Hamilton: Error could cost me the title

The erstwhile world championship leader sustained broken suspension when he tried to pass Felipe Massa into the Roggia chicane on the first lap, but made contact with the Ferrari.

"It was clearly a mistake by myself, one of those things that happens when you're racing and you're pushing hard," Hamilton told television crews when he returned to the pits.

"I was trying to position the car in a certain way and I was too close to Massa and he clipped my wheel and damaged the car. Nothing I could do."

Hamilton's retirement means he has now lost the points lead to Mark Webber, and the McLaren driver admitted that today's incident could be extremely costly.

"It's not over, but it's days like this, and mistakes like I made today, that lose you world championships," said Hamilton. "I only have myself to blame."