Hamilton addresses 'sabotage' claims after email leak

Lewis Hamilton has stated that he does not support any "negativity" about his upcoming exit from the Mercedes team.

An anonymous message emailed to key stakeholders and media members in Formula 1 alleges that the seven-time world champion is being "sabotaged" by the Toto Wolff-led team as he gears up for a 2025 move to Ferrari.

The message is said to have been authored by a Mercedes team member.

Yet, some argue that Hamilton, 39, has fostered the sense of unfairness himself regarding his situation and his battle to match teammate George Russell, evidenced by his recent comments post-qualifying and races.

"It's easy to get emotional," Hamilton said in Barcelona, maintaining he had not seen the email in question. "I only commented on the last race, for instance, about my performance. We need support, not negativity."

Nevertheless, many of Hamilton's supporters have voiced on social media that they also believe the British driver is being treated unjustly.

"They know that if you look down the years, we have been a strong team and worked hard together," Hamilton stated.

Some of his fans have also directed their frustration at Russell.

"I was not actually aware George was experiencing negativity," Hamilton remarked. "He has done nothing but his best every single weekend and delivered for the team, so he cannot be faulted at all."

"Of course, there can always be things that are done better within the team, and that comes through conversations and communication, which is something we are consistently working on," he added.

"But we all want to finish on a high, and I feel like we owe that to our long-term relationship."

As for Russell, he says he has largely shielded himself from any negativity on social media.

"I have a team that looks after my social media," he said. "I don't look on Instagram or Twitter, to be honest. So it's not really something I have seen. I have heard about it, and it is never nice to hear, but that is the world we live in at the moment and unfortunately, any person in the public eye is facing it."