“You Won’t Be Smiling In a Minute”: Soft Spoken Lewis Hamilton Once Unleashed His Dark Side Over Meaningless Snapchat Fiasco

Social media can sometimes get the best of us. Lewis Hamilton learned this the hard way before the 2016 Japanese Grand Prix.

Formula 1 is a global motorsport with a viewership that is increasing each passing year. So naturally, the drivers are expected to be role models. Teams, on the other hand, need good PR. However, in 2016, the defending World Champion of the time, Lewis Hamilton, sent the media into a frenzy.

What was the reason, you may ask? Snapchat.

The then 3-time World Champion was caught using Snapchat during one of the press conferences before the Grand Prix.

“It’s quite funny, just some snaps of drivers,” he said. “We’ve been doing this [press conference] a long, long time and it’s the same. Just got to keep adding new things to it.” 

Subsequently, Hamilton caught a lot of flak for this.

Lewis Hamilton retaliates to “disrespectful” media

In the aftermath of the whole fiasco, Hamilton walked out of the subsequent media event.

He was quoted as saying, “what was more disrespectful is what was then written, worldwide. There are some people here and it’s not them that’s done it, and the decision I will take unfortunately affects those who have been super-supportive.” 

He sat through the beginning of the press conference. Then ominously, referring to the smiling journalists, quipped, “You won’t be smiling in a minute.”

Read More: 2022 F1 Season Not the First Time Lewis Hamilton Finds Himself in the Trenches, Does He Have What It Takes?

Minutes later, the Briton left the press conference to the disbelief of everyone in attendance. This, however, was not the first time a Formula 1 driver has shown their displeasure towards the media. Mark Webber once famously walked out of the Indian Grand Prix post-race conference.

Now, Lewis Hamilton has become a stalwart of the Social Media scene. He has frequently spoken aloud about social issues plaguing society. It is without a shadow of a doubt that he has become a role model on and off the field.

Watch this story: Lewis Hamilton Finds Himself in an Unusual Situation With His Teammate for the First Time Since 2007

However, a younger, more fiery Hamilton was possibly not afraid to fight fire with fire. As he has matured, he has become more aware and seems to pick those fights that seem the most relevant and personal to him.