Why did Lewis Hamilton just purge his Instagram account?

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Lewis Hamilton's 5.7 millions fans watched in shock yesterday as the four-time world champion - or someone else - blew his Instagram account into oblivion!

The superstar's social media account remained online, but all its pictures were deleted. He also deleted several tweets on Twitter.

Earlier this week, Hamilton was targeted by trolls, bloggers and activists alike after posting a short video on Snapchat in which he mocked his nephew for wearing a princess' dress for Christmas.

The politically correct and gender bender mob gathered with pitchforks and torches, and painfully buried the Mercedes driver under an avalanche of vilifications.

It's likely the backlash and outcry, which, as usual on the internet, far exceeded whatever the ill-inspired and controversial post deserved, prompted an infuriated Hamilton to call it a day and delete his account, much to the chagrin of his fans.

Or perhaps Hamilton's spectacular withdrawal is simply a reaction to Kimi Raikkonen's unanticipated arrival on social media. "Kimi speaks enough for all of us," Ham may have thought...

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.