Lewis Hamilton under fire after spat with Massa

IT SEEMS the Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton can't do anything right this season. After an error-strewn weekend in Singapore he has come in for more criticism from Sir Jackie Stewart, who said that he needed to work on his "mind-management".
 
Hamilton eventually finished fifth in the Grand Prix, but almost got involved in a fight with Brazilian driver Felipe Massa after the race following a collision on the track. The British driver, who did not have anyone from his management company to look after him in Singapore, then skipped his media commitments and fled the track.
 
And in the aftermath of the race, everyone has, as usual, been having their say on the British driver's state of mind.
 
Hamilton's father, Anthony, who used to be his manager, blamed his son's new representatives. "What I will say is look up the paddock; every driver that's got a driver manager, the manager is in the driver's life," he said.
 
But former F1 champion Jackie Stewart, who attacked Hamilton for having too many crashes earlier this season, said that he needed to sort his head out and "think about his mind-management".
 
Stewart said: "I am a bit confused because he certainly knows how to drive and has a very large amount of natural talent... But if he is going to be a great driver he cannot have serial incidents. And none of the great drivers ever drove in that fashion. He has all the skills but, somehow or other, he jumps out of gear mentally."
 
Certainly Hamilton only just kept his cool after the race when he was approached by a clearly-angry Massa, who suffered a puncture when Hamilton collided with him on the track. Massa, who came ninth, grabbed the Englishman as he was giving a TV interview and sarcastically congratulated him on a "good job". Hamilton spun round and told Massa: "Don't touch me, man. Don't touch me."
 
But McLaren jumped to the defence of their man after the race. Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said that the drivers were not trying to "make friends", and added: "I don't think Lewis is here seeking to make enemies but a car in front of him is a car he has to get around and you don't overtake a car without some risk." ·