Lewis Hamilton snubbed F1 London live show but silenced booing fans just days later | F1 | Sport

Fans are gearing up for the landmark F1 75 Live event at The O2 on Tuesday, and Lewis Hamilton will be expecting a much smoother reception than he received the last time the series visited London.In 2017, new owners Liberty Media organised an unprecedented new event, F1 Live London. The show welcomed a number of music acts and entertainment and saw F1 cars hit the streets around Trafalgar Square, giving British fans in the capital the chance to see their heroes up close and personal.Unfortunately for F1, the sport’s biggest star was absent. The event was held on the Wednesday before the British Grand Prix and attracted a bumper crowd of over 100,000 motorsport enthusiasts. 19 drivers were present in Trafalgar Square, but Hamilton was nowhere to be seen.Instead, the future seven-time world champion jetted off to Greece for a short two-day holiday. The break gave Hamilton the chance to relax and unwind in the midst of a tense title fight with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, but the fans were not impressed. The Brit’s name was booed by the crowd in London.Explaining his decision ahead of his home race that weekend, Hamilton said: “Everyone had the right to make the decision for themselves. I felt it’s been a pretty intense season so far and I felt it’s the best way to prepare.“The season is the most important thing for me. That’s it. I feel like I’ve said all I want to say. I think I do try to connect with the fans. I try to engage as much as I can. Fans mean everything. They always have.”Hamilton responded in his signature style, just as he had done before when his commitment to F1 had been questioned. The Stevenage-born star completed a grand slam, securing pole position, leading every lap of the race and setting the fastest lap, all while beating team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 14 seconds.The Brit’s fifth career grand slam appeased the home crowd and changed the course of the title race. The triumph brought Hamilton to within a point of championship leader Vettel, and the result sparked an immense run of form for the home hero.After a disappointing P4 finish at the following round in Budapest, Hamilton reeled off three consecutive victories in Belgium, Italy and Singapore. He then finished second in Malaysia before adding another two wins in Japan and the United States, stretching out a 66-point lead over Vettel with just three races remaining.



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