“I am a Red Bull fan, but when Lewis Hamilton was given a black and white flag, I was like, oh Wow! The favoritism was on the show”, – said one of the Formula one spectator on social media.
Indeed, a battle goes on between Lewis Hamilton and FIA. Sometimes it is about the jewelry he wears, and sometimes, about the political statements he makes. And other times when he simply drives like others. In the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was struggling to get on the podium [winning a race is like a dream now]. During those struggles, he was just about to get a penalty for no reason. There was a little reason, actually. But this was never a problem for FIA when it happened with Max Verstappen or anyone else, except for Lewis Hamilton. Fans and any of the spectators, whether they like Hamilton or not, can sense a little partiality here.
Formula One is also about rules, regulations, and fair judgments, apart from the competitive environment, crashes, and battles. No offense, but these crashes are what make the sport’s heartthrob. However, no one wants an intense speedy crash that does harm to the drivers. So, there is a rule that prevents the drivers from weaving to block overtaking of the rivals. You can take a defensive move once. But you can’t move back to weave on the straights blocking the way from where others overtake you. If you do so, you get a warning black and white flag, and if you continue, you get the penalty.
Why Did FIA Weaved Flag For Lewis Hamilton And Not For Max Verstappen?
Unfortunately, last weekend, when Lewis Hamilton was pushing the W14 to the hardest while battling with Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly, he received a black and white flag. Hamilton was trying to prevent overtakes. But the Ferrari driver, who was struggling with the Alpine driver, could not find a way to take a good position. So at turn 1, the stewards weaved the black and white flag in front of the seven-time world champions so that he could get a warning that a penalty was meant for him.
This was just a flag, a warning. Lewis Hamilton was not actually penalized for it, as he was not blocking on the straights anymore. But, it is not digestible that no other drier gets a black & white flag for doing so. If you remember the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, you must remember how Max Verstappen did the same thing. He was, in fact, weaving, but he got no such treatment as Hamilton’s, with no penalty at all. Apparently, the two-time world champion weaves a lot of times while racing, but FIA finds no problem with it.
So why is it a problem when Lewis Hamilton does it? A fan on Twitter said, “It is not a surprise” another commented that I am a Red Bull fan, but I can see that there is definitely favoritism in F1. Perhaps, FIA does not like Hamilton; several times, fans have raised this issue over social media. They have found the governing body favoring the Red Bul star, the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, where Max won the maiden title, is another example adding to the list of when FIA has done partiality.
