Hamilton says his Italian Grand Prix howler could cost him the title

LONDON - McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has admitted that his opening lap howler at Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix could have cost him the championship title.

Hamilton damaged his car when he tried to pass Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, which resulted in a broken suspension and his second retirement in the past three races.

“I only have myself to blame. It’s not over, but it’s days like this, and mistakes like I made, that lose you world titles. It was clearly a mistake by myself, one of those things that happens when you’re racing and pushing hard,” The Sun quoted Hamilton, as saying.

“It would’ve been easy to have got fourth. I apologize to the team. I was trying to position the car in a certain way and I was too close to Massa and he clipped my wheel and damaged the car. Nothing I could do.”

“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he added.

With just five races left, Red Bull’s Mark Webber has regained the championship lead.

At 187 points, Webber is now five points ahead of Hamilton and 21 in front of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. (ANI)