Sir Lewis Hamilton remains widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula One. His accomplishments, including his record-breaking number of race wins and championship titles, have solidified his status as an iconic figure in the sport. Hamilton’s success on the track, along with his efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in Formula One, have earned him a massive global following and widespread admiration.
The seven-time world champion is the pinnacle of the sport of Formula One. His individual reach goes way beyond the whole sport combined. However, Lewis Hamilton’s beliefs have often landed him at crossroads with the motorsports governing body, FIA. FIA and Lewis Hamilton share a history of bad blood. Moreover, FIA’s recent act has sparked outrage among the fans who accused the governing body of dishonoring the British driver.
Lewis Hamilton Missing From FIA’s Hall Of Fame Display At Paris Headquarters
Mercedes ace and seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has had a troubling history with the sport’s governing body, FIA. Hamilton likes to represent himself in a certain way. As the only driver of black ethnicity on the grid, Hamilton often likes to stand out with his overall appearance. However, FIA did not appreciate it and tried to curb him by enforcing ridiculous bans and restrictions. However, Hamilton, who has a reputation for taking bold stands, clapped back at FIA by calling them out publicly. He refused to adhere to the jewelry ban. Also vowed to continue speaking against sensitive matters related to society at large.
Guess which 7x world champion is missing from the @fia's "Hall of Fame" display at its Paris HQ? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/3AtXRoUGQW
— F1blag (@f1blag) June 17, 2023
Recently, the cold war was reignited once again. A fan who visited FIA’s Hall of Fame display at their latter’s Paris headquarters noticed something weird. He posted a video on Twitter wherein all of the sport’s greatest drivers’ names, race suits, and helmets were on display. Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Max Verstappen, among several others, were featured in the display. However, Lewis Hamilton, who holds a joint record of winning the most number of titles in the sport, was nowhere to be found. Neither his name nor his belongings were present in the Hall of Fame display. The video is widely shared on the internet and has raged the fans at the same time. They have accused FIA of dishonoring the British driver owing to their past feud. That being said, FIA has yet to comment on the matter and explain its side.
Hamilton Asked To Abandon His Personal Agendas By FIA
Over the past few seasons, Lewis Hamilton has received a lot of hearing from the FIA for speaking against sensitive social issues. He took a knee to support black rights activism on the grid, which irked FIA. The governing body immediately pulled up the British driver and asked him to showcase his personal agendas elsewhere. On the gird, such shenanigans would not be tolerated.
However, Lewis Hamilton refused to stand down. He clapped back at FIA and said that the governing body was taking the sport in a backward direction. As the only driver of black representation, it’s his responsibility to do right by his community. Hence, Hamilton made it clear that he would not stop raising his voice against social injustice. In the future, if the need arises, he will use the Formula One platform to take his stand on the right matters. Overall, the tussle between the British driver and FIA is unlikely to die down anytime soon.