Ferrari have come under fire for a cold response to Lewis Hamilton’s final radio message of the F1 season.
Britain’s Lando Norris finished third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to ensure that he won the F1 Drivers’ Championship for the first time for the first time in his career.
Max Verstappen took first place in the final race of the season, with Oscar Piastri taking second place to complete the podium.
Hamilton capped a disappointing campaign with an eighth-place finish, but that did not stop him from thanking his team for all their hard work.
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"Long season, guys. Grazie a tutti,” said Hamilton. "[Thank you for] your kindness. I'm grateful for all the hard work. I'll always fight for you guys. Always. Grazie."
However, Hamilton did not get the reaction he may have expected. Instead, the British driver’s kind words were met by a prolonged period of silence.
After an awkward few seconds, a voice on the other end of the line said: “Yeah, we were talking,” said the Ferrari team member. “Thank you very much, a pleasure working with you.”
Hamilton joined Ferrari from Mercedes earlier this year, sparking excitement across the racing world.
The British star is one of the greatest drivers of all time, having won the F1 Drivers’ Championship on seven occasions.
His fans were quick to jump to his defence, with one of his supporters calling on Ferrari to show him more generosity.
“And I'm leaving this year with his great drive and his infinite kindness, dedication, generosity of spirit,” replied one X user.
“He's a fighter, but also a big softy, please give some of this generosity back and embrace him more. It's all I ask for.”
“Lewis Hamilton's beautiful message to his team at the end of his first season with them,” added another X user.
Hamilton will remain at Ferrari for the 2026 season.
McLaren finished the 2025 season sitting top of the Constructors' Championship standings.
Topics: Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Jonathan Bray