XPB Images Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton insists he did not spray Russian president Vladimir Putin with champagne on the podium. The championship leader cruised to a comfortable victory at Sochi after team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg retired with a throttle issue. Thus, Hamilton received the winner’s trophy from Putin’s hands for the second consecutive year and started indulging in the champagne-spraying tradition before the Russian leader had actually left the scene. In doing so, the Briton, who is now on the verge of sealing a third title, would have “soaked” Putin’s jacket, which immediately spurred a flurry of jokes across social media concerning Hamilton’s...
Full Story »