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LEWIS HAMILTON has found a novel way of relaxing after another controversial F1 race – by popping wheelies on a remote-controlled monster truck. The seven-times World Champion finished 5th at the weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix after being frustrated for much of the race by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
A gleeful Lewis Hamilton had fun taking his monster truck out for a spinCredit: https://www.instagram.com/lewishamilton/?hl=en
The F1 star enjoyed doing wheelies with his remote-controlled car as he enjoyed his downtime away from the trackCredit: https://www.instagram.com/lewishamilton/?hl=en
He then had to watch former title rival Max Verstappen pick up his second F1 crown, a year after he pipped Hamilton to last year’s title in dramatic and contentious circumstances.
The Brit put all of that on the backburner as he enjoyed his downtime before the US Grand Prix.
Hamilton posted a video of himself buying a remote-controlled Lunchbox branded truck, which is valued at £135.
The video shows the F1 star excitedly handling the yellow vehicle and bouncing it on the store counter.
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Hamilton then nods in satisfaction before buying the toy and taking it outside.
The 37-year-old then drives it around in glee, at one point exclaiming “it’s so cool!”
He then starts tipping the truck on its back wheels as he drives it around before shouting “it does wheelies!”
Before his youth karting and then his F1 career, Hamilton used to race remote-controlled cars around and has previously spoke of his passion for it.
Hamilton is still looking for his first F1 win of the seasonCredit: https://www.instagram.com/lewishamilton/?hl=en
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The Mercedes driver will be back to racing in a real car when F1 goes to Austin later this month as he prepares for the final four races of the season.
But the sport is caught in a cycle of controversy at the moment and it continued in the last race in Japan.
Verstappen’s inevitable crowning was almost overshadowed by confusion over the rules.
F1 chiefs also have questions to answer after Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly was left furious by the appearance of a recovery truck on a wet track in Suzuka.
And fans were angry after Red Bull were found to have breached cost cap rules yesterday.
These recent issues come on top of an ongoing row about Hamilton’s jewellery and debates over races ending under the safety car. More

RED BULL have been found guilty of breaking F1’s cost-cap rule – however their punishment will NOT see Lewis Hamilton handed last year’s title.The sport’s governing body – the FIA – have finally published their analysis of the team’s accounts for last season, which saw the introduction of the spending limit for the first time.
Red Bull will NOT be stripped of last year’s titleCredit: Getty
Lewis Hamilton missed out on an eighth world title in controversial fashion last yearCredit: Rex
The amount was set at £114million for 2021 and was brought in to increase the competitiveness across the field, with top teams previously spending three times that amount to gain a massive advantage.
As a result, teams were forced to restructure their businesses to comply with the rules, however, despite being adamant that they were under the limit, Red Bull were found to be over it.
Amazingly, given the FIA’s promise to provide increased transparency under the stewardship of new president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the report did not disclose the amount Red Bull went over.
However, it did amount to less than five percent (£5.7million) of the £114million total triggering a “minor” breach of the regulations.
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A list of possible penalties included stripping Verstappen of the title he won in 2021 in controversial circumstances, however, the punishment is now expected to be a fine.
It means he will retain both last year’s and the title he clinched on Sunday in Japan.
Red Bull do have a right to appeal but are expected to cough up the penalty in a decision that will leave their rivals furious.
Key figures at rivals Ferrari and Mercedes feel the term “minor” is misleading, for any breach of the cost cap is still a performance benefit.
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So, should Red Bull argue their sums were over due to including sick pay and providing free food for staff in their canteen, their rivals would suggest that money could be spent on car development.
At Suzuka on Sunday Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto interestingly said his team’s designs were “cars that have been developed maintaining and respecting the budget cap itself”.
He said: “We know how much, even if it’s a minor breach, it would have implied in terms of performance.
“I mentioned $5m (£4.5m) is about half a second, even one or two million is about one or two-tenths which is about from being second on the grid or being on pole and maybe having the fastest car.
“Obviously it’s about 2021. It’s an advantage you gain over the following seasons.”
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton said the previous week that even a $300,000 (£270k) additional spend could have changed the outcome of the 2021 battle.
At the Singapore GP he said: “I remember last year in Silverstone we had our last upgrade and fortunately it was great and we could fight with it.
If we had spent $300,000 on a new floor or an adapted wing it would have changed the outcome of the championshipLewis Hamilton
“But then we would see Red Bull every weekend or every other weekend bringing upgrades. They had, I think, at least four more upgrades from that point.
