Lewis Hamilton

Signatures for a petition to make Lewis Hamilton 2021 champion get to 40,000

Kevin Peterson04 mins

A petition attempting to make Sir Lewis Hamilton the 2021 F1 world champion has now been signed by almost 40,000 people. The season-ending 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix got criticism from many Formula 1 fans as race director Michael Masi was accused of manufacturing a grand stand finish between Hamilton and Max Verstappen. A crash for Williams’ Nicholas Latifi brought out a late Safety Car, and Red Bull brought their Dutch driver into the pits for fresh tyres. Mercedes kept Hamilton out on track, fearing that he would lose tack position and could have ended up P2, had there been insufficient time to restart the race. One of the time constraints appeared in the form of lapped runners, five of whom were between Hamilton and Verstappen the two race leaders. Race director Michael Masi initially ruled that none of the lapped cars would be permitted to pass the Safety Car, before in a strange turn of events deciding to let the five at the front pass, but none of the others. Verstappen was then able to pass Hamilton on the very last lap to claim the championship. It led an angered Hamilton to say on the radio that the race had been “manipulated”, and Mercedes instantly protested the race result. Upon seeing their protests denied, the Constructors’ Champions lodged an intention to appeal, but eventually withdrew this. A petition was then started to overrule the championship result and award Hamilton his eighth championship. The person who created the petition, Patel Gordon-Bennett, argues that what transpired in Abu Dhabi sends a “very wrong message to youngsters and future racers.” In his petition, he wrote: “I believe that justice was not served on Sunday December 12, 2021 when the FIA stewards denied Lewis Hamilton of his win of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “With less than 1 lap remaining, some lapped cars were allowed to pass the safety car, which does not comply with the rules of the F1 sport. “This gave rival opponent Max Verstappen the opportunity to overtake Lewis Hamilton and win the Grand Prix. If you are an advocate of justice, honesty and fairness, please sign this petition. “Leaving this decision as it stands will send a very wrong message to youngsters and future racers.”

Lewis Hamilton is taking a break from ‘very toxic’ social media – Nicolas Hamilton

Kevin Peterson02 mins

Nicolas Hamilton, brother to Lewis Hamilton disclosed that the seven-time world champion is taking a break off ‘very toxic’ social media. This comes as Hamilton went quiet on social media after season finale in Abu Dhabi where title rival Max Verstappen claimed the championship title after a last minute dash following a controversial Safety Car. Nicolas Hamilton who is a racer in British Touring Car Champion revealed the reason for Lewis Hamilton’s absence from social media over his Twitch channel. “I think he is just having a bit of a social media break,” Hamilton explained. “Which I don’t blame him for. Social media can be a very toxic place.” “Social media can be a very toxic place. But he’s cool, though. He’s fine.” The pair were spending time with their family, he added. “He’s cool though, he’s fine. He’s watching the kids ski at the moment.” Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told Motorsport-total.com recently that Hamilton “simply lacks words” after the controversial ending to the 2021 season. “We are all wavering in emotions, Lewis most of all,” Wolff told Motorsport-total.com. “He was winning the World Championship until the last lap, and then everything is taken away from you from one second [to the next]. Of course, you lose faith because you can’t understand what has just happened. “The silence is there, of course, because he simply lacks words as well.”

