The seven-time world champion was involved in a controversial clash with title rival Max Verstappen on lap 37 of Sunday’s race when h🦹e ran into the back of the Red Bull driver on the approach to Turn 27. 

Verstappen appeared to be slowing down to forfeit the lead as ordered by his Red Bull team after he had gained an unfair lasting advantage by passing Hami𝄹lton off-track at Turn 1.

The apparent confusion resulted in contact that damaged Hamilton’s car after the Briton🧸 had already lost minor parts of his front wing in a clash with Esteban Ocon’s Alpine a🐼t the second restart. 

“It was going up and up,” Mercedes track🔴side engineering director Andrew Shovlin said of the damage.

“So we started off with probabl✤y only about a tenth or two after he got sandwiched and ꦇEsteban ran over it. 

“After💛 [the clash with] Max we lost the whole side of it, so we’re getting nearer four-tenths of performance.”

Hamilton went on to win the incident-filled race ahead of Verstappen to set up a winner-takes-all ඣchamp🃏ionship showdown in Abu Dhabi next weekend. 

Despite the damage he had suffered to his front wing, Hamilton was still able to set a succession of fastest laps in theℱ closing stages toඣ snatch the bonus point. 

Asked how Hamilton had managed it, Shovlin replied: “He🧜’s very determined. 

“At the time, we were very much in two minds. We were seeing others struggling with tyres, we could see the wing was most definitely not guaranteed to stay on the car after the 🌠evening it had had. 

“It’s a difficult decision betweꩵen going for the point that might put Lewis level, or do you play it safe?&nb🦩sp;

“Ultimately Lewis was the one who took the decision and he was probably aided by the fact🙈 he can’t actually see the front ﷽wing. 

“If he was watching theꦅ TV like we 🔯were he may have thought better of it.”