New Zealand police yesterday ruled out charging reigning Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton over a video apparently filmed while he was riding a motorbike on an Auckland motorway.
But police renewed warnings about using mobile devices while driving after investigating footage the Mercedes-GP driver posted to social media a day earlier.
In the selfie-style video, Hamilton is riding a Harley-Davidson down the motorway, with the angle panning across his shoulder to show the traffic behind him.
Read more: Party-boy Lewis Hamilton ready to get back to work
Using a handheld mobile while driving is an offence in New Zealand, but police said the footage posted by Hamilton was inconclusive for them to consider taking further action against the 31 year old.
“The video footage available does not provide us with sufficient evidence that an offence has occurred,” they said in a statement.
“Police take the issue of mobile phone use whilst driving or riding very seriously, it is a significant distraction and a major risk to road users.”
Hamilton was visiting New Zealand ahead of the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, the first round of the 2016 Formula One season.
He was stopped by police before the Melbourne race in 2010 for performing “burnouts” on a public street in a high-performance sports car.
Hamilton is bidding to win a fourth drivers’ championship, and third in a row, and he is due to speak publicly on his title credentials, his off-season, and possibly the incident in New Zealand in today’s F1 media news conference at the Albert Park venue.
He has a good record in Melbourne, having won there in 2008 with McLaren and then last year with Mercedes, and on both occasions he went on be crowned champion at the end of the season.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