Toto Wolff says Hamilton may end his F1 career after Abu Dhabi GP controversy

Kevin Peterson04 mins

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed that Lewis Hamilton may quit Formula 1 racing after getting disappointed in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale. Hamilton lost the race that would see him claim a record breaking eighth championship title to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after a controversial last lap Safety Car. The directives given by Formula 1 Race Director Michael Masi allowed the the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to overtake the Safety Car despite initially saying it would not be allowed. The Safety Car cut Hamilton’s 10 second lead and Verstappen got the upper hand winning the race. This got Mercedes disappointed by the absolute turn of events with Wolff saying the race controversy got him and Hamilton ‘disillusioned’ with Formula 1 as a sport. “It is going to take a long time to digest what has happened on Sunday….. I don’t think we will ever get over it, that’s not possible,” Wolff told reporters. “Lewis and I are disillusioned at the moment. We’re not disillusioned with the sport. We love the sport with every bone in our body. And we love it because the stopwatch never lies.” “But if we break that fundamental principle of spotting fairness and authenticity of the sport, then suddenly the stopwatch doesn’t become relevant anymore. Because we are exposed to random decision-making. “And it is clear that you may fall out of love with a sport if you start to question, with all the work you have been doing, all the sweat and tears and blood.” Toto Wolff did not disclose whether Hamilton will be back for the 2022 F1 season in February as the Brit’s contract with Mercedes runs upto the end of 2022. “I would very much hope that Lewis continues racing because he’s the greatest driver of all time,” the 49-year-old said. “We will be working through the events over the next weeks and months and I think that as a racer, his heart will say ‘I need to continue’, because he is at the peak of his game. “But we have to overcome the pain that was caused upon him on Sunday, also because he is a man with clear values and it is difficult for him to understand how that happened.” “I just have to do the utmost that I can to help him overcome this, in order for him to return strong and with a love of the sport and trust in the decision-making of the sport next year, and I wish very much that will be the case.” Hamilton has been silent after the Yas Marina race and quietly jetted back to UK on Wednesday to receive a knighthood award from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle.

Hamilton and Wolff to miss FIA Prize Giving Gala

Kevin Peterson03 mins

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and driver Lewis Hamilton will not be attending Thursday’s FIA Prize Giving Gala in Paris. The event which is held after the end of every Formula 1 season requires the top three drivers in the championship to attend. This means championship winner Max Verstappen, first runner up Lewis Hamilton and second runner up Valtteri Bottas have to make an appearance for the event. However, Hamilton and his boss Toto Wolff confirmed they will not be attending the event despite Mercedes taking its eighth consecutive Constructors Championship title. According to article 6.6 of the Sporting Regulations Act, drivers finishing first, second and third in the Championship must be present at the annual FIA Prize Giving ceremony. This means that Hamilton will be in breach of the rule but it is not yet clear if the seven-time world champion will face any disciplinary action for missing the event. The Mercedes Formula one and Formula E team also missed the Tuesday photoshoot pre-Gala event. The Formula E team took both the drivers and constructors championship this year. This comes after Lewis Hamilton was denied the championship title by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following a controversial last lap safety car. The Race Director’s instructions that allowed the lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car received a lot of criticism because initially the directives did not allow for such to happen. Verstappen had the upper hand after the Race Control instructions and went ahead to overtake Lewis Hamilton on the last lap winning the race and claiming the Drivers Championship title. After the race Mercedes protested the controversial move but was dismissed by the Race Stewards. The team recently announced they have no further intentions appealing the matter. This now means Verstappen can now receive the championship trophy this evening in the Gala event.

FIA to conduct investigations on controversial Abu Dhabi finale

Kevin Peterson06 mins

FIA World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday released a statement intending to investigate the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale which was plagued by controversy amid receiving criticism. The Formula 1 season finale served as a championship title decider between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen who were currently level on points as they headed to the final race. With Hamilton taking the lead after a move on Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, the Brit dominated the race and even extended the time margin ahead of Verstappen. However, things turned around on the final lap after a Safety Car was deployed following Nicholas Latifi’s crash. While Lewis Hamilton decided to stay out after the caution was out, Verstappen was called in by Red Bull for fresh soft tyres. Coming out, Verstappen found himself behind five lapped cars from the race leader. F1 Race Director Michael Masi later cleared the five cars between the title rivals to unlap themselves, a move that was controversial and widely criticised. Masi’s call left the race being a final lap showdown, and Verstappen running on fresher tyres pulled off an overtake on Hamilton claiming the race win and championship title. Mercedes tried to protest the controversial final lap events but the Race Stewards dismissed the matter leaving the team on crossroads on whether to appeal the race outcome officially. The FIA, in a statement issued on Wednesday evening said they recognised the fall-out from events in Abu Dhabi and the matter is “tarnishing the image of the championship” they also added that they will study what happened “with all relevant parties”, as proposed by President Jean Todt who is about to exit his post following the maximum 12 years in office. The statement read: “On Sunday, another FIA F1 World Championship season of competitive excellence concluded, and the credit goes to the participating drivers and teams. The FIA congratulates all of them for their performances in this year. It was a hard fight, and the best competition was displayed at each grand prix.” “The world watched every race with great anticipation, knowing in the end there could only be one winner. In this respect, many praised Max Verstappen for his victory, and Lewis Hamilton for his remarkable performance and sportsmanship after the closing event of the season.” “The 2021 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has prompted a large number of reactions from the F1 community and from motorsport in general, as well as in the public. The FIA’s primary responsibility at any event is to ensure the safety of everyone involved and the integrity of the sport.” “The circumstances surrounding the use of the Safety Car following the incident of driver Nicholas Latifi, and the related communications between the FIA Race Direction team and the Formula 1 teams, have notably generated significant misunderstanding and reactions from Formula 1 teams, drivers and fans – an argument that is currently tarnishing the image of the Championship and the due celebration of the first Drivers’ World Championship title won by Max Verstappen and the eighth consecutive Constructors’ World Championship title won by Mercedes.” “Following the presentation of a report regarding the sequence of events that took place following the incident on lap 53 of the grand prix and in a constant drive for improvement, the FIA President proposed to the World Motor Sport Council that a detailed analysis and clarification exercise for the future with all relevant parties will now take place.” “This matter will be discussed and addressed with all the teams and drivers to draw any lessons from this situation and clarity to be provided to the participants, media and fans about the current regulations to preserve the competitive nature of our sport while ensuring the safety of the drivers and officials.”

