A contrite Adrian Sutil told a Munich court that he tried everything to settle a row with Lotus F1 co-owner Eric Lux following their brawl at a Shanghai nightclub.
Former Force India driver Sutil is alleged to have attacked Lux with a champagne glass after the Chinese Grand Prix last year.
Prosecutors said that Lux required stitches in a nine-centimetre-long wound.
Sutil, who is charged with bodily harm and risking a one-year suspended sentence, is eager to bring an end to the matter and says he had attempted on several occasions to contact Lux to apologise.
According to Reuters, Sutil told the court: "I did everything to try to settle this row.
"I am really sorry, extremely sorry. I never wanted for this to happen."
Lux, meanwhile, told the court he wanted an apology from Sutil in person.
"I would have expected him to come to Luxembourg and apologise to me," he said. "A phone call is not enough."
