Current Lewis Hamilton

A place to put all the posts from all the other threads primarily but love him or hate him, and even for the indifferent amongst us this is the place to discuss the marmite that is Lewis Hamilton, to learn a thing or two about his rise, talk about those controversial, genius or mad moments and something that i am bemused by, the recent articles that suggest something quite different to my perception of what's going on. Any experiences of meeting LH?

Brundle had to write a Lewis Hamilton article recently and in my tweets (which were probably ignored) I asked him to talk about LH the driver not LH the personality. It seems that you can't have one without the other.

So as a starter for ten, here is a fairly recent LH article. Posts should not be limited to this link but it can get some discussion going. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/13755883.stm

The only banned topic as it is clearly ridiculous involves these four things "Glock" "2008" "Brazil" "conspiracy"

 

[ExtremeNinja]

With regards to the freedom for personal sponsorship, this is not always about money either. Having been in the position of switching between teams and attaining different sponsorship rights in each occassion myself (albeit in BMX and cue mockery), this is more about freedom than money. It is still ultimately a reward, of course, but it enables you to choose the brands that you want to associate yourself with.

I'll give you a fictional example: A skateboarder has wanted to be sponsored by Vans shoes since he was a kid. He skates for Blind Skateboards who have a deal with Etnies and so, Blind being his title sponsor, he is bound to wear Etnies shoes. He gets offered a deal by Death Skateboards, which gives exactly the same benefits but with freedom of sponsorship rights. He can take that deal and then go and do a deal directly with Vans - a deal which is likely to be more lucrative but, more importantly, allows him to choose his own brand association.

 

[Brogan]

Hamilton has flatly refuted Whitmarsh's comments, as you would expect.

Lewis Hamilton has dismissed his McLaren team boss's claim that he has had some regrets about deciding to move to Mercedes next season.

Hamilton said he was "a little bit surprised to hear" the comments from Martin Whitmarsh last week.

"Clearly it is absolutely not the case," he said. "I am still here giving 100% in the last two races but I am 100% happy with the decision I made."

He said it was a "tough decision" but he did not have "an ounce of regret".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20350893

 

[The Pits]

I don't believe he has nor should have any regrets. That said, I would also expect him to refute any suggestion of regret whether he had any or not.

He is young enough to recover if things don't go the right way, and good enough to capitalise if they do.

And there is no need to regret trying a new tack, certainly not before even starting.

 

[Brogan]

Agreed.

For the reasons I have previously stated, I too believe he doesn't regret it.
McLaren have spectacularly failed to deliver over the last six years and coupled with the other recent developments in the team, leaving was his only choice.

 

[Galahad]

No reason for regrets now; plenty of time for that later. Or maybe not.

 

[racecub]

Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.


Rosberg thinks Lewis has nothing to regret and has made the right decision
http://www.crash.net/f1/news/186133/1/rosberg_hamilton_hasnt_made_error_joining_mercedes.html

 

[teabagyokel]

Nico Rosberg certainly doesn't have an interest in promoting Mercedes...

 

[racecub]

Of course he'll defend Mercedes. He also had a perfect opportunity to stick the first off track boot into Hamilton, and unlike others, he chose not to,

 

[teabagyokel]

Find me one example of where anyone has stuck the boot in to a team mate by insulting his own team.

 

[racecub]

No I didn't mean that. I meant he could have had a go at Hamilton for not saying Mercedes will be fighting for the championship next year...but he didn't.

 

[Hamberg]

He could, but that would have made him incredibly thick. Who on earth on the current grid would do that?

 

[racecub]

hi there hamburg. hmmmmmmm can't think who would make political gain out of a situation, I'm sure some would though

 

[Hamberg]

Yes that was the original question. Who? And how exactly is slagging off your own team to make your new team mate look like he's made the wrong decision by joining them because they are crap, political gain?

 

[racecub]

You know who, everyone knows who, but this isn't the thread to get into that debate.
You miss my point. I didn't say anything about slagging off the team. I said Rosberg had an opportunity to stick the boot into hamilton had he chosen to do so ..FOR NOT SAYING HE WOULD BE FIGHTING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT YEAR I'd say Rosberg was fully supportive of his team there, not slagging them off. And very diplomatic when asked about Hamilton.

 

[Bill Boddy]

I don't know who. I'm struggling to try to work out who has joined a team only to have their new team mate "stick the first off track boot" in. In fact I'm trying to recall any driver who didn't have good things to say about their new team mate. Not even Rosberg when Schumacher came along demanding that he get the number which would normally have been give to Rosberg.

 

[racecub]

no one has stuck the boot in, even when a perfect opportunity was presented. That's the point. And exactly, he didn't do it with Schumacher either, because that's the nature of the beast.

 

[The Pits]

He also had a perfect opportunity to stick the first off track boot into Hamilton, and unlike others, he chose not to,

no one has stuck the boot in, even when a perfect opportunity was presented. That's the point.

 

[racecub]

No one has stuck the boot in on this occasion regarding the interview Rosberg gave. In the past when such opportunities have presented themselves the boot has gone in.

 

[The Pits]

So what you are saying, is that in the past people have had less than nice things to say about Lewis, but in this one interview, when they have no reason, they did not.

And you are referring to one nefarious person in particular, even though you did not mention one by name.

I wonder who you could possibly mean?

 

[Hamberg]

But you're implying that

others

would, and we should know who they are. Whereas I can't think of any

others

that would turn around and say, "Hamilton was wrong for joining my team, he should have stayed where he was so he can fight for the championship, what a knob"

And more so I cannot for the life of me understand how exactly one of the

others

would make political gain

by saying such a thing, unless losing sponsors/bonus/contract renewal is political gain.

Thoughts?