How Lionel Messi, Lewis Hamilton Failed to Keep Their Promises in Formula 1 and UCL

How Lionel Messi, Lewis Hamilton Failed to Keep Their Promises in Formula 1 and UCL

Martin Moses
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:13 PM
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  • Lewis Hamilton and Lionel Messi are some of the sporting greats who have elevated their respective disciplines and ended up achieving GOAT status
  • Hamilton is a seven-time Formula 1 champion, while Messi is a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner
  • However, their recent defiant public promises have haunted them after they failed to see them through

At the end of the last Grand Prix of the 2021 Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton emerged from his car crestfallen. Red Bull's Max Verstappen had just denied him an opportunity to win a record 8th title.

Hamilton took the defeat with undeniable grace and walked over to Verstappen to congratulate him on his first title. The circumstances around Verstappen's victory are still shrouded in controversy to date and Hamilton was dejected. And understandably so.

Lewis Hamilton, Lionel Messi, Mercedes, Champions League, Max Verstappen, Suzuka circuit, Japanese GP, Barcelona, October 9th
Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes competes at the Japanese Grand Prix on October 9th. Photo by Mark Peterson.
Source: Getty Images

The Brit then took a shot break from social media before returning with a defiant warning.

"If you think what you saw at the end of last year was my best, wait until you see this year."

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This was a wounded 7-time champion out for blood. He had just gotten a new teammate in George Rusell after Valterri Bottas had departed for Alfa Romeo. However, the opening Grand Prix in Bahrain sent warning signs that Mercedes were in for a long season.

Hamilton managed a podium finish but only after Red Bull's duo of Verstappen and Sergio Perez got DNFs(Did Not Finish).

Mercedes failed to keep up with the superior Red Bull and Ferrari

The subsequent races in Jeddah, Australia, Emilia Romagna, Monaco and Miami were disastrous. Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc meanwhile went from strength to strength save for occasional poor strategy from the latter's team.

It reached a point where Hamilton changed tune from wanting to show the world his best to hoping for just a podium finish.

Verstappen wins back-to-back titles

On Sunday, 9th October, at the Suzuka circuit in Japan, Verstappen dominated and won a less controversial race to confirm his second world title with four more races to go.

Enter Lionel Messi. Barcelona had last won the Champions League in 2015 under Luis Enrique. They fell short in the subsequent years and to make matters worse, their bitter Classico rivals Real Madrid won three consecutive titles.

At the start of the 2018/2019 season, Messi had had enough and boldly declared at Camp Nou that:

"We promise that we will do everything possible so that this beautiful cup returns to the Camp Nou again."

To his credit, Barcelona came close. But like in every other sport, close does not count. That season saw the famous Liverpool comeback at Anfield, which in other quarters is known as 'corner taken quickly.'

Lewis Hamilton, Lionel Messi, Mercedes, Champions League, Max Verstappen, Suzuka circuit, Japanese GP, Barcelona, October 9th
Lionel Messi reacts during Barcelona's Champions League game against Bayern Munich in 2020. Photo by Manu Fernandez.
Source: Getty Images

The following year saw the 8-2 capitulation at the hands of Bayern Munich and the following season, a Kylian Mbappe masterclass in Spain ended Messi's hopes yet again despite his best efforts in the return leg. He left Barcelona without adding another Champions League to the four he already has.

The two legends still have time to win more titles. Maybe they just don't need to send prior warnings.

Max Verstappen storms to victory at the Suzuka circuit to win second title

Sports Brief had earlier reported that Max Verstappen put in a dominant performance to win the Japanese Grand Prix and a second Formula 1 title on Sunday morning.

The title decider looked set to be postponed to the next Grand Prix in the United States after Charles Leclerc finished second.

However, the Ferrari driver was given a five-second penalty for straying off the line towards the end.

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Martin Moses
Martin Moses is a sports journalist with over five years of experience in media. He graduated from Multimedia University of Kenya (Bachelor of Journalism, 2017-2021)
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