Lewis Hamilton escapes penalty after Fernando Alonso near-crash in Canadian GP pits
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso had a close shave at the Canadian Grand Prix.
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Lewis Hamilton almost collided with Fernando Alonso in the pitlane at the Canadian Grand Prix in a frantic near-miss. The Mercedes star almost hit the side of the Aston Martin as he peeled away from his pit box in the opening stages.
The incident was immediately noted by the stewards and was later considered to be 'under investigation'. It means Hamilton was under threat of being handed a penalty later in the Grand Prix.
However, after some consideration, the race officials decided that no further action would be taken with the Mercedes driver avoiding any sanctions. Both drivers decided to stop seconds after a safety car was called for a George Russell collision.
Aston Martin appeared to leave their pit box earlier but Mercedes humped just in front. Hamilton’s race engineer Peter Bonnington said: "Caution caution, You’re just ahead."
The 38-year-old replied: "Great job at the stop guys." But Alonso was left frustrated by the accident and was seen waving his hand at his former McLaren team-mate.
The Spaniard immediately took to team radio to blast the move and made sure to highlight that evasive action was taken. The 41-year-old said: "I had to brake in the pits."
Aston Martin appeared to agree with his perspective, also making clear their anger at the incident. Alonso’s race engineer replied: "It looked very dangerous to me."
Hamilton and Alonso were embroiled in a tense battle in the early stages for the runners-up spot. The double world champion lost P2 off the line after a slow getaway which allowed Hamilton to slip past.
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However, the Aston Martin has looked quick all weekend and Alonso was soon stuck to the back of the Mercedes trying to force a move. After the stop, Alonso eventually got past his ex-title rival on lap 22 after a move at the final chicane.
Ahead of the race, Hamilton had vowed to make life difficult for Alonso on Sunday after qualifying P3. The Briton was later moved up to third after Nico Hulkenberg was handed a grid drop for a red flag infringement.
He explained: "We are ahead of the Ferraris. Max will be gone most likely, But if I can hold onto Alonso and give him hell that's what I'll do."