Explained: The relationship between Lewis Hamilton's latest mirror selfie and F1 fanbase claiming 'someone is getting fired'
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton's recent mirror selfie has caused uproar on social media by the F1 fanbase, claiming that 'someone is getting fired'. The seven-time F1 world champion has had a difficult start to his stint with the Italian team in the first six races of the 2025 season.
The 40-year-old has largely struggled to match the pace of his new teammate, Charles Leclerc, in the same machinery in regular race weekends despite achieving better results in the sprint races. Hamilton was left frustrated by the team's lack of urgency at the Miami Grand Prix earlier in the month, which resulted in some sarcastic responses from the British driver.
Ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend, Lewis Hamilton posted a shirtless mirror selfie on his Instagram Story, flaunting his toned physique. However, apart from some fans appreciating his physique, there was a lot of chatter surrounding the link between the picture and someone in F1 about to get fired.
Soon, a viral trend of 'someone is getting fired' took steam on X, with several suggesting that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner could lose his job this week.
The trend is linked to previous instances of Lewis Hamilton posting a shirtless picture on his social media and team principals losing their jobs in the coming weeks. Some of the instances being in the 2022 season, Hamilton's shirtless picture preceded Mattia Binotto losing his job as Ferrari team boss in December of that year.
His next post occurred ahead of the summer break in 2023 when Alpine sacked Otmar Szafnauer as the team principal, while after a similar post at the start of the 2024 season, Guenther Steiner was fired from Haas F1.
Lewis Hamilton was involved in another online chatter last week when he bought the table for black women at the MET Gala in New York on May 5.
Lewis Hamilton comments on his special gesture at the MET Gala
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton stated that he believed that it was important to honor black women at the MET Gala, where the theme celebrated black dandyism and expressionism last week.
In his Instagram post, the 40-year-old spoke about his gesture of buying a table at the MET Gala for black women and said:
"You can’t speak on Black dandyism, Black art, or Black aesthetics without honoring the Black women who shaped, nurtured, and redefined it all. This year, my intention was to uplift and be surrounded by some of the Black women whose brilliance moves me—artists, thinkers, visionaries who carry history and possibility in everything they do."
The Brit had made a similar gesture in 2021 when he bought a table for $275,000 and invited young Black designers to the event. In the 2025 edition of the MET Gala, Hamilton also served as the co-chair of the event with Colman Domingo and Pharrell Williams.