REUTERS - Lewis Hamilton was left frustrated and fuming after another run-in with Pastor Maldonado knocked him out of the points on the penultimate lap of the European Grand Prix in Valencia on Sunday.
McLaren's 2008 world champion, who had started the day as championship leader, was fighting to hang on to third place when he and the Venezuelan Williams driver collided.
The Briton, his car pitched into the wall, hammered the steering wheel with his fists in frustration and then tossed it out of the cockpit.
The stewards later ruled that Maldonado had caused the collision for failing to rejoin the track in a safe manner, and imposed a 20 second penalty to his race time.
"A tough day in the office for us, but that's life, you have to deal with it," a terse Hamilton told the BBC. "As always I put my heart and soul into a race like that. You have ups and downs so I'm looking forward to the Silverstone Grand Prix."
The McLaren driver has previous form with Maldonado, colliding with him at last year's Monaco Grand Prix and ending the Williams driver's race.
L3wi5 Hamiltoff's NOTE> HAMILTON VS MASSA, HAMILTON VS MALDONADO... WHO'S NEXT?
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