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Massa blasts Hamilton for 'destroying his race'
A simmering feud between Formula One's Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa threatened to explode on Sunday when the pair clashed again under the Singapore floodlights.
Massa, already fuming from an incident in qualifying, was furious and confronted Hamilton after the Grand Prix during which the Briton's McLaren had clipped his Ferrari while attempting to pass.
Hamilton collected a drive-through penalty for causing the collision but still finished the race fifth while the Brazilian, who limped back to the pits with a punctured rear tyre, was ninth and blamed Hamilton for "destroying" his race.
Massa was unable to mask his anger. Spotting Hamilton sipping from a drinks bottle in front of TV camera crews and reporters in a roped-off media pen, he slapped his rival on the shoulder spinning him round before offering a sarcastic 'thumbs-up' sign and telling him 'good job, very good job'.
A stony-faced Hamilton wisely thought better of responding, and immediately stalked off to his team's motorhome without speaking to Massa or the media.'In qualifying he tried to do a Superman on the out-lap'
Massa, though, was more forthright.
Just 24 hours after having accused the Briton of "not using his mind" in qualifying, he again vented his anger.
"I told you yesterday that he cannot use his mind... even in qualifying, so you can imagine in the race," the Brazilian said.
"In qualifying he tried to do a Superman on the out-lap, you know? And today he tries to do the same in the race."
Sweat dripping from his face in the Singapore heat, Massa continued: "He could have caused a big accident. He touched my wheel on a straight -- 300 kph, and he punctured my tyres, so he destroyed my race."
"(He paid) for that because he had the drive-through, (but) that's the problem. He doesn't understand even paying for a problem," said Massa.'He don't listen to me... he don't listen maybe to even his father'
"It is important the FIA (governing body) is looking, and penalises him all the time he is going in the car, because he cannot be thinking about it."
Massa looked exasperated when asked if he would speak to Hamilton about the situation.
"I tried. But he don't listen to me... he don't listen maybe to even his father, so you imagine myself."
Hamilton, who has repeatedly had to defend his aggressive style while also making regular trips to the stewards, and Massa have been at odds since the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
The two collided in that race, with Massa retiring.
The Brazilian, who lost out to Hamilton by a single point in the 2008 championship won by the McLaren man, called on the FIA after that to teach the Briton a lesson "or he will not learn".'I think maybe Lewis was a little bit too aggressive in that corner'
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali was more philosophical about the clash.
"What can I say? I think maybe Lewis was a little bit too aggressive in that corner but that's part of the racing," he said. "He received the penalty and he was in front of us again.
"It ruined Felipe's race... that's part of the racing."
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh also moved to defuse the situation, saying that what had happened was nothing personal.
"They have been friends, they've been enemies. You know what it's like amongst drivers," he told the BBC.
"I don't think that affects Lewis. If there is a car in front he wants to get past, whoever is in that car. They are just the enemy of the moment and I don't think it is personal. He just wants to overtake that car."
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