In the hours after today's qualifying session which saw him suffer a hydraulics failure which mean he will start tomorrow's German Grand Prix from the seventh row, while title rival Sebastian Vettel starts from pole, Lewis Hamilton gave further insight to the issue whilst also quoting Nelson Mandela in response to those who celebrated his misfortune.

"FYI to avoid all assumptions, today was nobody's fault," he wrote on Instagram. "When I got to the exit of curb of Turn 1, the hydraulics in the steering failed.

"When this happened the car pulled to the left and so I was forced to drive off the track and subsequently take a bumpy ride before rejoining. Those big bumps did zero damage.

"These things happen and as always we win and we lose together as a team.

"Why didn't I pull over when asked," he continued. "Simple. It's qualifying, the car was still going and I hoped with all my heart that I might make it back and they could fix it.

"In my heart I never give up so it is the hardest thing to give in and accept the car will not make it back. I turned the car off and thought perhaps I can push it back as crazy as it sounds. That's just me being passionate.

"To those who take joy in seeing other people fail or suffer, I feel for you," he added in a separate post. "Whatever is happening in your life to hold so much anger and hate, I pray that it passes and good things come to you.

"Nelson Mandela once said: "We were not born with hate in our hearts, it's something learnt over time. But if we can learn to hate then we can be taught to love, for love is far easier and more natural to the human heart". God bless you.

"Now tomorrow, I can't predict what's going to come. Good or bad I will die before I give in. All I can do is try to be the best me I can be and drive like my life depends on it!"

Following the session, former teammate Nico Rosberg claimed to be shocked by Hamilton's body language in the moments after the failure when the Briton got out and knelt beside his car.

"This is something I'm a bit worried about," said the German. "I've never seen that body language from him before.

"We saw it for the first time at Silverstone," he added, "and now again for a very long time there... disbelief, or something. Of course it's tough but this is a new body language, I've never seen that from Lewis."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Spindoctor, 22/07/2018 7:56

"Nico should stick to his Advertising & YouTube, and leave psychology to people who know what they're talking about.
Given that this might be the end of Hamilton's hopes for this year's championship, a bit of shock\depression\prayer might be in order. This degree of involvement is called 'passion', something else Nico might be unfamiliar with."

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2. Posted by pap_pap_c, 21/07/2018 23:42

"Body language?! He knelt to pray. Nico has obviously spent his Sundays at race tracks and not at church. Also, a glaring example of how differently he and Lewis are wired."

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Hamilton quotes Mandela following qualifying heartbreak

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