Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton apologises for his comment on India

On November 15, five-time Formula 1 champion and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, has issued a clarification to all his Indian fans over his ‘poor place’ India comment. Talking to BBC Hamilton revealed that he had felt ‘conflicted’ after attending the Indian Grand Prix races hosted in the country between 2011 to 2013. However, as the comment didn’t go down well with his Indian fans, he resorted to clarify on Twitter.

Hamilton had told BBC Sport earlier, “I’ve been to Vietnam before and it is beautiful. I’ve been to India before to a race which was strange because India was such a poor place yet we had this massive, beautiful Grand Prix track made in the middle of nowhere. I felt very conflicted when I went to that Grand Prix.”

Please read ??❤️ pic.twitter.com/UtXRvcP74A

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 15, 2018

From 211 to 2013, the Budh International Circuit in India’s Greater Noida had hosted races before tax-related issues with state government urged F1 to withdraw the venue from the calendar. Hamilton’s comments were not taken well by his Indian fans, as the Mercedes driver received flak from all corners before he clarified in Twitter on Monday.

“I noticed some people are upset with my comment on India. My reference was that a Grand Prix there felt strange to drive past homeless people, then arrive in a huge arena where money was not an issue. They spent hundreds of millions on a track that was now never used and that money could have been spent on schools or homes. When we did have the race nobody came because it was too expensive or there was no interest,” Hamilton wrote in the clarification tweet.

India had spent approximately an estimated amount of $400 million in a bid to host a Formula 1 season in the country, which was inclusive of the cost of building a brand new track and a 120,000-seat arena in the year 2011.

Also read: India is poor place, I felt conflicted while racing: F1 champion Lewis Hamilton