Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Lewis Hamilton

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Lewis Hamilton.

Sir Lewis Hamilton is a highly accomplished British Formula One racing driver currently competing for Ferrari. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, having secured a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles, sharing the honor with Michael Schumacher. Beyond his championship wins, Hamilton holds numerous records, including the most wins (105), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (203), solidifying his place as a dominant force in the sport.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

December 2007: Hamilton Suspended from Driving

On December 18, 2007, Lewis Hamilton was suspended from driving in France for a month after being caught speeding at 196 km/h on a French motorway. His Mercedes-Benz CLK was also impounded.

2007: Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Incident

At the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, during the final qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton went out on track ahead of Fernando Alonso and ignored requests from the team to let him through. Alonso was then delayed in the pits by Hamilton and thus unable to set a final lap time before the end of the session. Alonso was relegated to sixth place on the starting grid, promoting Hamilton to first, while McLaren was docked Constructors' Championship points.

2007: Racist abuse at Chinese Grand Prix

In 2007, Lewis Hamilton suffered racist abuse from Spanish Formula One supporters at the Chinese Grand Prix.

2008: Criticism Over Tax Arrangements

In 2008, Hamilton faced criticism after a Christian Aid report highlighted his tax arrangements, with members of parliament criticizing him for avoiding UK taxes.

2008: Racist abuse at Circuit de Catalunya

In 2008, Lewis Hamilton was heckled and abused during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya by Spanish spectators wearing black face paint and black wigs, as well as shirts bearing racist words. A website called pinchalaruedadeHamilton, which translates into English as "burst Hamilton's tyre", contained an image of Interlagos that allowed users to leave nails and porcupines on the track for Hamilton's car to run over.

2010: Disqualification at the 2010 European Grand Prix

At the 2010 European Grand Prix in Valencia, Hamilton was disqualified for overtaking the safety car, repeating an incident from his GP2 Series career.

2010: Hamilton's Car Impounded in Australia

In 2010, two days before the Australian Grand Prix, Victoria Police witnessed Lewis Hamilton deliberately losing traction in his silver Mercedes-AMG C63, and impounded the car for 48 hours. He was later fined A$500.

2014: Double standards in media treatment

In 2014, The Guardian journalist Joseph Harker highlighted double-standards in Lewis Hamilton's treatment compared to other British drivers by British newspapers, suggesting that his skin colour has played a factor in a perceived lack of acceptance among the British public.

2016: Runner-Up to Rosberg

In 2016, Hamilton finished runner-up to Rosberg. After a challenging start due to poor race-starts and mechanical failures, he won six of seven races mid-season. Despite engine blowout in Malaysia, Hamilton entered the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix trailing Rosberg by 12 points, and attempted to slow Rosberg down to allow other drivers to overtake him, but was unsuccessful. Although Hamilton had a season-high 10 race victories, Rosberg took the title before retiring.

November 2017: Paradise Papers Leak

In November 2017, the Paradise Papers leak revealed that Hamilton avoided paying £3.3 million in VAT on his £16.5 million private jet.

2017: 44IP Opposed Swatch Group Trademark

In 2017, Lewis Hamilton's rights management company, 44IP, opposed Swatch Group's application to register a trademark for 'HAMILTON INTERNATIONAL' in Europe for watches and timepieces, alleging bad faith and unfair competition.

December 2018: Controversial remarks at BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards

In December 2018, Lewis Hamilton caused controversy at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards after saying on live television, "It really was a dream for us all as a family to do something different. For us to get out of the slums", before correcting himself. He later apologized for his comments on Instagram.

2018: Second championship fight with Vettel

In 2018, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes fought back to reduce point deficits and ultimately won the championship. There were some on-track flash points, most notably the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when Vettel accused Hamilton of brake checking and drove into Hamilton in retaliation, earning a penalty, the pair developed a strong mutual respect in a hard but fairly contested fight.

2019: Rio Ferdinand describes media scrutiny as racist

In 2019, footballer Rio Ferdinand described media scrutiny of Lewis Hamilton as having "racist undertones" and contrasted Hamilton's treatment to that of fellow British driver Jenson Button.

2020: Response to Hamilton's activism and FIA's attire ban

In 2020, following Hamilton's activism, Formula One expressed support, but the FIA later banned unofficial attire on the podium and in media interviews. Hamilton acknowledged the FIA's limits but didn't regret his actions.

2020: EUIPO Ruled Against 44IP

In 2020, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) rejected 44IP's arguments in the trademark dispute with Swatch Group, ruling that there was no bad faith by Swatch Group and that 44IP's 'LEWIS HAMILTON' trademark did not extend to the word 'HAMILTON' alone.

2021: Online racist abuse

In 2021, Lewis Hamilton was subjected to online racist abuse following a controversial win at the British Grand Prix. Mercedes, Formula One, and the FIA issued a joint statement condemning the abuse.

2021: Title Decided on Last Lap

The 2021 season saw Max Verstappen and Hamilton emerge as title favourites, leading to intense on-track battles. Hamilton achieved his 100th pole position and race win. However, Hamilton was denied the championship by a last-lap overtake from Verstappen in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. During the year, Hamilton extended his contract with Mercedes.