Zoom Hamilton in an uncomfortable zone

Lewis Hamilton apologised personally to FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting for lying to stewards, it has emerged.

In addition to his now famous public apology in front of the world's media at Sepang, the reigning World Champion issued another apology at the verge of the recent Malaysian Grand Prix, according to Whiting.

"He came to me and wanted to talk to me privately, and just said he wanted to apologise for everything he'd done, and he wouldn't do it again," he is quoted as saying by the Mirror.

Whiting admits he suspected that Hamilton was lying in Australia, when he and McLaren Sporting Director Dave Ryan first insisted that Jarno Trulli had not deliberately been allowed to pass under the Safety Car.

Several days later, the pair lied again to a reconvened stewards meeting, triggering Hamilton's race disqualification and McLaren's summons to the World Motor Sport Council.

"I was distinctly uncomfortable about Lewis's demeanour on Sunday (in Australia), and on Thursday (in Malaysia) I would say he was just doing what he was told to do," said Whiting. "On Sunday it was completely clear that he was telling lies."

Whiting's account is backed by what the British newspaper News of the World referred to as an 'FIA source.'

The source said Hamilton and Ryan's apparent strategy with the stewards was to be "extremely vague and not very direct with the answers."

"Then the interview where he (Hamilton) said 'I was told to let him through' was played."

"At that point they both got very uncomfortable, but still denied that's what had actually happened," according to the source.

D.B. © CAPSIS International
Source: GMM