An F1 fan claims he was given Lewis Hamilton's missing trophy as a "gift"

An F1 fan has made a shocking claim involving Lewis Hamilton's missing trophy. The seven-time world champion was awarded the trophy for finishing third in this year's Drivers' Championship. However, a fan named Nihad Nesirli has come forward, stating that Hamilton "gifted" him the trophy. The incident took place at the FIA's end-of-season gala in Baku.

Hamilton's award went missing, but Mercedes denies it was gifted to a fan

After Hamilton received the trophy from the FIA, it later came to light that the award had gone missing. Nesirli posted pictures of the trophy online, claiming that Hamilton had given it to him as a gift. However, Mercedes has denied this claim, stating that Hamilton had actually left the trophy behind on purpose. In a statement released on Sunday, Mercedes clarified that Hamilton believed he was handing it over to an FIA official.

Fan responds to Mercedes' statement

Nesirli responded to Mercedes' statement, expressing his disappointment. He explained that he had asked Hamilton if he could take the prize, and Hamilton had agreed. Nesirli thought that Hamilton had gifted him the award, but now understands that Hamilton had mistakenly believed he was the FIA official in charge of the trophy.

Unknown how the trophy ended up with the fan

Despite the statements from both Mercedes and Nesirli, it remains unknown how the trophy ended up in the possession of the fan. The current whereabouts of the trophy are also unclear. Nesirli has since deleted his account on X (formerly Twitter) after responding to Mercedes.

Verstappen and Perez also received awards at the ceremony

During the same ceremony in Azerbaijan, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez received their first and second place awards, respectively. Hamilton praised the Red Bull duo for their performance during the season, which resulted in a dominant season for the constructor. Verstappen claimed his third-straight world title.

The 2024 F1 season is scheduled to begin in Bahrain on March 2, with a record 24 races planned.