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Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that he will be fined for missing the 2021 FIA Prize Giving Gala. The event was held at the Louvre in Paris on December 17 last year. The Briton confirmed the fine at a press conference on Friday and hopes the proceeds go towards a worthy cause.
The Briton was summoned to meet with the FIA president on Thursday. On being asked if the meeting included sanctions for skipping the gala, Hamilton said:
“I think it’s important as a sport that we are transparent. I had a good meeting with Mohammed last night, who agreed that’s the direction we should take as a sport. There will be some sort of fine re the gala. But we have worked together to make sure that the money will be put towards youth from underprivileged backgrounds getting into motorsports engineering.”
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FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was adamant when he resumed his post that there would be consequences for breaching protocols.
On his first day in office as FIA president, he was asked about Lewis Hamilton’s punishment for skipping the gala, to which Ben Sulayem said:
“If there is any breach, there is no forgiveness in this. Forgiveness is always there. But rules are rules.”
The Mercedes champion himself confirmed the fine and his meeting with the president in the paddock in Bahrain. He now looks forward to working together with the FIA to improve the transparency and governance of the sport.
Lewis Hamilton reveals his first meeting with new FIA president
The seven-time world champion revealed he first met the new FIA president many years ago at an event in Dubai. The Briton expressed delight at the Emirati’s appointment as President and believes it is a good sign of diversity in the sport.
Recollecting his first encounter with president Ben Sulayem, Lewis Hamilton said:
“I met Mohammed a long, long time ago through an event that we had in Dubai so it is good to see him in the position he is in. It again adds to that diversity challenge that we are trying to overcome.”
The world champion went into radio silence on social media for over 56 days after a disappointing end to his championship campaign. Meanwhile, president Ben Sulayem played a big part in calming Lewis Hamilton over the winter, leading to his return to social media and the sport. The FIA president also discussed the changes within the regulatory body with the Mercedes driver and the future direction of the sport.
