The FIA’s annual prize-giving ceremony in Baku will mark the end of an eventful and dramatic Formula 1 season, with champions Max Verstappen and Red Bull officially receiving their awards. The ceremony will also see Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes receive accolades for their achievements, despite a challenging year on and off the track. The ceremony is a fitting conclusion to a season that has seen its fair share of controversies and drama, from the Red Bull cost cap breach to the ongoing conflict between Hamilton and Verstappen.
A week of tensions and controversies in Formula 1 will culminate in the FIA’s annual prize-giving ceremony in Baku, where Max Verstappen and Red Bull will be crowned champions. The ceremony will be held against a backdrop of conflict between Mercedes and the FIA, and between Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen, who have been at odds all season. This year’s event will be even more significant, as it takes place after a tumultuous week in which the FIA launched an investigation into Toto Wolff and his wife, Susie, who heads up the F1 Academy,the ceremony will be a bittersweet occasion.
The FIA’s end-of-season prize-giving ceremony is a high-profile event that brings together the top drivers and teams of the year. The top three drivers in the Drivers’ Championship are required to attend, and in 2023 that means Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, and Lewis Hamilton will be in attendance.
Hamilton had previously skipped the 2021 prize-giving after his disappointment with the outcome of the season and what he perceived to be a mishandling of the rules in the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Instead, he chose to donate a fine of $50,000 to support an underprivileged student’s motorsport education. The seven-time champion’s presence this year will be a key moment in the aftermath of the events of the 2022 season, when Hamilton and Verstappen once again found themselves in conflict, and a shadow was cast over the sport by the FIA’s investigation into the Abu Dhabi controversy.
While many see this year’s ceremony as a chance for the drivers and teams to put their differences aside and celebrate the achievements of the season, there is also a sense that the ongoing tensions may linger, especially between Hamilton and Verstappen.
