Hamilton in Russell relationship admission after Qatar clash

Lewis Hamilton has responded to claims that the relationship between himself and George Russell has broken down, following their clash at the Qatar Grand Prix.

On the opening lap at Lusail, Hamilton attempted to go around the outside of Russell and Max Verstappen at Turn 1 thanks to a better launch on the Soft tyres compared to their Mediums.

He misjudged the turn-in point, clipping Russell and sending himself out of the race, while Russell regrouped for a fourth-place finish.

It is the latest on-track incident involving the duo after contact, and near contact. in Spanish and Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, respectively, that was attributed to poor communication while in Japan, the two British drivers engaged in strong wheel-to-wheel combat.

Hamilton admitted his fault for the incident in Qatar, and took "100%" of the blame, and dismissed claims of a relationship breakdown.

He would be fined €50,000, half of which is suspended until the end of 2023, and issued a non-driving reprimand by the stewards for crossing the live race-track under Safety Car conditions on foot.

Hamilton: We'll move forwards

When asked if the clash has brought tension between the pair, Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365: "The relationship isn't broken.

"I don't have any problems with George, we have a great relationship and we always talk about things.

"So this is definitely unfortunate, and I'm sure he was restrained in the moment as I was. But we'll talk about it and we'll move forwards."