'If you cry like a girl when you lose, do ballet': Lewis Hamilton told to take up dance by Kimi Raikkonen's wife after Silverstone row

Lewis Hamilton alongside Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen. Photo / AP

Kimi Raikkonen's wife Minttu has waded in on the row between her husband and rival Lewis Hamilton by suggesting the Brit should "do ballet" if he is upset at losing.

Hamilton began Sunday's race with hopes of making it five straight wins at Silverstone but a collision with Raikkonen's Ferrari on Turn 3 all but extinguished hopes of the race victory.

A seething Hamilton labelled the shunt from the Finn as "interesting tactics" in a post-race jibe at Mercedes' rivals but, in a now deleted Instagram story post, Raikkonen's wife made her feelings clear on the issue.

The cryptic message, suspected to be indirectly referring to Hamilton, reads: "If you cry like a girl when you lose, do ballet."

Mercedes and Ferrari's fierce rivalry has become even more tense in recent weeks with Hamilton's clash with Raikkonen not the first contact between the teams.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel caught Valterri Bottas on Turn 1 in France and relationships between the drivers and constructors is particularly strained following events at Silverstone.

Speaking after the British GP, it was clear that the Turn 3 collision remained on Hamilton's mind.

"The team did an amazing job this weekend, and we had so much support but also so much pressure," he said.

"It was interesting tactics, I'll say, on their side, so we'll do everything we can to fight them in the next race."

However, Hamilton subsequently said he was "dumb" to imply Raikkonen might have deliberately collided with him.

A recovery drive at Silverstone from Hamilton saw him climb the field to second to limit the distance between himself and Vettel as the German took an eight-point lead at the top of the drivers' standings.

Raikkonen accepted the 10-second penalty for his part in the collision with Hamilton but when the teams take to the grid in Germany on July 22, there will be plenty of engineers holding their breath as drivers tussle for position on the first few corners.