Hamilton escapes over Monaco rant

Lewis Hamilton has escaped punishment from the FIA over the comments he made in the immediate aftermath of the Monaco Grand Prix.

The McLaren hit out after being penalised for two collisions on track, calling the decision taken by stewards 'frickin' ridiculous' and then quipping that it may have been 'because I'm black - that's what Ali G says' - making reference to the comedy character made famous by Sacha Baron Cohen.

There had been talk that Hamilton could face the wrath of the FIA for bringing the sport into disrepute despite multiple apologies following the Monaco weekend, although FIA president Jean Todt has now revealed to the Daily Telegraph that he has accepted an apology from Hamilton via a series of letters between the governing body and the driver.

"I am trying to maintain a good harmony amongst everybody," he said. "I have tried to avoid controversy. I could have leaked the letter but it's between him and the FIA."

Todt added that he had stayed out of discussions linked to the affair during the actual Monaco weekend and insisted that the incident was now well and truly over.

"My office was next to the stewards," he said. "Every time I went to see them I avoided making any comment. For me what Lewis said was unacceptable but I didn't want to overreact.

"I could have asked our judicial court to address the problem but we never officially opened the case. He went to the stewards to apologise. He went with his father.

"Maybe it would have been better to put him in the court; to ban him for six grands prix. But he wrote to me and I wrote to him and the thing is over."