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![Fan with 'stolen' FIA trophy Hamilton disappointed](https://webp.gp.cdn.pxr.nl/news/2023/12/11/1f99fbd985f8e1bb6bce2f362dd2c1a5758ce94b.jpg?width=1800)
Fan with Hamilton's 'stolen' FIA trophy disappointed: 'A misunderstanding'
The fan, who proudly showed off to the world after the FIA Prize Giving Gala that he had Lewis Hamilton's trophy for his third place in the Formula One championship, has responded to the ensuing controversy. According to the fan, the whole situation is based on a misunderstanding.
A picture of the trophy, which Hamilton had left on a table, appeared after the ceremony. On this, various media speculated that it was a statement by the Mercedes driver to express his dissatisfaction with the FIA in the wake of the Susie and Toto Wolff investigation. Later, pictures even appeared of a fan taking the trophy home and claiming that Hamilton had given it to him.
However, nothing could be further from the truth. Mercedes came out with a statement claiming that Hamilton had left the trophy with the officials so they could send it to the team, as often happens after the prize-giving ceremony. The team also denied that Hamilton had gifted the trophy to anyone.
'I asked Lewis if I could take the prize'
After this, the fan in question had something to explain. "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. Lewis Hamilton put the award on the table. I asked him if I could take the prize," he told his story on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He continued: "He said to me, yes, you can take the prize. And I thought he gifted me the award. But now, after seeing the statement fromMercedes, I understand that Lewis did not gift me the award. He mistakenly thought I was the FIA official in charge of the award." Meanwhile, the account can no longer be found on the social media platform.