Lewis Hamilton receives knighthood despite championship loss

Kevin Peterson02 mins

Seven-time world F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton was knighted at Windsor Castle by the Prince of Wales on Wednesday. The 36-year old was awarded his knighthood and the title in the 2021 New Year Honours list when he equalled Michael Schumacher’s Formula One World Championship record. Seven-time champion! Sir Lewis Hamilton was accompanied by his mother, Carmen at the ceremony. He’s now the fourth Formula One driver to be knighted in history. This includes Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Stirling Moss, and Sir Jack Brabham. Despite Sir Lewis Hamilton missing the eighth title this season and finishing in P2 after a controversial call by Michael Masi. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the race claiming the championship title. However, Mercedes became eight-time consecutive constructor winners in Formula One despite losing the drivers championship win. On Thursday, Hamilton will attend the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony in Paris. The Brit will start fresh next season aiming to break the record with his new Mercedes teammate, George Russell in 2022.

Hamilton’s name missing in the Sports Personality of the Year short-list, Verstappen nominated

Kevin Peterson02 mins

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is missing on the short list for the Sports Personality of the year. This comes as the 36-year old missed securing his eighth Formula 1 title in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last weekend. The BBC holds the Sports Personality of the Year event annually on December with an aim to celebrate and acknowledge successful sportsmen and women in Britain. However, this time round Hamilton’s name did not appear for the award despite winning twice in previous years. The Brit’s hopes of winning a record eighth title were shattered on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the lead. The move was very controversial as a late Safety Car put Verstappen directly behind Hamilton after clearing five lapped cars between the title rivals to overtake the Safety Car. The Race Control intervention widely received criticism as it saw the title fight fall in Verstappen’s favor. With Hamilton’s name missing in the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist, Max Verstappen was nominated for the International World Sports Star gong. The award acknowledges the successes of sportsmen from overseas. Some of the athletes that were nominated for the Sports Personality of the Year awards were tennis player Emma Raducanu who won the United States Open. Raducanu is a close friend of Hamilton besides being a Formula 1 fan. Tokyo games Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley was also nominated next to boxer Tyson Fury and 100m breaststroke gold medalist Adam Peaty.

Lewis Hamilton set to receive knighthood award

Kevin Peterson02 mins

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is set to receive a knighthood award on Wednesday at Windsor Castle Investiture. The 36-Year old will be knighted tomorrow, just days after completing the 2021 Formula 1 Season which saw him miss an eighth championship win in Abu Dhabi. Hamilton was beaten to the title by Red Bull driver Max Verstappen after a dramatic final race. Lewis Hamilton was also named in the New Year Honours list back in 2020 despite a long wait for the award considering he is one of the most successful sportsmen in the history of United Kingdom. Adding to the wait was the Brit’s pending tax cases which made him to get overlooked for the award nomination. However, he was finally awarded in the overseas category having relocated to Monaco in 2010. Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen were level on points after 21 races in 2021 and the title fight went down to the last lap of the final race, when the Red Bull driver overtook Hamilton, benefitting from a sudden change in decision by race officials to withdraw the safety car in the final lap.Though Mercedes registered a formal protest, it was rejected by race stewards, ensuring Verstappen won his debut world championship.Despite the loss, Hamilton was gracious in defeat as he congratulated his rival, with whom he clashed—physically and verbally—multiple times over the year. Hamilton was made a member of the order of the British Empire in 2008 after his first championship victory with McLaren.

