Nico Hulkenberg has brushed off his encounter with Lewis Hamilton during opening practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix and said the recently-crowned four-time world champion simply drove off track.
The Renault driver caught a slow-moving Hamilton in the final sector at Interlagos while on a flying lap in FP1, before making a move up the inside of the Briton at Juncao. Hulkenberg's late pass left little room for Hamilton, who was forced to run wide onto the grass in order to avoid contact. Hamilton quickly opened up his pit-to-car radio and said he felt the German's actions were "very dangerous".