The intensity from one of the most thrilling Formula 1 races in history has yet to dissipate. The latest twist in this never-ending story is Lewis Hamilton’s decision to unfollow everyone on Instagram. All of this happened after the Brit was pipped to the title this year by his arch-rival Max Verstappen, who beat the Mercedes driver on the closing lap of the season’s final race to win. People were already aware of Hamilton’s dissatisfaction with the race when radio footage of the driver protesting to his team that something wasn’t quite right was aired. “This has been manipulated, man,” Hamilton yelled to his Mercedes teammates, who were undoubted as surprised as he was.
As race director Michael Masi changed his mind about allowing some lapped vehicles to pass the Safety Car, confusion prevailed. As a result, Verstappen and Hamilton had a head-to-head battle in the penultimate lap. The Red Bull driver, who had never won a championship before this race, was able to overtake his adversary and win the race. Hamilton hasn’t posted anything on social media since winning the Formula One championship, and he appears to have unfollowed the few people he was following. This has caused consternation because his motivations for doing so are unclear, and he has remained silent on social media to his 26.3 million followers.
This has only raised further suspicions about Hamilton, who also skipped the Formula One end-of-season gala in Paris, which could result in sanctions. “First and foremost, as a driver, I would feel upset, but at the end of the day, regulations are rules,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA’s newly-elected president. As a result, we’ll look into the technical rules that must be followed.” The top three drivers in the championship must attend the event, according to Article 6.6 of the F1 regulations; however, it is unclear what sanctions the FIA can impose.
“If there is any breach, there is no forgiveness in this,” Mohammed Ben Sulayem says, attempting to maintain control of the situation. Hamilton will almost certainly be punished as a result of this brutal yet fair approach. Whether it occurs this year or next, the British player has had a season to forget, with questions and punishments looming over him.
