Hamilton accepts Raikkonen apology for British GP clash

Lewis Hamilton has accepted the apology of Kimi Raikkonen after the Ferrari driver hit Hamilton on lap one of the British Grand Prix, sending him to the back of the field and all but ending his hopes of winning his home race.

Having snubbed the post-race interviews citing exhaustion, and hinting at foul play as the motive behind the incident, the Mercedes man has reflected on a difficult day and has moved to calm the situation that was threatening to turn nasty after the race.

In an Instagram post he put up a day after the event, Hamilton admitted his view was wrong and that all was forgiven for what he now views as a racing incident.

"Kimi said sorry and I accept it and we move on. It was a racing incident and nothing more. Sometimes we say dumb s*** and we learn from it.

Raikkonen had apologised after the grand prix but an emotionally and physically exhausted Hamilton wasn't in the mood to play nice.

"I lost nearly 3KG trying to get back to the top today for you and my team," Hamilton wrote in another post just after the race. "I barely had any energy at the end to stand, let alone talk. If you can't understand and appreciate, then I fully understand.