Hamilton clears air with Verstappen after Bahrain clash

In the cool-down room before the Bahrain podium ceremony a microphone caught Hamilton calling Verstappen a "dickhead" as he and Valtteri Bottas watched a replay of the collision.

In an effort to clear the air, Hamilton spoke to Verstappen in China on Thursday when they bumped into each other at an autograph session, stressing that as the senior driver he felt he was obliged to initiate contact.

"I generally do my talking on the track," said the world champion. "After this incident I didn't.

"But I just saw Max just now, and I said to him, I think it's always good to show respect, and regardless of whether I'm the older driver, more importantly being that I'm the older driver, I felt it was important that I went to him.

"So just as we were signing now I just shook his hand and said, 'I'm sorry about the last race, regardless of whether it was his fault or my fault, it doesn't really matter, it's in the past.'

"Hopefully that sign of respect shows a lot, and helps you kind of turn the pace and move forwards racing each other.

"And hopefully keeps respect between you, because I think that's important between drivers."

Asked what the Dutchman's reply was, Hamilton said: "I don't really know, there was a lot of noise, but he acknowledged me."

Hamilton also said that he wouldn't change the way he races Verstappen.

"I have a lot of respect for Max, and I hope you can see that from the comments I made during testing where I said he's got great potential to be a champion. As we all know, he's such a talented driver.

"I was in the same place when I was young, I was a bit older actually, but still, it's such a learning process with all that pressure being in a top team and you are constantly learning.

"He's going to have some great races and some bad races, just like as I have, and I will do, and I'm much older than him."

The incident Bahrain created a stir on social media, and led to race winner Sebastian Vettel subsequently stepping in and defending Hamilton when the Mercedes driver was asked about it in a press conference.

Hamilton says he will be more cautious in the cool-down room in the future.

"I will! I think I've been pretty good in all these years, I think that's the first time I forgot the cameras were kind of there! You'll have less to write about, for sure.

"I don't know if that's worse for the fans. I would say naturally for the media it gives you more fun stuff to write about."