'Absolute frickin' joke'

Aggrieved McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton claimed he was being victimised after being called to face the race stewards at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. Hamilton rap sheet

Aggrieved McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton claimed he was being victimised after being called to face the race stewards at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.

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The 26-year-old Briton, who finished sixth in a chaotic contest riddled with accidents and stoppages, said the way he had been treated this season was "an absolute frickin' joke" and described his treatment as "stupid".

Hamilton expressed his annoyance after being punished during the race for one alleged misdemeanour and then summoned to appear before the stewards for a second.

"It's an absolute frickin' joke," he told the BBC. "I've been to see the stewards five times in six races this season."

Asked why, Hamilton said: "Maybe it's because I'm black! That's what (British comic character) Ali G says."

Critics not amused
British motor racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart on Monday added his voice to the rising chorus of seasoned observers who believe Lewis Hamilton was entirely wrong to criticise the stewards following Sunday's tempestuous race.

Stewart, a former three-time champion said: "When you are a driver, you don't see it from the other side. They get all the angles. They get the videos.

"And they can sit up there and get all the replays. So they analyse it even better than the man in the cockpit.