“If we had spent $300,000 on a new floor or an adapted wing it would have changed the outcome of the championship, naturally, because we would have been in better competition in the next race you had it on.”
Aston Martin, who were also rumoured to have over spent, were still issued with a compliance certificate despite filling in a form incorrectly.
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An FIA statement said that while Red Bull triggered a “minor” breach, both Aston Martin and Williams were guilty of a “procedural” breach.
A statement from the FIA said: “The FIA cost cap administration is currently determining the appropriate course of action to be taken under the financial regulations with respect to Aston Martin and Red Bull and further information will be communicated in compliance with the regulations.” More

SOUR Mercedes fans trolled Max Verstappen on winning his “first championship” in Formula One following the 2021 controversy in Abu Dhabi.Verstappen won his first F1 world title last season in controversial fashion, which saw Merc’s Lewis Hamilton miss out on a record-breaking eighth.
Merc fans have trolled Verstappen, congratulating him on his ‘first’ title win, not counting last season’s due to the controversyCredit: Rex
Hamilton has congratulated Verstappen for his second F1 world title winCredit: Getty
Former race director Michael Masi allowed five cars to unlap themselves after the safety car which enabled Verstappen, on fresh tyres, to overtake Hamilton on the last lap.
Fast forward 18 races and Verstappen became a double F1 world champion, winning his 12th race of the season at Suzuka.
The 25-year-old Dutchman defended his title before Merc and Hamilton could record a win this campaign.
And Merc fans still haven’t let go of Abu Dhabi, bitterly congratulating Verstappen on his “first” world title.
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One said: “Congratulations on ‘WINNING’ your 1st Championship.”
Another fuming fan said: “Max Verstappen might just win his FIRST championship shortly and it will be well deserved since Ferrari fumbled their chance.
“Here’s to hoping Merc come back stronger next szn.”
Merc fans aren’t the only ones “hoping Merc come back stronger” next season… so is Hamilton.
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Hamilton says he has “no doubts” Mercedes will “build a better car next year” that could challenge Red Bull and Ferrari.
The Brit also issued a short but sweet congratulations to his rival.
He said after the race: “Congrats to Max.
“I think for us, we know what the problems are with this car.
“I believe that we as a team, we’ve not gone from being world champions to not being able to build a good car.
“I have no doubts we’ll build a better car next year.
“Whether or not we rectify the issues from this year, we’ll find out when we get there.” More

LEWIS HAMILTON has congratulated rival and now two-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen.The Red Bull-racing Dutchman, 25, secured his second F1 crown before Hamilton could record his first win of the season with a chaotic P1 finish at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton has congratulated Verstappen for his second F1 world title winCredit: Getty
Verstappen won the Japan GP on Sunday, defending his F1 crownCredit: Rex
The Dutchman won his second title before Hamilton could win a race this seasonCredit: AFP
And despite last season’s Abu Dhabi controversy, which saw Hamilton be denied a record-breaking eighth world title with Verstappen pipping him to it on the final lap, the Brit graciously congratulated his rival.
Hamilton also said he has “no doubts” Mercedes will “build a better car next year” which could challenge Red Bull and Ferrari.
He said after the race: “Congrats to Max.
“I think for us, we know what the problems are with this car.
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“I believe that we as a team, we’ve not gone from being world champions to not being able to build a good car.
“I have no doubts we’ll build a better car next year.
“Whether or not we rectify the issues from this year, we’ll find out when we get there.”
Verstappen’s win at Suzuka ended Mercedes’ seven-year dominance at the track.
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Merc had one every race in Japan since 2014.
Verstappen said it was “special” to win the title on the historic track and the home of Honda, Red Bulls’ engine designer and developer.
He told F1: “Pretty special, of course, to win it here.
“That was the perfect scenario to win it here and we did that.
“A little bit delayed but yeah still very happy to win it.
“The race as well… I mean the car was again on fire and I didn’t really have any issues today – we could look after our tyres.
“But, yeah, looking back at the season we’ve had so far it’s been pretty impressive but also really enjoyable for most of it.
“Something we really have to remind ourselves of a few times; we’re always very focussed on performance but you also have to look back on what you actually achieved and really enjoy the moment.” More

LEWIS HAMILTON has declared that the integrity of Formula One will be RUINED if the FIA fail to punish teams who breached financial budget caps. Reports have been circulating since last week suggesting Red Bull and Aston Martin went over the allowed cost caps for the development of their cars last season.
