'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The controversy caused by Lewis Hamilton’s team Mercedes when they signed with Kingspan is still fresh in the minds of the driver's fans. So when Aston Martin recently announced a long-term strategic partnership with Saudi oil giant Aramco, F1 fans were quick to question the deal by Sebastian Vettel's team.
While neither driver played a part in bringing either sponsorship to the team, the Briton’s fans believe the German might be treated differently for the same, comparing the deal to the dispute around the Briton's team.
Aston Martin announced Aramco as their long-term partner, stirring Hamilton fans to question whether the team's ace driver and environmentalist Vettel would receive criticism for it. The deal is being compared to the Mercedes and Kingspan one, which courted controversy after the Irish company was found responsible for the scaffolding material that resulted in the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire.
Trending
Questioning the deal with Aramco, one Twitter fan said:
“So is everyone now gonna hold Sebastian the environmentalist accountable for this just like they did with Lewis Hamilton or what?”
The Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco has been a part of F1 as a title sponsor for their home Grand Prix and as a sustainability partner to the sport’s project to produce a 100% sustainable fuel. Kingspan, on the other hand, was at the center of controversy before the Saudi Arabian GP, where Hamilton was pressured by fellow Britons to convince his team to drop the sponsor.
Another fan defending Hamilton and Vettel said:
“I mean, Sebastian doesn’t sign the sponsorship contracts, nor he is head of the team… why should him be accountable? It’s not like Petronas it’s clean and perfect to the world… but is it Lewis fault? Absolutely not.”
In the Kingspan controversy, Lewis Hamilton clarified that he was only responsible for Tommy Hilfiger's deal with Mercedes, not Kingspan. In theory, F1 drivers are not responsible for team sponsors unless they are their personal sponsors or endorsements.
Meanwhile, Aramco’s deal with Aston Martin is of a long-term strategic partnership as one of their title sponsors. According to some fans, however, Vettel’s sustainability talk gets contradicted by the oil giant's boardroom moves.
Lewis Hamilton spotted in Los Angeles for the first time since Abu Dhabi
Lewis Hamilton has maintained silence on social media and in the public domain since the heartbreaking Abu Dhabi GP where he lost his title. This has led to fans speculating about his whereabouts. A Twitter fan account came as a respite, however, when it recently posted pictures of the seven-time world champion grabbing an iced coffee in Los Angeles.
A glimpse in the public is one concern less for the driver's fans, as they speculate on his return to the sport. Reports indicate the Briton's return could hinge on the outcome of the FIA's investigation into the Abu Dhabi GP chaos.
