Some Formula 1 fans have jokingly reminded Sir Lewis Hamilton of the first corner in Azerbaijan after his incident in 2021.
Some fans held up a sign for Hamilton’s former team-mate Nico Rosberg in 2016 after he ran the 37-year-old off the circuit in Austria that year, earning him a penalty as he finished fourth.
Hamilton himself went off the track following a red flag period after a puncture for Max Verstappen, and he looked as though he was about to take the lead of the race from the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez.
READ: 2022 Azerbaijan GP: Red Bull reveal engine issue for Sergio Perez
The Briton had an incorrect brake setting on his car, so sailed off the track and, due to the fact that were so few laps remaining, he was unable to climb back into the top 10.
It was the first time he had crossed the line outside the top 10 since 2013, and Imola this year was the first time he has suffered that fate on merit in nine years when he ended the race P13.
Instagram meme page F1humor_official posted a picture of some fans holding up an amusing sign saying: “Caution, corner ahead, don’t forget to turn! #HammerTime,” and they captioned it “TeamLH at Baku this weekend.”
READ: ‘It’s a big thing’: Leclerc wary of Red Bull threat despite taking pole position
Hamilton qualified seventh on Saturday in Azerbaijan, two positions behind team-mate George Russell with the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly separating them.
He complained of a “dangerous” amount of bouncing during Q3, and the abrasion with the track surface was costing him so much time on the straight that he needed a slipstream from Russell to get into Q3.
The seven-time champion expressed a slight concern that “porpoising” could become a safety issue.
“It can be safety thing, for sure,” explained Hamilton.
“Today it is bottoming through corners at 180mph – big bottoming – and there isn’t really a lot we can do to stop it. We can’t have this for four years of this car.
“They do need to work on it, all the drivers spoke about it.”
Russell leads the Mercedes intra-team qualifying battle 5-3 after the opening eight races of 2022.