Hamilton and Massa tangle again on the track and also off it

For the sixth time in their season-long conflict the duo collided, and in the post-race aftermath offered different versions of events regarding an attempted reconciliation.

On this occasion the four-man stewards’ panel found Massa at fault for a lap-24 collision, a decision that left the Brazilian stunned, even though he appeared to swipe across Hamilton who was attempting a pass on the inside into a left-handed corner.

That followed an apparent olive branch being offered from Hamilton 15 minutes before the start during the minute’s silence in memory of Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli following their recent deaths.

Hamilton said: “Me and Felipe were standing next to each other. He hasn’t spoken to me for a long, long time, so I made an effort, put my arm around him and said, ‘Good luck for the race’. I just wanted to squash whatever beef, or any anger he has towards me.”

Asked as to Massa’s response, Hamilton added: “He gave me a really small acknowledgement, which was to be expected. I wasn’t expecting anything more really.”

Massa countered: “He didn’t try to do anything. He passed through, didn’t even look at my face.

“And after the one minute’s silence he was on my side, and then he just said, ‘Have a good race’. So this is trying to do what? Saying, ‘Have a good race’? That’s not talking.”

Asked if their head to head had now developed into a feud, Massa said: “Maybe for him.

“In all these incidents, it’s him who has touched my car. I didn’t do anything wrong.

“I don’t have anything against him. Nothing. Zero. And I will tell him what I am telling you now.”

Although Hamilton has insisted Massa is not an enemy, if there are to be any harmonious words, it will not be the Ferrari driver uttering them.

“To be honest, nothing from me,” added Massa, who following their incident in Singapore last month accused Hamilton of losing his mind.

“When I thought it was too much, the things he was doing, he didn’t want to speak, so from me – nothing.”

From Hamilton, there was again nothing but regret, even though the stewards were on his side in this instance given it was Massa who served a penalty.

In the pen, where drivers conduct interviews with television and radio, Hamilton must have offered his apologies to the team on at least a dozen occasions.

Sebastian Vettel is just two victories shy of equalling a record many thought would never be touched after his latest triumph in yesterday’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix.

The Red Bull star achieved Formula 1’s grand chelem of pole, win, fastest lap and leading for every single lap.

He finished a comfortable 8.4secs ahead of Jenson Button in his McLaren to take the chequered flag for the 11th time this season to leave him two wins shy of Michael Schumacher’s 2004 mark of 13.

Belgian Jerome D’Ambrosio finished a creditable 16th for Yorkshire-based Marussia Virgin Racing, but Timo Glock was forced to retire early after being caught up in a collision on the very first corner with Kamuia Kobayashi.