"I'm not here to answer your questions, I've decided": When Lewis Hamilton called out the F1 media for disrespecting him

Lewis Hamilton is known for his cheerful personality around the F1 Paddock; however, he has had his fair share of passive-aggressive moments. Back in 2016, he went head-on with the media panel after he claimed they disrespected him.

2016 was a strong season for Mercedes. Both their drivers fought equally hard for the World Championship, with Nico Rosberg ultimately clinching it. Hamilton was also quite competitive throughout the season, but things did not turn out to be his way, especially during the Malaysian GP, when he faced an engine failure while leading the race.

But there was more to this weekend. During the pre-race press conference, Hamilton was spotted taking selfies of himself with fellow driver Carlos Sainz, using funny social media filters, and uploading them on the internet.

While it was meant to be for a little fun, many media outlets mentioned this in their highlights, with some even stating that it was a "mockery" of the press conference from the driver. Lewis Hamilton found this disrespectful and showcased his disappointment during the Japanese GP weekend that followed.

He walked out of the press conference during the weekend. Later, he stated that he respected the media personnel who had supported him throughout the years, but refused to answer questions because of the "disrespectful" events during the Malaysian GP conference.

"I'm not here to answer your questions, I've decided. With the utmost respect, there are many of you here who are super-supportive of me and they hopefully know I know who they are," Lewis Hamilton said (via BBC Sport).

He added that the pictures with the social media filters were meant to be fun, and were not a way to disrespect any personnel present there.

"There are others unfortunately that often taken advantage of certain things. The other day was a super light-hearted thing, and if I was disrespectful to any of you guys, or if you felt I was disrespectful, it was honestly not the intention. It was just a little bit of fun."

2016 turned out to be a tough season for Hamilton. He failed to win the championship against his teammate, as mentioned. His DNF in the Malaysian GP was said to be one of the decisive moments in the championship race.

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Analyzing Lewis Hamilton's performance with Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton during the 2025 Hungarian GP (Getty Images)

Hamilton moved to Ferrari in the 2025 season. The move was quite hyped; however, he has failed to deliver competitive results with the team. The overall lack of pace and stability of the SF-25 is partly to blame, along with Hamilton's struggle to adapt to it.

After the end of the first half of the season, Lewis Hamilton's only highlight remains his Sprint Victory in China. Taking into account only the main races, however, he has only finished P4 at best. Meanwhile, his teammate, Charles Leclerc, has scored multiple podiums, helping the team sit consistently in second place in the Constructors' Championship.

While Ferrari's floor and suspension upgrades haven't marginally improved them against their competitors, they have seemingly made the SF-25 more stable. Moreover, Hamilton is also expected to improve in the remaining races this season. This is essential as the team targets finishing second in the championship, but Mercedes has been closing the gap to them from third place.