Mercedes appeals rejected by F1 Stewards

Kevin Peterson05 mins

Formula 1 Stewards rejected two appeals lodged by Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton lost the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Verstappen won the last race of the season claiming his maiden Championship title after a controversial last minute move on Hamilton. The Dutchman was able to overtake the Mercedes driver on the final lap. Mercedes later launched a protest claiming that Verstappen initiated an overtake on Hamilton while the Safety Car was still on the track. The race stewards later dismissed the appeal citing that the pictures presented were inconclusive. Red Bull argued that Car 44 was not “overtaken” by Car 33, that both cars were “on and off the throttle” and that there were “a million precedents” under Safety Car where cars had pulled alongside then moved back behind the Car that was in front.  Conclusions of the Stewards: The Stewards consider that the protest is admissible. Having considered the various statements made by the parties. The Stewards determine that although Car 33 did at one stage, for a very short period of time, move slightly in front of Car 44, at a time when both cars where accelerating and braking, it moved back behind Car 44 and it was not in front when the Safety Car period ended (i.e. at the line). The second appeal lodged by Mercedes was all about allowing lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car. After the Safety Car was brought out following Nicholas Latifi’s crash, Hamilton opted to stay on the track as Verstappen was called in to the pits for fresh tyres. Coming back to the track, the Red Bull driver was five lapped cars behind Hamilton. The Race Director later cleared the lapped cars to overtake the Safety Car, a move that directly landed Verstappen just behind Hamilton. Running on fresh soft tyres Verstappen had the advantage over Hamilton who had older tyres. The Race Stewards dismissed the protest stating that, Having considered the various statements made by the parties the Stewards determine the following:  That Article 15.3 allows the Race Director to control the use of the safety car, which in our determination includes its deployment and withdrawal.  That although Article 48.12 may not have been applied fully, in relation to the safety car returning to the pits at the end of the following lap, Article 48.13 overrides that and once the message “Safety Car in this lap” has been displayed, it is mandatory to withdraw the safety car at the end of that lap.  That notwithstanding Mercedes’ request that the Stewards remediate the matter by amending the classification to reflect the positions at the end of the penultimate lap, this is a step that the Stewards believe is effectively shortening the race retrospectively, and hence not appropriate.  Accordingly, the Protest is dismissed. The Protest Deposit is not refunded.

Mercedes lodges two appeals after controversial Verstappen win in Abu Dhabi

Kevin Peterson03 mins

After Hamilton’s dramatic last lap overtake by Red Bull title rival Max Verstappen in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Mercedes has presented two appeals. Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday evening claiming his first World Championship title. This was after a dramatic last lap overtake on Hamilton at Turn 5 which brought a lot of controversy surrounding the situation under which the overtake was initiated. Mercedes presented their appeal to the FIA for Verstappen’s overtake on Hamilton under the safety car. They also presented another on safety car procedure itself questioning why only a number of lapped cars were allowed to overtake the Safety Car. Lewis Hamilton had dominated over the final race in the 2021 Formula 1 calendar which would decide the title champion as he was on level points with Verstappen. Stretching his lead over the Red Bull driver as the race progressed, it was certain the Briton would add one more championship title to the seven titles under his name. Fortunes changed after Williams’ Nicholas Latifi crashed bringing out the Safety Car on lap 53. With only five laps left, Red Bull took advantage of the delay to bring in Verstappen for fresh soft tyres. Meanwhile Hamilton opted to stay out and maintain the lead and track position despite running on old tyres. As Verstappen headed back to the track, there were five lapped cars between him and Hamilton. Still rallying behind the Safety car, the Race Director Michael Masi cleared the lapped cars to overtake the safety car despite disallowing the same initially. With the lapped cars out of the way, Verstappen was now trailing behind Hamilton and the battle to the chequered flag was imminent. Verstappen soon got to overtake Hamilton on Turn 5 maintaining the lead all the way to the finish.

