Lewis Hamilton apologises but he will not change

McLaren driver used his Twitter page to apologise to Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado, but also says he will not change his driving style.

Lewis Hamilton has apologised to fans and Formula One rivals Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado for comments he made after Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.

Hamilton, 26, had blasted race stewards after collecting two drive-through penalties, one imposed after the race, for collisions with Massa and Maldonado.

"Massa held me up in qualifying, I got the penalty," he fumed afterwards. "He turned in to me [during the race], I got the penalty. These drivers are ridiculous. It's stupid."

Hamilton made peace with the stewards after the race and made a separate apology to Massa and Maldonado on his Twitter page.

"2 Massa & Maldonado, with the greatest respect I apologise if I offended u. Both of u r fantastic drivers who I regard highly," the Briton wrote..

Maldonado, who had been sixth and heading for his first points but ended up with nothing, told Venezuelan television that Hamilton's race was "not that of a champion".

Hamilton, who finished sixth, also addressed fans "lost and won" and said he respected both the positive and angry messages he had received in the aftermath, but said he had no plans to change his style of driving.

"That's what got me here, it is the way I am. I don't do it to offend people or to hurt anyone. I do it because I love racing, and I feel like I can do it better than others," he said.

"If it ever comes to a stage where I had to pull back and just cruise around, that would not excite me and I probably wouldn't stay around for that. I am here to race and win. If I have to lose that passion then it blows all racing."