Newly-elected FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, says he’s not heard back from Lewis Hamilton, despite sending the Mercedes Formula 1 driver “messages”.
Hamilton has kept a low profile since missing out on a record eighth F1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi last month. The Briton was leading the race until a very controversial decision by FIA race director Michael Masi led to Max Verstappen passing Hamilton on the final lap of the race to take the victory and the title.
Although Hamilton was gracious in defeat as he congratulated Verstappen, he later refused to participate in the post-race interviews and snubbed the FIA prize giving gala. Other than a single post on social media following his knighthood, he hasn’t been active at all.
That prompted rumours he could call it a day and retire from F1 to focus on his music and fashion interests, but Ben Sulayem doesn’t believe that will happen.
“No, I don’t think so, they are just rumours. Has he declared that he is not going to run? Exactly, no,” he told Spain’s Marca. “Lewis is an important part of the sport with his achievements.”
Mercedes however offered some solace for Hamilton fans, posting a photo of Hamilton to social media with the caption: “Adversity causes some to break; others to break records.”
Despite trying to communicate with Hamilton to discuss what happened in Abu Dhabi, Ben Sulayem says he hasn’t yet heard back from the 36-year-old: “I sent him messages, yes. I think he is not 100% ready yet [to respond] and I understand his position.
“There are also rules that must be accepted by all drivers. For me there is no particular team or driver above the respect for the integrity of the FIA. But I cannot judge until I have all the data and the first thing on my agenda is to thoroughly analyse what happened in Abu Dhabi.
“In the end we are all human and the stress and pressure was there. I think it will all work out. You have to look more to the future than to the past.”
For me, the decision by the race director, showed the corruption at the top of the sport; It’s nothing new – the greed, inherent in unfettered capitalism, again proved to strong a pull as FIA courts new, young fans’ interest. My disgust at the last lap in Abu Dhabi is as strong today as then. I stopped being a fan that day. I will watch to see if there are judgements by the new president, but by reading his comments here I’m not hopeful.
I know this is not going to be popular but here goes, if Hamilton had won we would be talking about the place that he should have given back earlier in the race, or the fact that Hamilton bumped Verstappen off the track and caused him to crash a few races ago. It goes around and comes around, get over it.
I know this is not going to be popular but here goes, if Hamilton had won we would be talking about the place that he should have given back earlier in the race, or the fact that Hamilton bumped Verstappen off the track and caused him to crash a few races ago. It goes around and comes around, get over it. BTW, you’re still a fan, you’re here aren’t you.
Mercedes not wanting to lose track position even though competitors were getting newer tyres is akin to have one or no stop strategy in a race everyone is stopping twice or more. Mercedes knows Lewis’s capabilities – he isnt a race on track. Ofcourse if Silverstone didnt happen (Hamilton smirking after that race then Verstappen was in hospital), Max would have been champion earlier.
Lets remember this before we put the blame on Massey:
“No Mikey no, no safety car, we dont care if people are hurt, Lady Lulu desires to win under non racing conditions like his last 6 WCs.” – Creepy Toto.
Both of you are grossly wrong about Silverstone. Yes, Hamilton didn’t hug the apex of the kerb… but Verstappen had seen that Hamilton had occupied the inside position and still aggressively turned into Hamilton. It’s been a common theme where Verstappen aggressively turns into opponents and expects them to yield. In Silverstone Hamilton refused to yield. There is a great analysis put together by Karun Chandhok that highlights Max’s unyielding driving style that forces other people off the track. Also, Verstappen ruined the Monza race, and almost ruined Hamilton’s Brazil race. Also, Verstappen brake testing Hamilton is fair huh? Absolute one sided rubbish from both of y’all.
You’re also forgetting Max getting a free win and 5 points on Lewis in Spa. What a “race” that was.
As I remember it, the little dutch boy makes a HABIT of running people/ hamilton off the track. I am not a fan of hamilton but he had enough and wouldn’t give in to him unless he had too. I do not like how massey changed the race. Lower case intended.
Lewis runs people off the track too, as long as their name is “Albon” xD
It’s not looking good for F1. Ben Sulu has come out with some problematic phrases lately like” look to the future not the past” which sounds like he isn’t going to address the situation of Messi gifting the race to Verslappen. Sounds like another fia cover up, which should worry other teams as well because it could happen to them as well in the future.
He’d better look into Masi gifting 2 victories to Max during the season. Everyone is overlooking the Spa fiasco because Masi one upped himself with Abu Dhabi.
The Maxipad apologists amuse me. Trying to find needles in a haystack for Hamilton’s indiscretions compared to the Fake WDC Champion. It was not just one race but a stacked deck on Hamilton for many races. A race win by Maxipad in Spa in a torrential downpour of 2 laps under a safety car. Monza where Maxipad parks his car on top of Hamilton’s but the talk was still about Britian.Brasil before race with Maxipad tampering with the Merc car and Hamilton’s penalties that should have seen him not in the top 10, aggressive driving by Maxipad where his penalties amounted to nothing and finally Abu Dhabi the biggest sports scam in history. Even Stevie Wonder would have seen this.
The lily white sport run by the same homogeneous group are uncomfortable with who is the face of F1. A man of color campaigning for diversity in F1 , an end to racism, climate change and whose social circles are not exactly high bred Europeans. Now the risk will be to force Hamilton to retire, go back to being a white sport and make the Dutch boy the new face of F1. I can assure you outside of Europe no one will care who Maxipad is except he was the one the FIA manipulated to make a champion. Bernie Ecclestone has one foot in the grave and no one cares what he thinks. F1 will stand to lose massive viewership and will be seen as a rigged sport. It is just too bad for other drivers like Norris, Riccardo, Russell, Leclerc , Gasly