Formula One legend Lewis Hamilton has hit back at Jeremy Clarkson for his comments about the Ferrari star ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
After a brief one week break, the F1 season gets back underway this weekend at the Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Ahead of the race, popular television personality Clarkson took a dig at Ferrari driver Hamilton over his inconsistency during the Chinese Grand Prix, where he won the sprint race before disqualified in the main race for technical infringements.
And now, Hamilton has hit back as the seven-time world champion claimed critics like Clarkson have underestimated one key thing about his time at Ferrari.
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Since making the blockbuster move from former team Mercedes to Ferrari at the beginning of this season, Hamilton has experienced both spectacular highs and brutal lows.
In his first race in red, the Brit finished 10th in the Australian Grand Prix before claiming his first win for Ferrari with a dominant victory in the sprint race.
But after being disqualified from the main race, Clarkson claimed that Hamilton had gone from 'hero to zero,' and the F1 star isn't happy.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, the 105-time Grand Prix winner said: “I think that outside of that garage, most people completely underestimate what we actually do.
“When we’re talking about setup and changes that we’re making, all the different graphs that you’re looking at for aero. Through-corner balance, mechanical balance, roll balance.
“All these different things that we’re trying to play with and finesse through a weekend.”
In his column for The Sun, Clarkson criticised Hamilton's contrasting results in China, writing: "How good would that be if it happened in China, in front of a crowd that thinks he’s a god?
"And blow me down, it did. For the sprint race in Shanghai last weekend, the elder statesman took pole position and then cruised away from the pack to win the race as well.
"What’s interesting, and troubling, is that a few hours later, having created headlines around the world, Lewis could only qualify for the main event in fifth.
"And in the race itself, he was so slow he let his team mate overtake. And then he was disqualified.
"How is that possible? I can understand that a car might be quick at one track and the following weekend, at a different track, be useless.
"To go from hero to zero at the same track? On the same day? It makes no sense."
Topics: Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Motorsport, Formula 1
Ben McCrum