Max Verstappen wins maiden championship title after a dramatic last lap overtake on Hamilton

Kevin Peterson07 mins

Red Bull ace Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race at Yas Marina claiming his maiden Formula 1 Championship title. Verstappen won the final race of the 2021 Formula 1 Season after a dramatic last lap overtake on his title rival Lewis Hamilton who had dominated over the race after overtaking Verstappen on race start. Hamilton was leading the race with a considerable margin over Verstappen but a virtual safety car saw the Red Bull driver clear the time gap. However, a second controversial virtual safety car was effected and against all odds Verstappen landed just behind the leading Mercedes. With the title fight down to the last lap, Verstappen pulled off an overtake on Hamilton at Turn 5 leading all the way to the chequered flag. Disappointed Hamilton finished second ahead of Carlos Sainz who got Ferrari a podium after an impressive performance in the Sunday evening race. The fight was down to the wire from the race start as Hamilton who was starting from the second spot on the grid took the lead from Verstappen after a fast launch. Going through Turn 6, Verstappen would try to pull off an overtake on Hamilton from the inside forcing the Mercedes driver to run wide. Despite the efforts, Hamilton maintained the lead as the Race Stewards saw no need to investigate Verstappen’s move. As the race progressed, Verstappen could not keep up with Hamilton’s pace despite going in for the hard tyres on Lap 13. Heading back to the track, the Dutchman was held up behind Carlos Sainz stretching the time margin from Hamilton to eight seconds. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez who was leading the race at the time assisted the sister Red Bull recover the time by holding up Hamilton. Perez cost Hamilton six seconds by slowing down in the final sector. Once again, Hamilton took the lead after a slipstream on Perez and again extended the gap over Red Bull. Kimi Raikkonen was not so lucky on his final race in F1 after spinning off Turn 6 after a brake problem which forced his retirement. Williams’ George Russell also retired from his final race with the team after losing his drive. Antonio Giovinazzi’s retirement at Turn 9 saw both Red Bulls pit for hard compounds as the virtual safety car was out. Hamilton, on the other hand opted to stay out stretching the lead over Verstappen to 20 seconds. Running on brand new slicks, Verstappen’s Red Bull was faster and Hamilton was not gaining more time despite a strong lead. All fortunes changed for Red Bull after forcing Verstappen to pit for soft tyres during the virtual safety car which was brought out after Nicholas Latifi crashed on Turn 14. Being the last lap, Formula 1 race director Michael Masi cleared the four lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to overtake the safety car despite initially stating that it was not allowed. Verstappen was now trailing just behind Hamilton in the final lap and the battle to the chequered flag was on. Capitalising on the situation and on fresh soft tyres, Verstappen took the lead on Turn 5 all the way to the finish becoming the first Dutch World Champion. Despite a disappointing second place for Hamilton, Mercedes won its 8th constructors championship in a row. 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Results: Pos No Driver Nat. Car Time/Retired PTS Laps 1 33 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1:30:17.345 26 58 2 44 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team +2.256s 18 58 3 55 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari +5.173s 15 58 4 22 Yuki Tsunoda JAP Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda +5.692s 12 58 5 10 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda +6.531s 10 58 6 77 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team +7.463s 8 58 7 4 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team +59.200s 6 58 8 14 Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine F1 Team +61.708s 4 58 9 31 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team +64.026s 2 58 10 16 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari +66.057s 1 58 11 5 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team +67.527s 0 58 12 3 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team +1 lap 0 57 13 18 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team +1 lap 0 57 14 47 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team +1 lap 0 57 15 11 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing DNF 0 55 NC 6 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing DNF 0 50 NC 99 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN DNF 0 33 NC 63 George Russell GBR Williams Racing DNF 0 26 NC 7 Kimi Räikkönen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN DNF 0 25

Mercedes made change to a part of Hamilton’s power unit

Kevin Peterson01 mins

Lewis Hamilton run the Saturday’s Final Practice and Qualifying round of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on a new engine component. Hamilton’s car will also run on the new exhaust system for Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race. This was confirmed from the Technical Delegate’s Report from FIA. The report also indicates that Hamilton has previously used four exhaust systems throughout the 2021 Formula 1 Season. However, Hamilton will not be incurring any penalty as there is no limit of exhaust system use. “The exhaust system used by Lewis Hamilton is one of the eight new exhaust systems allowed for the 2021 Championship season and this is in conformity with Article 23.2a of the 2021 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations,” the note read.