It should have been a plain sailing end to the season for Red Bull, with both championships wrapped up with plenty of time to spare.
This was not the case however as the team became embroiled in the ‘cashgate’ saga surrounding their breach of the 2021 cost cap, eventually being found guilty and punished after weeks of speculation.
Max Verstappen then refused to follow team orders in Brazil, which potentially made the difference in Sergio Perez’s battle for P2 in the championship with Charles Leclerc, which he lost.
The Red Bull camp is currently divided, with it clear from the outside that there is friction between their two drivers, especially after comments made by Verstappen’s mother, who accused Perez of cheating on his wife.
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Lewis Hamilton has said that he is enjoying watching the drama unfold at Mercedes’ rivals, poking fun at the Milton Keynes based team.
“I mean, it feels like a bit of a Kardashian show happening here,” he joked.
“It’s pretty hilarious, some of the stuff that I’ve heard over the past few days has been so entertaining. I’m sure it’ll all be on Netflix, it’s going to be great.”
Hamilton has been criticised heavily for his comments on social media, with many finding it disrespectful for the Brit to sit and joke about another team’s problems.
The 37-year-old has been told to focus on his own shortcomings after a disappointing year with Mercedes, rather than focus on what is going on at their rivals.
“Lol, the PR merchant can’t win anymore and needs to resort to gossip. How pathetic,” wrote one Twitter user in reply to Hamilton’s comments.
“This the same man complaining about his car all year while a kid from Williams in the same chassis qualifying better/finishing better than him on a consistent basis?”
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Some have suggested that Hamilton’s comments have been taken out of context and that he was rereferring to the drama of the whole grid, rather than Red Bull specifically, however it has still been advised by fans that the Brit sticks to his own team’s problems.
Mercedes have been underwhelming in 2022, only managing to pick up a single win in Brazil courtesy of George Russell and finishing third in the constructors’ championship.
The Silver Arrows will be hoping to provide Hamilton with a car in 2022 that is capable of challenging for race wins on a regular basis, as he continues his hunt for a record breaking eighth world title.