Lewis Hamilton believes the integrity of F1 will be ruined if teams go unpunished for breaking rulesCredit: Splash
The financial audit for the team’s 2021 accounts were expected to be made public on Wednesday, but the FIA has since delayed this until October 10 – after the Japanese Grand Prix.
And if found guilty then Hamilton believes any transgression must be punished if the sport’s integrity is to remain intact.
Hamilton said: “I think it’s imperative, honestly, just for transparency. I think we need to continue to have transparency for the fans, for the integrity of the sport.
“Obviously there’s lots of conversations that are going on in the background. No one truly knows.
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“There’s different numbers and different things being said here and there, so I was expecting those results – like you – to come out yesterday.
“I would like to think that if it’s been delayed it’s because it’s been taken very seriously and I trust that Mohammed (bin Sulayem) is taking it seriously and will do what is right for the sport, I hope.
“I think it would be bad for the sport if action wasn’t taken if there was a breach.”
The budget cap – a new introduction to the sport aimed at making F1 more financially sustainable and levelling the playing field – allowed teams to spend up to £114million in developing their cars.
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Of course, Hamilton likely has an implied bias given the controversial circumstances he lost the 2021 title to Reb Bull’s Max Verstappen under.
If Red Bull’s alleged breach is found to be five per cent or more of the cap, this will constitute a “material (major) overspend breach” which could see them be punished in a number of ways.
These include sanctions as little as financial penalties or limits on aerodynamic testing, all the way up to the deduction of points from teams and drivers and suspension or exclusion from the championship.
Hamilton, who was spotted wearing a T-shirt with his own name paired with a floral coat, added: “It’ll put in question our values, the integrity of the sport.
“I remember last year as a driver, you were always asking for updates, updates, updates on things, whether it’s fuel, whatever it is. 
“And I remember in Silverstone when we got our last update and I remember that was almost three tenths, and I’m pretty certain it cost less than a million.
“But I remember after that needing more updates – but then seeing trucks of updates continuing to arrive on the other car, thinking ‘jeez, it’s going to be hard to beat them in the championship if they keep bringing updates.”
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F1 has gone through scandals before, such as 2007’s Spygate and 2008’s Crashgate.
And recently as 2020 controversy loomed as the FIA refused to publish details of a “settlement” they reached with Ferrari over the operation of the team’s power unit.
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LEWIS HAMILTON wore another stylish outfit just days after landing himself in hot water over breaking Formula One’s attire rules. Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Hamilton – ever the fashion guru of F1 – donned a T-shirt with his own name on it.
Lewis Hamilton wore a striking T-shirt and coatCredit: Getty
His T-shirt saw his name etched on in black font with a colourful monster paired alongside itCredit: Getty
Meanwhile, his coat saw a stunning floral pattern run down the armsCredit: Getty
The white T-shirt he sported had a stylish black font for his name and paired it with a colourful cartoon monster and more dashes of colour to contrast the otherwise plain black and white.
He paired this with a khaki coat which had a bouquet of flowers down each arm.
The 37-year-old has a well-earned reputation for wearing extravagant clothing and fashion accessories.
But just days ago he almost landed himself a fine by breaching the International Sporting Code of the FIA.
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Prior to the Singapore Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion had been called to the stewards relating to a breach of Appendix L, Chapter III, which prohibits the wearing of certain jewellery.
Hamilton was hauled in relating to the wearing of a nose piercing.
But he was able to avoid a personal fine due to having a doctor’s note, while his team Mercedes were slapped with a £22,400 fine for failing to alert the FIA about the piercing.
Despite the drama, Hamilton went on to produce his best qualifying result of the season before his weekend crumbled on race day – finishing with a disappointing P9.
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The ex-McLaren driver is on course for his worst-ever season in F1, with him sitting in a lowest-ever P6 in the drivers standings and yet to win a race this season.
However, he insists he is “happier than ever” in the sport amid rumours he could sign a bumper new five-year contract.
While Hamilton was spotted with his trendy shirt and coat around the paddock, other F1 stars have been seen enjoying the sights of Japan.
Namely AlphaTauri duo Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, who were pictured in a hilarious must-watch karaoke session in Tokyo.
On track, talk of title business could be wrapped up this weekend with Max Verstappen having a golden chance of claiming a second successive title.
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Although the ramifications of last season’s controversial title are still being felt, and there may yet be another word had on that with the FIA preparing to finalise their financial audit of the teams.
Their findings are now set to be made public on October 10, with speculation mounting that Red Bull and Aston Martin have breached the budget cap.
