Four years ago, F1 race director Michael Masi’s supremely controversial call decided the fate of Lewis Hamilton, who was only inches away from his eighth title. Max Verstappen grabbed his first title and was ‘coronated’ on December 16, 2021, in Paris. Furious over the events, Hamilton and co. boycotted the FIA Award Ceremony, and the former was subsequently fined for it.
Why Lewis Hamilton Was Fined and the Surprising Way He Chose to Pay It
The LH camp fought tooth and nail to contest the last lap battle of Abu Dhabi, but to no avail. However, when Mercedes elected to drop its appeal of the FIA’s handling of the late-race safety car restart in the F1 season finale, the German car manufacturer remained opposed to the call.
This decision marked the team’s silent protest against what it viewed as a miscarriage of sporting fairness. As a result, Mercedes decided not to send its championship-winning F1 and Formula E cars to Paris for pre-gala photographs. Most shockingly, Hamilton & Toto Wolff did not attend. But what were the repercussions of this rebellion?
Under FIA sporting regulations, the top three finishers in the championship are required to attend the annual prize-giving ceremony. Hamilton’s absence from the 2021 gala therefore constituted a breach of Article 6.6, which explicitly states that “drivers finishing first, second and third in the championship must be present at the annual FIA Prize Giving ceremony.”
In response, the FIA announced that Hamilton would receive a €50,000 fine, equivalent to approximately $55,340. Later, the almost 8x champion and the FIA reached an agreement to direct the money toward supporting a student from a disadvantaged background in pursuing a qualification in motorsport.
The concurrence was closely aligned with Hamilton’s long-standing efforts to improve diversity and inclusion in racing, particularly through his Mission 44 Foundation and the work of the Hamilton Commission.
Speaking ahead of the 2022 Bahrain season opener, Hamilton confirmed that he had worked with the FIA and its new president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, to ensure the fine would be put to meaningful use.’
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Later that day, the FIA released a statement noting that Ben Sulayem had met with Hamilton to discuss diversity and inclusion within the motorsport industry. The statement highlighted Hamilton’s insights from the Hamilton Commission report and emphasized the shared commitment to making motorsport more accessible to underrepresented groups. I
t also confirmed the president’s support of Hamilton’s decision to donate the €50,000 fine toward funding a disadvantaged student’s motorsport-related education.
During the meeting, the circumstances of Hamilton’s absence from the gala were also addressed. Hamilton acknowledged the importance of celebrating motorsport achievements alongside fellow prize winners, while Ben Sulayem reminded him of his obligations as a leading figure in the sport.
