Lewis Hamilton is one of the most notable figures in F1. He’s acted as an inspiration for many, going from his humble roots to his high level of success. He’s done so by performing well on track and also pursuing many ventures outside of the sport. But he isn’t a perfect person. Hamilton has been involved in several controversies on and off-track, which have ended with some amount of admonishment for the driver. That has come either in the form of a penalty, or a fine, and in some cases, his fans also turned on him.
5. When Lewis Hamilton was fined in Australia
As he was leaving the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, the British driver opted to leave with some style. Hamilton, who was driving his Mercedes-Benz AMG C63, did some burnouts at the entrance of the Grand Prix circuit at Albert Park. This violated anti-hoon laws in the region, and he was fined $500 after pleading guilty. He also had his vehicle impounded due to his stunt outside the track.
“I fully accept that I am a public figure and I consider that I have a duty to act as a role model to youngsters, particularly in relation to road safety matters,” Hamilton in a letter to the court.
“I made a mistake in Melbourne, which I sincerely regret.” [via The Sydney Morning Herald]
4. Hamilton is reprimanded at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
Two years ago, Lewis Hamilton made contact with his Mercedes teammate George Russell in Turn 1 of the Qatar Grand Prix. This collision caused Hamilton to spin out and land in the gravel. But it wasn’t the contact with his teammate that caused Hamilton to face punishment. After he got out of his vehicle, he walked over to the live track to make his way into the pit lane. The stewards saw this and gave the Briton a €50,000 ($57,572) fine. Based on the understanding that he wouldn’t do something similar throughout the season again, half of the fine was suspended.
In the statement released by the stewards, they mentioned that Hamilton was aware of the safety risks of his actions.
“During the hearing, the driver of Car 44 was very apologetic and realized that the situation could have been very dangerous for him as well as the drivers approaching.” [via F1]
3. Lewis Hamilton faces backlash about collaboration
In May of this year, Lewis Hamilton shared that he would be partnering with an AI Company, Perplexity. The organization has built a search engine that uses AI to give accurate information. His news led to a strong backlash from his fans online, with many questioning his commitment to the environment, since AI is found to have negative impacts on nature. They also felt that he had only partnered with the entity for the financial sponsorship, despite his $450 million net worth. (According to Celebrity Net Worth).
2. Hamilton faces backlash from an anti-sexism group
After he crossed the line at the 2015 Chinese Grand Prix to emerge victorious, Hamilton sprayed his celebratory champagne on one of the grid girls. During the podium ceremony, drivers usually spray champagne on everyone who is around them. But the British driver also directed the spray towards Liu Siying, a grid girl standing to his right. This led to a major uproar from anti-sexist groups. Specifically, Object, whose CEO released a statement condemning Hamilton’s behavior.
“It is surely a very difficult position to be a grid girl and she would have had little option but to stand there and take it. That is something of which he should be aware. But instead, he appears to have abused her position.”
“It’s unfortunate that a great victory has been marred by what appears to be selfish and inconsiderate behavior.” [via Fox Sports]
However, the F1 driver released his statement later, apologizing and sharing that he meant no disrespect towards anyone.
“I would never ever intend to disrespect or try to embarrass someone like that.” [via ESPN]
It is also important to note that Siyung later told local media that she had no issues with the actions of the race winner.
1. Lewis Hamilton and “LieGate”
Towards the end of the 2009 Australian Grand Prix, there was a safety car out on track. Lewis Hamilton was running in fourth place behind the Honda of Jarno Trulli. However, Trulli slid off the track, and the McLaren driver took his spot. When the Honda came back, Hamilton slowed down and returned to his P4 spot. But, given that overtaking is not allowed during the safety car period, Trulli was given a 25-second penalty for his actions.
Before the following race in Malaysia, it was found that Hamilton revealed that McLaren had ordered him to slow down and give back the place. But, he and the team had denied doing so to the FIA. Due to his misleading the stewards, the British driver had his Australian GP results disqualified, and McLaren eventually received a three-race ban.
