Lewis Hamilton, sometimes to an embarrassing degree, it is clear that others are not so infatuated, clearly believing that the powers that be have given the McLaren driver his very own 'get out of jail free' card.
Proof of this was an extraordinary clash during yesterday's press conference in which L'Equipe journalist Anne Giuntini rounded on the rookie sensation.
Giuntini was clearly incensed at two incidents during qualifying when Hamilton exited the pits, rejoining the track ahead of title rival Kimi Raikkonen.
Though there was talk of Ferrari protesting the Englishman for impeding its driver - leading to a number of websites jumping the gun and reporting this as fact - there was no protest.
For his part, Hamilton, who knows that every single move he and his team makes this weekend is being carefully monitored, apologised to the Finn, who in turn dismissed both incidents admitting that though the McLaren driver could have made his task a little easier this wasn't the reason he missed out on pole position.
"For sure, it didn't help," admitted the Ferrari driver, "so anyhow I ran wide and it cost a bit of lap time, but still I am in third place, so I think it is an ok place to start the race."
However, Giuntini clearly wasn't as easily placated as the Finn. "It is evident that twice you disturbed Kimi," she said. "Is everything good to become a world champion?
"To be honest there is no reason for me to do anything to Kimi," replied Hamilton, "because if anything he can win..."
Following another volley from Giuntini, the McLaren driver replied: "I came out of the pits and the guys said that, obviously, because Fernando was behind me and I could not hold him up in the pits... So I came out of the pit lane and they said you will come out close to Kimi and I came out and when you are at that sort of speed your mirrors are vibrating and so you cannot see too much and then I realised that he was very, very close and so I slowed down and I noticed I can't attack the corner like he was, so I backed out and he went past me."
"You never showed him clearly that you would give him the track free," said Giuntini.
"What do you want me to do? Put the indicator on?" Lewis hits back.
"You know exactly..." Giuntini snaps.
"I did the best job I could to get out of the way," says the Englishman. "And I did apologise to him if I did get in his way."
"Is that what you call the best job?" retorts Giuntini as the assembled media look on.
"Yes," says Lewis, standing his ground.
"As a sportsman?" says Giuntini.
"Yes," replies the championship leader, "how are you at your job? Are you the best at your job? You have never made mistakes... No?"
"Sometimes...," admits Giuntini.
"Oh really," says Lewis, smiling.
Things all die down until a British journalist raises the subject again. "Lewis, just to clarify after the ridiculous exchange that you just had, do you feel that you did an absolutely honest job today and if you win the world title do you feel that you will do so honestly?"
"Yes, I do," the Englishman replies. "For sure I am going to be accused of something, but honestly I am here this weekend and I need to do a completely clean job and that means just getting up and doing a good job and not making mistakes and not being investigated for some things and that is what we are trying to do as a team and myself and if anything Kimi can win this and that would be good for us and obviously it would be good to beat him but I have most of all got to beat Fernando.
"But I honestly came in afterwards and he mentioned that and I said I apologised if I got in your way but you know I honestly did not think he was that close behind me, so I was going to take the corner but I really would have screwed his lap, so I moved over and I stayed where I was and braked and I don't feel I have hindered his lap as I did get out of the way."
However....
"Let us continue the ridiculous exchange..." says Giuntini. "Do you think you can do everything you want and then you just apologise - is that the way it works in Formula One?"
"I'm not going to answer that," says Lewis.
Giuntini fires off another comment but is is lost to all but the McLaren driver.
"Not really, I just don't want to talk to you to be honest," he says.
Giuntini was later seen asking similar questions of the McLaren team and Hamilton's father.