Lewis Hamilton put in arguably his best performance of the 2022 season, as he went from P19 to finish P5 in Barcelona on Sunday.
Hamilton’s Sunday did not go off to the best of starts. On the very first lap, he made contact with Kevin Magnussen, which led to damage forcing him to pit. He re-entered the track in 19th, and many people thought that his race was over.
It seemed like Hamilton himself gave up on the weekend. His message on the team radio after his incident surprised plenty of fans. “I would save the engine if I were you,” his message said.
Voted your Driver of the Day for the #SpanishGP – and what a drive it was pic.twitter.com/QWeZhUwmrE
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 22, 2022
However, as we know now, he definitely didn’t give up. He showed the world just how good he is, as he charged up the field to finish the race P5. At one point, he was P4, before Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz reclaimed that spot on then final lap. Nevertheless, the pace he and teammate George Russell showed, was enough to realize that Mercedes are well and truly back.
After the race however, Hamilton was late for his media interviews. According to reports, the 37-year old was called over for a drug test.
Lewis Hamilton fans claim the FIA have an agenda against him
Drug testing in sports is a norm today. In almost every sport, the authorities randomly select athletes throughout the course of a campaign, to see if they have taken in any prohibited/performance enhancing substance.
#SpanishGP: Lewis Hamilton was late to the pen for his media interviews because he was taken to do a random anti-doping/drug test.
— deni (@fiagirly) May 22, 2022
No surprise. He was driving like a man possessed
— _ (@Rooney84904575) May 22, 2022
Some Hamilton fans on social media however, didn’t quite see that. They believe that he was only chosen ‘randomly’ because of his incredible performance, which raised eyebrows. Some went as far as labeling it as an ‘agenda’.
One fan pointed out that it’s not the first time Hamilton was being targeted after a recovery drive. He was also chosen for a similar drug test after the 2021 Brazilian GP which he won after starting P10 on the grid.
So they chose Lewis for drug testing today when Lewis went from p19 to p5 and they also chose him in Brazil 2021? Yeah this is a normal procedure but this coincidence is weird…
— imane #JailForKevinMagnussen (@lewisgfreal) May 22, 2022
Hamilton and Mercedes seem like they’re back in the running. The seven-time World Champion is now sixth in the Drivers’ Championship standings with 46 points to his name.