Retiring Sebastian Vettel was in a happy mood around Suzuka, where he has won four timesCredit: Getty More

LEWIS HAMILTON has insisted he is happy at Mercedes despite being on track to produce his WORST-ever season in Formula One. The seven-time World Champion is yet to win a race this year, with Mercedes struggling to produce a car near the pace of Red Bull or Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton has insisted he is happy in F1 despite his struggles this seasonCredit: Getty
Hamilton laboured to a P9 finish in SingaporeCredit: Getty
And Hamilton, 37, has also struggled himself and currently sits 6th in the driver standings – 32 points behind Carlos Sainz and 33 behind team-mate George Russell.
But Hamilton has reaffirmed his happiness in F1 amid rumours of him signing a new five-year contract.
Hamilton told Sky Sports: “I definitely feel I’m happier than I’ve ever been, which is really strange because I’m not winning in racing, and that’s really been my go-to thing.
“Having success there would bring me so much happiness, but I’m finding more happiness in my personal life now, just being more comfortable in who I am, and my surroundings and my intentions.”
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Despite being in cars which were arguably less competitive than this year’s W13, Hamilton has always managed to wrestle a race win out of every season he has competed in F1.
Furthermore, he has never finished below fifth place in the driver standings.

Hamilton went on a run of winning five podiums in a row – with back-to-back runner-up medals – prior to the mid-season break but has failed to replicate that form in the four races since.
He failed to finish the Belgium Grand Prix after taking damage from Fernando Alonso, and then came 4th and 5th in the next two races before a P9 result in a turbulent Singapore Grand Prix.
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Next up for the drivers is Suzuka, Japan, a circuit which has not been raced at in F1 since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The race this weekend could Max Verstappen finally wrap up the title after failing to do so in Singapore.
Following his trip around Africa during the break, Hamilton revealed he feels more at peace with himself.
He added: “We live in such a bubble, there’s so much happening around the world and so many people are struggling with so much.
“It’s sad to see if you really sit and watch the news because it feels like it’s worse than ever.
“That experience of going to Africa, seeing people with so little – I say so little but they also have everything, they’re so happy – but just seeing a different way of living.
“We accumulate too much stuff, we eat too much food, the things that we take for granted, people don’t have that luxury and I think it’s really great to have that experience to put things into perspective.
“There, it was just when I was most at peace.”
There had been fears Hamilton would quit the sport after the controversial way he lost the title to Max Verstappen last year.
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And despite being more than half a season beyond those events, they have returned to the spotlight once again with reports indicating Red Bull – along with Aston Martin – may have exceeded F1’s new budget cap.
Depending on how bad the transgression is, it may even lead to Hamilton being awarded the 2021 title.
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RED BULL will argue they overspent their Formula One budget on SANDWICHES. But Mercedes chief Toto Wolff is preparing to miss the Japanese Grand Prix to argue against his rival team.
Christian Horner and Toto Wolff’s latest public row regards Red Bull’s spendingCredit: Getty
Wolff and rival Christian Horner are at loggerheads over the rule that limited teams’ spending last season to £114million amid allegations that Red Bull broke the cost-cap budget.
SunSport understands the final figure could now tip over the threshold following an assessment by the FIA to a sum that amounts to under £2m.
It is expected Red Bull will argue that the extra money spent was not directly related to the production of their car and was for other items such as canteen food at the factory, sick pay or wages for staff placed on gardening leave.
Merc are likely to counter that should have been included from the start.
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After all, every pound spent on sandwiches could have been cut from the cost of development on a rear wing.
Wolff is now considering skipping this weekend’s race at Suzuka so he can lobby his point.
The £2m overspending would qualify as a ‘minor’ breach of the rules and result in the FIA coming up with a suitable punishment, which Red Bull will either accept or appeal.
Should they accept, they’d be awarded their compliance certificate with the stipulation they accepted a breach agreement with the FIA.
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However, it is now looking unlikely that it will change the outcome of last year’s championship and that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen keeps his crown.
Horner was left in a rage that Wolff had publicly commented on Red Bull’s financial submission, calling foul play on how the Austrian was privy to the confidential document filed to the FIA.
Despite accusations of the opposite, Horner has maintained his F1 team filed their audited report with their costs actually LOWER than the cap.
On Sunday night after Sergio Perez’s win in Singapore, the Brit repeated his claim and said: “I’m absolutely confident in our submission.
“It’s been through a process. It went in in March, in terms of being signed off fully by our auditors, and we believe that we are comfortably within the cap.”
Red Bull are expected to argue they spent extra on sandwiches and not car researchCredit: AFP More