29/05/2011
NEWS STORY
McLaren has revealed that Lewis Hamilton has apologised to the stewards for a "poor joke" he made in the wake of today's race.
Speaking after a race in which he was given a drive-through penalty and then a 20s time penalty - for separate incidents - the McLaren driver told the BBC that he felt he was being victimised.
When asked why this might be, he replied: "Maybe it's because I'm black. That's what Ali G says."
Keen that his remarks don't cause further bother, the Englishman subsequently returned to the stewards to explain his comments and ensure that they understood they were spoken in jest.
"Immediately after the race he was very down, and during a post-race TV interview he made a poor joke about his penalties that referenced Ali G," said Martin Whitmarsh. ""However, I'm pleased to say that he chose to return to the track a little while later to speak to the stewards about the joke. They accepted his explanation."
Nonetheless, the stewards would be well advised to avoid the McLaren driver should they spot him in any of Monaco's numerous nightspots this evening. Especially if he's with Adrian Sutil.