Alonso apologizes for Hamilton 'manipulated' European Grand Prix slur

London, June 30(ANI): Ferrari Formula One racing driver Fernando Alonso has apologized for claiming that the European Grand Prix was 'manipulated' for McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to finish second.

Alonso had accused Hamilton of disrespecting the rules as he overtook the safety car deployed following Mark Webber's crash.

"I reacted emotionally. It is too easy to adopt a tone and say things that can be interpreted wrongly," The Sun quoted Alonso, as saying.

Although Hamilton was handed a drive-through penalty by the FIA stewards, it was served 17 laps after the accident, by which time he had built a large enough advantage to retain his second place behind eventual race winner Sebastian Vettel.

Alonso, who was running third at the time of the accident, finished eighth after he filed in behind the safety car.

Earlier, Hamilton had rubbished the claims, saying: "It's just sour grapes. I even saw him overtaken by a Sauber on the big screen. It is very unlike him to be overtaken by a Sauber so he must have been completely in another world".

"The FIA are doing an incredible job because they are allowing us to race this year. I don't understand why I affected his race so much. Everyone has a right to their opinions. He must just be disappointed with his own result, but I didn't do anything to him," he added. (ANI)