LEWIS HAMILTON appeared to reject a hug from FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in an awkward moment after the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion has clashed with the FIA president since he was appointed in 2021.

Lewis Hamilton appeared to reject a big hug from FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem

Fans spotted the awkward encounter, but Hamilton did acknowledge him as he walked past

After his tough start to life at Ferrari, Hamilton enjoyed a positive race in Bahrain, winning the fans’ Driver of the Day vote.

He recovered from a disappointing P9 qualifying performance to finish fifth, one spot behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.

And the 40-year-old ace overtook the likes of Kimi Antonelli, Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen in the process.

After stepping out of the cockpit in Parc Ferme, Hamilton headed toward the weighbridge to complete his mandatory post-race checks.

But fans caught a somewhat thorny exchange when the Brit came across Ben Sulayem along the way.

The FIA president had his arms outstretched while waiting to embrace the Ferrari driver.

However, Hamilton had other ideas and avoided the hug before simply giving him a pat on the side before continuing on his way.

One fan wrote: “Lewis airing Ben Sulayem there 😂😂.”

A dominant drive from pole saw Oscar Piastri claim victory in Sakhir on Sunday, ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris.

But there have been rumours that Hamilton and Ben Sulayem don’t see eye-to-eye.

The former Mercedes driver called out the FIA chief after the short-lived investigation into Susie Wolff last season.

That decision landed the Emirati official in hot water, with the wife of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff commencing legal action against the sport’s governing body.

And Hamilton was asked whether Ben Sulayem had his support before the 2024 Aussie Grand Prix.

The Brit replied bluntly: “He never has. There is a real lack of accountability here, within this sport, within the FIA.

“There are things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is really no accountability and we need that.

“The fans need that. How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that?”

Last year, Hamilton doubled down on his criticism of Ben Sulayem after the FIA president compared swearing F1 drivers to “rappers”.

The 62-year-old has been on a mission to stamp out foul language in the paddock, much to the disdain of some of the sport’s stars.

The feud between Hamilton and Ben Sulayem first dates back to 2022.

When the FIA chief forced the Brit to remove a nose stud, clamping down on jewellery at the race track.

He later fined Hamilton £42,000 for skipping the end-of-season prize-giving gala, after Verstappen was handed the title following a hugely controversial decision at 2021 Abu Dhabi finale.

FIA executive Robert Reid resigned last week over what he described as a “fundamental breakdown in governance standards”.

Ben Sulayem has been under fire in the last few years, following various controversies including the FIA’s swearing rules.

Reid said in his resignation letter: “When I took on this role, it was to serve the FIA’s members, not to serve power.”

A few days ago at Suzuka, Carlos Sainz was punished for being “five seconds late” to the national anthem in Japan following a toilet break.

Sainz reported to the FIA medical team with a stomach issue, but was fined £17,000, half of which has been suspended for 12 months providing he does not re-offend.

But the Spaniard, 30, now faces an even bigger one for saying “s*** happens in response”.