Lewis Hamilton Should Have Been Given F1 Crown at Abu Dhabi, Not FIA Ceremony
"This is the greatest day of my life," declared Lewis Hamilton during the FIA podium interviews following his victory in last month's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In winning at the Yas Marina circuit, the British driver secured his second Formula One World Championship and with it a place alongside the most iconic names in the sport's history.
But he had very little to show for it.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
If it had not been for a series of post-race donuts, some excitable team radio messages, the waving of a British flag from the cockpit and the shedding of a tear or two in the pre-podium cool-down room, virtually nothing would have separated the coronation of a champion from a regular race weekend.
There was no extra fanfare, no recognition of the event marking the end of one of the most fascinating seasons in F1 history and no indication that it was a significant moment for both the career of Hamilton and the sport itself.
In fact, it was not until last Friday, almost a fortnight after F1's season finale, that Hamilton—along with fellow FIA title winners Sebastien Ogier (WRC), Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi (WEC) and Jose Maria Lopez (WTCC)—received the silverware that confirmed his status as the champion of the world.
And when the trophy finally did enter his grasp, only Hamilton's esteemed colleagues, fellow professional racing drivers and those invited to the governing body's annual "Prize-Giving Gala" were there to see it in Doha, Qatar.
The FIA's year-ending ceremony is a traditional fixture on the motor racing calendar, yet is completely out of place in sport and underlines F1's detachment with the general public.
If you were to ask any athlete how they would prefer to revel in a title triumph, they would almost certainly outline a desire to receive their awards within their natural habitats.
Footballers are awarded their trophies on the pitch or beside their supporters in the stand, while tennis players are handed their silverware on the court and boxing champions are presented with belts in the ring.
Such procedures not only capture the raw emotion of sporting success but provide more memorable moments for the victor.
What kind of racing driver, after all, would rather lift their prize aloft in a two-piece suit at a formal event as opposed to wearing sweat and champagne-covered race overalls on the top step of a podium?
Hamilton was, in a sense, fortunate to make the Abu Dhabi GP podium on the day of his enthronement, with many an F1 champion crowned without even being afforded the luxury of being paraded before the eyes of the world.
Upon his maiden title success in Brazil in 2008, for instance, the British driver was left to be harassed by all and sundry outside the inappropriate surroundings of the McLaren garage as Felipe Massa, the runner-up in the title race, celebrated a grand prix win from the top step of the podium with tears streaming down his face.
Likewise, a fifth-place finish in the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix prevented Jenson Button the opportunity to celebrate his championship triumph in the ideal fashion, while Sebastian Vettel's sixth position at Interlagos in 2012 meant he was unable to take to the podium as a newly crowned three-time title winner.
For an accolade that is supposedly the holy grail of motor racing, Formula One's hiding of the world championship trophy from the wider world is bizarre and wholly unromantic, leaving a gaping hole in the tail-end of a given season.
Yet that gaping hole would be filled by an elongated podium ceremony at the final race of the campaign, with the top-three finishers in the grand prix replaced with representatives of the top-three constructors and, finally, the trio at the top of the drivers' standings.
It would provide closure to the season and its title battles as well as creating a sense of occasion among competitors and spectators, who after buying into the sport all year long, deserve the chance to witness F1's crowning moments.
A matter of hours after Hamilton collected his world championship trophy in Qatar, Red Bull Racing and Thames Valley Police released a joint statement via the team's official website confirming that "more than 60 trophies" had been stolen in a raid on the four-time constructors' champions' factory.
Despite their astronomical success in recent years, Red Bull had remained among the most fan-friendly outfits in Formula One, displaying their silverware—accumulated at iconic race tracks including Monaco, Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps—in public view.
Yet the sheer scale of the robbery—the six offenders drove through the headquarters' glass entrance—has left the outfit with no option but to re-evaluate their stance.
Christian Horner, the team principal, was quoted by Red Bull's official website as stating:
"The actions of these men mean it's likely that we will have to make our site less accessible in the future, which will be unfair on the hundreds of fans that travel to visit our factory each year to see our trophies and our Formula One car.
"
At a time when F1 was already struggling painfully in terms of fan engagement and maintaining interest outside of race weekends, this will ensure that the distance between the sport and its onlookers will only continue to grow.
Things will get worse before they get better.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
