Seven-time world Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has been seen chasing Formula One race director Michael Masi around the Australian Grand Prix circuit on a scooter, just hours before qualifying, Paddy Power News understands.
According to eyewitnesses, Hamilton couldn’t resist the urge to chase down the former racing chief when he spotted him for the first time since Masi decided to hand the 2021 world driver championship to Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton, 37, chased the Australian official around the tarmac of his home nation’s grand prix track on his 20v scooter, shouting expletives and honking his horn in an aggressive manner.
“You! I want a word with you!”, He’s reported to have roared.
“I’ll give you a piece of my mind – just as soon as the solar panels charge the battery on this to a sufficient level where I can catch you!”
“Flamin’ Nora, that scooter pom’s givin’ Mike a chuzzwozzing that’d wangle a drongo”, one distressed local observed having witness the event before breaking down into an even less coherent mess.
“I haven’t seen a motorsport administrator take a pasting like that since the News of the World went wallop”, another observer exclaimed.
And the incident quickly drew the attention of other drivers and team officials, with many expressing shock and disbelief at Hamilton’s behavior.
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“Harassing honest, decent officials for diddling the outcome of the World Championship like this brings the whole integrity of the sport into question,” a senior team director said.
“If race directors can’t fix the outcome of a race for the sake of a TV streaming series without fear of being singled out like this, what can they do?
“The game’s gone.”
And there was consternation from other quarters at Hamilton’s behaviour too.
“I can’t believe this, Giles – hasn’t he even read this season’s script?!” one member of the Drive for Survive production team was overheard roaring down a phone as the scene developed.
“This was supposed to happen in after Sunday’s race! After!?”
The Australian Grand Prix gets under way in Melbourne at 6am UK time on Sunday morning and anticipation is mounting around whether anyone will keep their eyes open for the full duration of the race without nodding back to sleep.
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