Domenicali added Grosjean had to shoulder full responsibility for Sunday’s
accident, which saw Grosjean’s Lotus swerve into Hamilton’s McLaren before
flying over the top of Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari, almost clipping the
Spaniard’s helmet.
“I have to say after what happened I am pleased and happy that nothing
happened to him [Alonso],” Domenicali said. “Having a car flying almost over
his head could be really dangerous. Specifically on that point, for sure I
believe that all was caused by the move of Grosjean.”
Hamilton, who gave no interviews until after the race, appeared reluctant to
hit out at Grosjean, later handed a one-race ban by race stewards. It is
believed to be the first in the sport since McLaren’s Mika Hakkinen served
one at Hungary in 1994 for causing a collision with Williams’ David
Coulthard at the previous race in Germany.
Lotus, who described the punishment as “severe” but decided not to appeal it,
have not yet confirmed who will deputise at this weekend’s Italian Grand
Prix at Monza but it is likely to be Belgian reserve driver Jerome
d’Ambrosio.
“Who cares what I think, what you think and what he thinks,” said Hamilton. “It
will probably come up at the drivers’ briefing [at Monza] but I won’t say
anything about it. I am just going to refocus on the next race.
“Jenson [Button] showed that the pace of the car is fantastic with a nice
relaxed win. It just shows that we can do that and I have got to try and do
that in the next race.”
Hamilton continues to trail Alonso by 47 points in the drivers’ championship
with McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh admitting it had been a “bad
weekend” for the 27-year-old.
“I’m sure he’d have taken points,” Whitmarsh said. “But if there’s one
positive it’s that Lewis’s main championship rival was taken out in the same
crash.”
Hamilton’s Sunday had already been placed under a cloud after he earned a
rebuke from his team for posting a picture on Twitter of his qualifying lap
trace overlaid with that of his team mate Jenson Button.
The sensitive information was all over the internet in the minutes before it
was removed. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he was sure that
“every engineer in the pitlane would be having a close look at it”.