Hamilton picks up damage after first-lap Perez clash
Hamilton and Perez made wheel-to-wheel contact on the run down to Turn 1 as they ran four-wide with the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton was squeezed onto the grass after banging into the side of Perez, who pitted at the end of the opening lap for a front nose change.
Hamilton was heard asking if he has damage over team radio, to which race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington responded: “Small. Very minor.”
Bits were seen flying off Hamilton’s W14 as he re-passed Mercedes teammate George Russell during an early battle for position.
Russell dived down the inside of Hamilton at the final chicane, before Hamilton got into Russell’s slipstream and swept around the inside to reclaim the place at Turn 1.
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