Lewis Hamilton crashes sports car

Racing driver Lewis Hamilton suffered an embarrassing accident on Tuesday (10Nov15) when he crashed his multi-million dollar sports car in Monaco.

The 2015 Formula One world champion damaged his bespoke Pagani Zonda, which is estimated to be worth $2.4 million, when he drove it into three stationary cars in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A police spokesman says, "Mr Hamilton's foot slipped on the brake and clutch pedals and his vehicle struck three parked cars. He was tested for alcohol but the result was negative."

Hamilton, who is based in Monaco, was subsequently late for a trip to Brazil for the Grand Pix, arriving in the country a day behind schedule.

He told reporters in country on Thursday (12Nov15) that he had been feeling unwell for days due to a hectic party schedule.

"It was a result of heavy partying and not much rest for a week and a half..." he explained. "I am a bit run down. I have been non-stop and trying to fit training in at the same time and not getting a lot of sleep... The last two days I have slept pretty much all day. I couldn't believe how much I slept. I slept on the flight here. I usually sleep four or five hours but when you are training you need more than that."

Hamilton played down the car accident in a post on Instagram.com, writing, "I've not been well with a fever but I also had a road accident in Monaco on Monday (sic) night... Nobody was hurt, which is the most important thing... But the car was obviously damaged and I made very light contact with a stationary vehicle (sic)... Talking with the team and my doctor, we decided together that it was best for me to rest at home and leave a day later."

The Brazilian Grand Prix runs from Friday (13Nov15) to Sunday (15Nov15).