Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa on Sunday came close to following recent advice to ‘kiss and make up’ after their spat-fuelled 2011 season.<\/p>\n
The pair, jointly awarded the tongue-in-cheek BBC “naughty boy” prize earlier this weekend, shared a hug after the season finale in Brazil.<\/p>\n
“I’m going to make it up with him,” said the McLaren driver before approaching Massa during the Ferrari driver’s media appearance for Portuguese language reporters.<\/p>\n
Those watching the embrace, in the context of the duo’s spate of on and off-track run-ins, smiled and clapped.<\/p>\n
“That was a really nice gesture,” agreed Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, according to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.<\/p>\n
Said Hamilton’s boss Martin Whitmarsh: “It was not planned at all, Lewis had simply changed his mind and wanted to take a step forward.<\/p>\n
“I think both of them are adults and wanted to just look ahead to the future,” added the McLaren chief.<\/p>\n
Massa is quoted by Brazil’s Globo: “I never had anything against him, there has always been respect in all these years.<\/p>\n
“After everything that happened this year, I found it very cool for him to come here to talk to me.\u00a0 I would not go there because I did nothing wrong.”<\/p>\n
Hamilton’s gesture followed a notable change of mood for the Briton, who sounded determined to bury in the past his tumultuous 2011 season.<\/p>\n
“There have been times this season when I have not performed as well as I could.\u00a0 But I got that out of the way and made sure they (McLaren) know that I am aware of it,” he said.<\/p>\n
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