It emerged on social media that Hamilton’s trophy for finishing third in the F1 driv▨ers’ championship wasn’t with him, with one fan claiming that he was given the prize.

Mercedes were quick to clarify the speculation🍰, explaining that Hamilton thought he was handing the trophy over to an FIA official to look after, not a fan.

“Immediately after leaving the stage, and as has been done at previous prize givings, Lewis accepted the offer from officials for the trophy to be sent on to the team and thereforeꩵ left it in their care,” Merce✅des said.

• Verstappen officially crꦦowne🅷d 2023 F1 champion at FIA prize-giving gala

“We can confirm he did not give the🐬 trophy to anyone ‘as a gift’ as has been speculated.”

The fan took to X (former🉐ly Twitter) afterwards to say: Hello, good evening. I am very disappointed to see messages written to me like thief or something. First of all I want to say I didn't steal anything from anywhere.  

“This is just🃏 a misunderstanding. Lewi𒆙s Hamilton put the award on the table. I asked him if I could take the prize.

“He said to me, yes, you can take the prize.  And I thought he gifted me the award.  But now, after seeing the statement from Mercedes, I understand that Lewis did not gift me the award. He mistakenly thought I was the Fia official๊ in charge of the award.”