Hamilton recognises his "Apollo" was pits

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - McLaren's Lewis Hamilton has recognised that acting may not be his forte after a Turkish Grand Prix promotional stunt turned into an embarrassment for the Formula One driver.

"Let's forget about that," the 23-year-old told British reporters when asked about his bizarre appearance, in fully branded flameproof race suit, at an enactment of the Siege of Troy on Thursday.

Cast in the role of the Greek god Apollo, Hamilton had descended from the rafters on a wire to break up a fight between warriors.

"I just turned up and got on with what I was told to do, but now I've seen the footage and it's one of the worst things I've ever seen," said Hamilton. "It's best if I stick to driving."

The reviews in British newspapers made for uncomfortable reading for the five-times race winner.

"In the pantheon of ridiculous publicity stunts, it may rate among the greatest," The Times had declared on Friday.

"Dressed in his logoed race driving suit, he looked less like a majestic Apollo than a cross between Peter Pan and an astronaut."

Hamilton had tried to justify his performance before watching the footage.

"I was just trying to get myself into the acting zone," he said. "I was thinking 'I am a God flying in' and how the hell does that look?'."

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by John O'Brien)