Formula 1 fans brutally troll Lewis Hamilton as Michael Masi drama drags on again | F1 | Sport

Formula One fans have trolled Lewis Hamilton mercilessly on social media after he launched a new competition to mark the end of his time at Mercedes.

Earlier this week, the 39-year-old announced that people could apply to have their name on his car at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This will be his last race with Mercedes before moving to Ferrari at the start of next season.

Addressing his supporters on X (formerly Twitter), Hamilton wrote: “You have always been here. Through all the ups and downs, every step of the way.

“As we prepare to mark the end of one chapter in Abu Dhabi and the beginning of another, I can’t think of anything better than carrying as many of your names as possible on my car in the final race of the season. “

Fans were invited to apply with their names and email addresses, with 150 to be selected at random.

The competition was widely ridiculed on social media, with fans threatening to enter using the name Michael Masi. The former race director was responsible for a rule violation in Abu Dhabi three years ago that denied Hamilton a record eighth title.

Masi was later relieved of his duties by the governing body, which attributed his creative interpretation of the rules to human error.

Other fans posted screenshots of their entries into the competition, using the names of Hamilton’s former rivals such as Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg.

It seems likely that such names will be checked by Mercedes, who will not want to risk becoming the laughing stock of the internet at Hamilton’s final race.

Hamilton is hoping to end his time with the Silver Arrows on a positive note with just three races remaining in the season. Las Vegas gets underway this weekend before Formula 1 returns to Qatar and Abu Dhabi to finish the campaign.

Once the next three races are completed and dusted, Hamilon will be able to look forward to a fresh start at Ferrari, but for now he is not allowing himself to think about it.

Speaking ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he said: “I think just being here, standing and talking, I feel strong, I’ve trained well and I feel great.

“Honestly, mentally I feel in the best place I’ve been all year. Considering how bad the last race was, I think that’s enough.”