Staunch Lewis Hamilton supporter claims 7-time champion is being 'gaslit' by F1 pundits

Staunch Lewis Hamilton fan and TV presenter Nick Knowles has claimed popular TV pundits have been gaslighting Hamilton after his controversial final lap loss to Max Verstappen at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The British supporter expressed his anger against the F1 community in a fiery post on Twitter.

Read the post below:

Hamilton's final lap loss has been a dominant topic of debate within the F1 community since December. Many fans believe pundits such as Karun Chandhok, Will Buxton and Damon Hill have been complacent since the race at Yas Marina and have sided with the FIA.

Nick Knowles is the latest high-profile fan to have given his take on the controversial race. Rather harshly, he wrote:

“I’m sorry to say rather than calling it what it is - a farcical & illegal decision that robbed Hamilton of a title - many of the TV pundits, having been called out for ignoring it, are trying to excuse it, play it down or gaslight Lewis’ motivation for driving. WWF1 excusers sadly.”

What followed was a war of words between various Twitter users, with some taking the FIA's side and others condemning its actions in the season finale. One fan lashed out at Knowles for allegedly being biased towards Lewis Hamilton and shouting conspiracy at any given opportunity. On the flip side, the TV presenter's comments received a lot of praise for actively calling out those in power.

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Karun Chandhok feels Lewis Hamilton's retirement would be "extremely damaging" to the sport's reputation

Despite the negative comments the former driver receives, Karun Chandhok believes that Lewis Hamilton's retirement from the sport would only further damage the already declining reputation of F1. Chandhok said that if the Briton were to retire from the sport, it would show that the sport's most decorated driver has lost faith in the very sport that gave him everything he has. Speaking to Express UK, he said:

“Ultimately only he knows what’s going on in his head. In my opinion, I think it would be very very damaging for the sport if he walked away. Essentially he would be walking away because he didn’t think the sport was fair or credibly run. That would be extremely damaging for the reputation of the sport and the FIA.”

Hamilton has been out of the public eye since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and his status in the sport has not yet been confirmed by Mercedes. His contract, however, stands until the end of 2023, giving fans hope of the icon's return in March. Multiple sources claim the Briton's return is contingent on the results of the ongoing FIA inquiry. Only time will tell if the sport's favorite star will be able to reconcile the immense loss in his mind and return in 2022.