What Lewis Hamilton did when Mohammed Ben Sulayem tried to congratulate him at Silverstone

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Lewis Hamilton achieved what many people believed they wouldn’t see again at the British Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion took the chequered flag at Silverstone to win his 104^th Grand Prix and taste victory once again with Mercedes.

The British Grand Prix has now witnessed nine Lewis Hamilton victories, a record in the sport and given where Mercedes have been for the past two years, no one saw the improvement they’ve delivered in the past few races coming.

Unsurprisingly, Hamilton has received a huge amount of praise and congratulations from the world of Formula 1.

Hamilton’s old rival Sebastian Vettel sent him a message after the race, while former world champion Damon Hill was delighted for Hamilton.

However, while Hamilton was incredibly gracious throughout the celebrations, he wasn’t thrilled when one key figure in the sport approached him in the paddock.

Journalist Glenn Freeman was speaking on The Race Podcast and talked about Hamilton’s brief encounter with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem after the race.

Ben Sulayem assumed office at the end of the 2021 F1 season, a poignant moment in Hamilton’s career.

They’ve not always seen eye to eye and Hamilton showed that after the chequered flag flew.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

How Lewis Hamilton reacted to Mohammed Ben Sulayem congratulating him at Silverstone

Talking about what he spotted in parc ferme after the race, Freeman said: “You don’t necessarily see what happens when the chequered flag drops.

“Something else you might not have seen, did you see what happened when FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem shook Lewis’s [Hamilton] hand in parc ferme?

“So, I think Lewis has just got off the scales, he’s been weighed, still got his helmet on.

“And Sulayem appears out of the shot, sticks a hand out to shake Lewis’s hand, Lewis instinctively shakes it looking down, looks up, sees who it is and basically retracts his hand and walks right past him while MBS is still talking to him.

“That’s gone down very well with the Lewis Hamilton fanbase online.

“It was a massive bit of brushing off.”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes AMG F1 Team from team principal to lineage

What Lewis Hamilton has previously said about Mohammed Ben Sulayem

It’s not a huge surprise to see Hamilton ignore Ben Sulayem after his victory at Silverstone.

Speaking before the race in Melbourne earlier in the season, Hamilton admitted that the Emirati had never had his support.

“There is a real lack of accountability here, within this sport, within the FIA,” Hamilton said, via The Guardian.

“There are things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is really no accountability and we need that.

“The fans need that. How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that?”

Formula 1 is a sport that’s constantly been embroiled in controversy, something that Hamilton knows all too well after the conclusion of the 2021 F1 season.

At times it can provide incredible drama, but fans also want to see the racing on the track be as fair as possible and it’s debatable whether that’s always the case.