“What a Clown Show”: Amid Revisit of Lewis Hamilton’s $52,000 Penalty, Team LH Tears FIA to Shreds for PR Stunts

Singling out Lewis Hamilton to bring a problem to light? That seems to be the FIA’s modus operandi at the moment. Remember the poorly executed jewelry ban the FIA introduced last season? The governing body intended to bring forth the point that jewelry could increase the risk of burn injuries. Not fully committing to the implementation, the process dragged on for almost six months. Not once did the FIA make it clear that its push had nothing to do with Hamilton and everything to do with safety. Ultimately, the FIA became the bad guy, and its recent actions haven’t helped its case.

At the Qatar GP, Hamilton and his teammate George Russell collided on the first lap, instantly ending Hamilton’s race in the gravel. The Safety Car was deployed until the marshals cleared the seven-time champion’s car from there. But instead of waiting around for that to happen, Hamilton crossed the track to get to the pitlane on the other side.

It was a dangerous thing to do, considering there were cars on the track. Hamilton realized that and admitted his mistake in a hearing with the FIA, which ended with a $52,000 fine. The case was done and dusted, and everyone got past it. That was until the FIA decided to reopen it a week later.

Why? Because it wants to reassess the severity of Hamilton’s actions and determine whether the penalty should be stricter. Here’s the FIA’s statement: “The FIA notes that Lewis was apologetic during the subsequent stewards hearing into the incident and acknowledged that the crossing was a serious safety breach. However, in view of his role model status, the FIA is concerned about the impression his actions may have created on younger drivers.”

Do you see anything amiss here? What does the FIA mean by “role model status?” More importantly, why is it singling out Hamilton (like it did with the jewelry ban) when this has happened with other drivers as well? Case in point: Max Verstappen after his crash with Hamilton at the 2021 Italian GP. Along with all this, the LH Army unleashed its fury on the governing body for its PR stunts.

Lewis Hamilton is on the receiving end of the FIA’s “biased rubbish”

The FIA has been under fire for quite some time now. The F1 community isn’t a fan of the organization or its working. The LH Army has especially been at odds with it since the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP debacle. Now, they feel the FIA is using Hamilton’s case to clear its name. By emphasizing that it’s “concerned about the impression his actions may have created on younger drivers,” the FIA hasn’t helped its case. Especially by targeting Hamilton.

A Twitter (now X) user wrote, “It’s #USGP week & the FIA is “revisiting” the #QatarGP penalty it served Hamilton “in view of his role model status.”

“Yes, Lewis is a role model, but that doesn’t mean he should be singled out for revised punishment. It’s not a good look for the governing body of a global sport.” Doesn’t the FIA’s motivation smell like PR to you?

What was the need to single out Hamilton? Yes, he’s one of the best the sport has ever seen, but shouldn’t every driver be a role model to every other driver?

Read More: “Can You Believe That?”: After $52,000 Penalty, Lewis Hamilton’s Ex-Nemesis Divulges Shocking Fact

The LH Army still feels very badly about everything that transpired in Abu Dhabi that night. Reopening the case doesn’t look good for the FIA, both in terms of its consistency and supposedly unbiased nature.

Didn’t the FIA introduce a standardized system for all this in 2022? Considering that, it’s made a “clown show” of itself.

The thing is, Hamilton isn’t just a role model in F1. He stands for so much more outside the realm of F1 as well. Fans suspect that might be another reason for the FIA’s bias.

And how can rules change based on how much of a “role model” someone is? Isn’t that unfair?

What are your thoughts on the Lewis Hamilton situation with the FIA?

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