Lewis Hamilton has escaped punishment for his outspoken comments following the Monaco Grand Prix after writing a personal letter to Jean Todt, the president of the FIA.
After a frustrating weekend in Monaco last month, when he ultimately finished sixth after dominating the early stages of qualifying, Hamilton criticised the decisions made by stewards who penalised him in Q3 before pulling him up twice more in the race itself.
The driver, clearly distressed, said: "It's an absolute frickin' joke. I've been to see the stewards five times out of six [Grands Prix] this season ... Maybe it's because I'm black. That's what Ali G says. I don't know."
But Hamilton, whose manoeuvres in the Monaco Grand Prix were later criticised by the three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart, was quick to distance himself from his remarks, in which he also criticised other drivers. And now he has been let off after writing an impassioned letter to Todt, in which he explained his dream to be recognised as "a great driver and a proud man".
Todt, who has come under fire in recent days as the FIA has appeared to be staffed by the only people in the world unaware of the political problems in Bahrain, took time out to explain his decision.
He said: "Lewis wrote to me and I wrote to him. I did not advertise it. It's between him and the FIA. I could have asked our judicial court to address
{{/usCountry}}He said: "Lewis wrote to me and I wrote to him. I did not advertise it. It's between him and the FIA. I could have asked our judicial court to address
{{/usCountry}}the problem. We never officially opened the case. He went to the stewards to apologise after [the race]. He went with his father. Maybe it would have been a better decision to put him to the court. But he wrote to me and I wrote to him and the thing is over."
Todt said that another outburst will not be treated so leniently.