Demands for Lewis Hamilton to apologise after ‘sexist’ champagne spray on podium girl
FORMULA 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has been branded a "sexist" and an "embarrassment" in a row sparked when he sprayed a podium girl with champagne.
The Chinese hostess was not impressed
The Mercedes driver has been slammed for his “bullying” celebration, which saw him spray the hostess in the face following his victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai at the weekend.
Photographs show her clearly squirming, leading to uproar and calls for the 30-year-old British driver to apologise immediately.
He was branded a bully by some spectators, while others labelled him sexist.
A Twitter user called Carolyne Hazel posted: 'Shame on you F1 and Lewis Hamilton for disgraceful treatment of women during champagne celebration #sexism'
I think there's a difference between spraying champagne in someone's direction and spraying champagne into someone's face, Lewis Hamilton.
— Ann (@armacca) April 14, 2015
The actions of Lewis Hamilton are what you might expect from a schoolyard bully picking on a defence-less kid #bully https://t.co/TvzKicm8YX
— Vito Carrozzo (@VitoCarrozzo) April 14, 2015
A Twitter storm erupted after the stunt, calling Hamilton sexist
Shame on you F1 and Lewis Hamilton for disgraceful treatment of women during champagne celebration#sexism
— Carolyne Hazel (@CarolyneHazel) April 13, 2015
Hamilton has performed his controversial celebration during other races, which did not attract so much backlash.
And confused racing fans have questioned why the stunt has been called discriminatory when usual tradition sees male drivers and anyone else on the podium showered with the magnum of champagne.
Another Twitter, called @bigjools_, added: “Apparently it's sexist for Lewis Hamilton to spray champagne on a woman, but not if it's a bloke. #planetfeminist”.
Lewis Hamilton shamed & criticised for spraying F1 hostess with champagne; how is that sexist when it's tradition to spray everyone?
— Seugne Bosch (@SeugneBosch) April 14, 2015
http://t.co/so4EZEqIFG Wouldn't it be sexist NOT to spray the women? They spray all the men
— Emily Toprak (@EmilyToprak) April 14, 2015
Hamilton also came under fire from his own team mate
Lewis Hamilton has been ordered to apologise
Roz Hardie, chief executive of the Object group – who campaign for better media representation for women – said: "The photographs appear to show that the woman is not just being splashed, but that the champagne is being very specifically directed into her face, which does not look like a voluntary piece of horseplay on her part.
"If this if the case we think Lewis Hamilton should apologise for his actions and think carefully about how he behaves in the future. For most people, it would be apparent that she is not enjoying it.
"It is surely a very difficult position to be a grid girl and she would have had little option but to stand there and take it. That is something of which he should be aware. But instead, he appears to have abused her position."
Hamilton’s victory was also brought into the spotlight after his own teammate Nico Rosberg accused him of slowing down in order to jeopardise the German's second-place finish.