"I said what was on my mind as I was being talked down to, but by no means am I an idiot," the 23-year-old explained afterwards, before setting off to catch a flight to Singapore.

"I had a right to my opinion," Hamilton added, when asked about the manner in which he responded to Ferrari QC Nigel Tozzi's line of questioning.

Answering one of Tozzi's questions, Hamilton had said: "Are you a racing driver? No. I have been a racing driver since I was eight years old and I know pretty much every single manoeuvre in the book, and that's why I'm the best at my job.

"We're talking about a skilled driver under intense pressure making a split-second decision which no one, unless they are in F1, can comprehend," he added.

When Tozzi suggested that Hamilton should not "personalise" Ferrari's argument, the McLaren driver answered: "I beg to differ."