"They love being angry" - Damon Hill on fans' criticism of F1

Former F1 driver and world champion Damon Hill has hit back at fans who have criticized the sport since Abu Dhabi. The Briton tweeted his thoughts, claiming fans will never be happy regardless of what decision the FIA makes regarding Lewis Hamilton's loss to Max Verstappen last year.

Social media was set ablaze after Michael Masi's controversial safety car decision at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Many fans have called out experts such as Karun Chandhok, Will Buxton and Damon Hill for allegedly defending the FIA despite its mismanagement of the 2021 season finale. In a rather controversial move, Hill lashed back at critics, saying:

“People are angry. They love being angry. So they are happy. All the people who say they have lost faith in F1, they’ll be back. Because they love to be angry. F1 makes people happy, because they get angry. Its a great paradox.”

One fan was quick to point out an apparent flaw with Hill's argument. Fans believe the casual approach taken by Damon Hill and other journalists is trivializing Lewis Hamilton's struggles as the lone black driver on the grid. One fan wrote back:

“I think you guys are completely misreading the room on this one, very, very badly. There are millions of POC out there deeply emotionally invested in their support of Lewis and what he represents. The way you guys are making light of a huge injustice goes far beyond sport.”

Damon Hill has since stopped responding to replies to the tweet.

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Lewis Hamilton's F1 return contingent on FIA report

The FIA has begun an inquiry into the events that occurred in Abu Dhabi, with multiple sources claiming its results determine Lewis Hamilton's return to F1. The seven-time world champion has remained silent since his loss to Max Verstappen on the final lap of the race and even "unfollowed" everybody on his Instagram account.

The FIA released a statement about the schedule of the inquiry, confirming that an official verdict will be made on the 18th of March, ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Fans, however, were quick to note that Lewis Hamilton will not get an opportunity to react to the verdict if it comes out just before the race weekend. One fan wrote:

“The fact that there is an investigation is already an admission of guilt. How does it take 3 months to investigate what we all already know?? This is a gross tactic to force Lewis to make a decision about his future before he can see the report.”

The FIA has provided no further clarifications as to why the date has been set for the 18th of March.