McLaren star inches away from embarrassing prang

Lewis Hamilton came within inches of driving into the back of the F1 Safety Car at Hockenheim on Sunday.

The Indy reports how Lewis was a very lucky boy:

“He (Lewis) was following safety car driver Bernd Maylander through the stadium section of the track. At the exit of the Sachskurve Hamilton backed off a little to create some space between his car and the Safety Car as the latter was naturally unable to negotiate the kink before the final two corners at the same speed as the F1 machinery.

“Hamilton then put his foot down again and accelerated just as Maylander slowed down - and eyewitnesses report that Lewis just managed to avoid impact with the rear end of the Mercedes-Benz. It was very close indeed, and those same witnesses report that there were literally only inches to spare.”

A Mercedes F1 car crashing into the back of a Mercedes F1 safety car - hmm, that’s not good for business. Shades of Montreal too, when Hamilton drove into the back of Kimi in the pit lane.