Lewis Hamilton made the journey to Baku for the FIA gala to collect his prize for finishing in third place in the 2023 F1 Championship.
Contrary to speculation, Mercedes has refuted allegations that Lewis Hamilton intentionally gifted his official 2023 championship trophy to a fan. The incident occurred when Hamilton, having left his P3 trophy behind at the FIA prize-giving ceremony in Baku, attended the event where Max Verstappen and Red Bull were officially crowned World Champions, alongside other FIA title winners from Formula E and the World Rally Championship.
The ceremony took place amidst controversy, as the FIA initiated and subsequently closed an investigation into Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and F1 Academy director Susie Wolff. Media reports had suggested that the couple shared confidential information, prompting statements of support from all nine other teams for Susie Wolff. Mercedes is currently embroiled in legal proceedings with F1’s governing body over the matter.
Hamilton, critical of the FIA’s handling of the situation, expressed his dissatisfaction, deeming it “unacceptable.” After the official ceremony, he left his P3 trophy behind, leading to a claim by a fan that they were gifted the trophy by the 103-time race winner.
However, a Mercedes spokesperson confirmed that Hamilton had accepted an offer from the FIA to ensure the trophy was “sent on to the team and therefore left it in their care.”
“We can confirm he did not give the trophy to anyone ‘as a gift’ as has been speculated.”
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