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"

 

[Angel]

Of course it is easy to judge.
Have you ever tried to answer questions, for example, immediately after the finish of a long race,
or duty smile when you have very different emotions?
The American manner to interview on the finish from cockpit is unusual...
But some times better this reaction like Hamilton now than any hypocritical standard phrase.

I can't claim to have done a long race and had to answer questions no, but I can assure you I am well used to the duty smile and pretending everything is okay when it's far from it, unfortunately I have to do that one a lot and no, it's not nice at all.

Hamilton is paid (handsomely I might add) to answer questions after the race, it's what F1 drivers do, they're contractually obligated to do so and the others all manage it, so why not him? Things didn't go his way and he acted out, we've all felt like that at times but most of us are grown up enough to put aside our personal disappointment and get on with what we're supposed to do. When he acts like he did yesterday it just annoys me as he reminds me of a spoilt child. I'm sure he wasn't happy about how things went, clearly winning that race meant a lot to him, but to then start suggesting it was a deliberate act on Raikkonen and Ferrari's part is just the kind of thing I have come to expect from him, like that stupid 'is it because I'm black?' line he went with before. He made the bad start which put him in the position where he got hit by another car in the first few corners or a race. It happens all the time, to assume just because it was him who got hit it was deliberate is hugely arrogant in my view.

But there you go, that's just my opinion and we all have them don't we? I personally can't respect a driver and want them to win if I don't like them as a person. I've always been that way and the way Hamilton behaves means I neither like nor respect him. Granted, going and meeting the fans afterwards was a nice gesture and for them I am sure it meant a lot, but doing that afterwards doesn't make up for acting the way he did at the end of the race for me.

As I say though, that's just my view, yours clearly differs which is fine. We can't al lbe the same or agree on everything can we? If we did this forum would be a boring place.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Awww, the multi millionaire sportsman Lewis Hamilton really is a man of the people.

What a guy.

I'm weeping here.

#blessed #goat #bestdriveever #2ndtonone

 

[Angel]

Damn cider_and_toast you said pretty much what I did, but in so many less words

 

[siffert_fan]

Exhausted Lewis Hamilton was 'struggling to stand' after British GP

If he is in that poor a condition, he better not try running the Indy 500. He'd pass out half way thru!!!

 

[cider_and_toast]

At least with statements like that, we can now say he truly has inherited the crown from our Nige.

 

[RasputinLives]

*goes to post his view*

*Keeps helmet on*

*Storms off down an ally way*

I'm not going to say anything but there are some interesting tactics from that side of the forum.

*Goes to his dark place*

 

[F1Brits_90]

I support him like i do all Brits. Ill admit ill will always have jenson above him but that just sentimentally. But come on everyone lets be fair. their is feeling of damned if he does & damned if he doesnt. Doesnt meet the fans at F1 live & "storms off" post race interview slagged off. Meets all the Marshalls, pays for food & drink for every marshall, spends 20+ mins signing everything for the fans after the race. Gets slagged off for that. I dont know what people want of him. & on fitness It was tough out there. I thought we as F1 fans would know that. These unseasonable temperatures we were on a par with sepang 30c air 54c track on sunday.. Then Silverstone has got tougher with these new cars as lets compare 2011 (1st with new layout)with 2018. The 2018 fastest lap was 3.6secs quicker than 2011 & Pole position has progressed so much that. That dog of Williams despite qualifying last was still 1.1 secs quicker than the 2011 red bull which is considered 1 of neweys finest cars. & lewis average lap pace was 144mph. No wonder he was shattered.

He delivered 1 of the greatest drives of his career potential championship saving. To be last at the 1st corner through no fault of his own pull off some fantastic overtakes. Then get to 6th close the gap to vettel. To even have a chance to win was a miracle in its self & despite that he was upset because his 1st thought wasnt that. It was how he felt had let down the crowd

 

[siffert_fan]

Don't forget that he is driving a car that is multiple seconds per lap faster than half the field. Then, throw in two safety cars whose timing seemed calculated to assist him, and virtually all other drivers moving over rather than contest for position, and I don't see how that adds up to "one of the greatest drives".

 

[cider_and_toast]

I don't think he or Mercedes had any say in the safety cars. I think that was just luck (and some piss poor driving by others).

 

[cider_and_toast]

Meets all the Marshalls, pays for food & drink for every marshall, spends 20+ mins signing everything for the fans after the race. Gets slagged off for that. I dont know what people want of him.

Because its not genuine. Read the fascinating book The Mechanic by Marc 'Elvis' Priestly, who worked at McLaren with Hamilton until 2009. It will give you a massive insight into the mans character. Everything Hamilton does is on Hamilton's terms.

I'm not saying that's right or wrong and he is a multiple world champion and with a far better record than the British drivers who were always known as the 'Nice guys'.

He's comfortable with who he is and as he has clearly demonstrated he doesn't give the fury crack of a rats ass about anyone else.

 

[RasputinLives]

He delivered 1 of the greatest drives of his career potential championship saving

I'm going to have to call BS on this I'm afraid. Hamilton had pace but his drive through the field was unchallenged. All it did was highlight the massive gap between the top 3 teams and the rest. No one even bothered to fight him as there was just no point. He didn't actually overtake any of his actual rivals (two of them wouldn't have been able to compete either) other than his team mate and lucked in with a safety car.

It was a good drive but let's not get carried away that it was something of greatness.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Much like how lap times a redefined with each change of car regulation and track design, it would very much appear that time redefines what greatness is as well.

 

[F1Brits_90]

RasputinLives it was 1 of lewis drives even if you compare it to the French grand prix. Vettel dead last after the 1st corner even with a safety car to bunch everyone back up he only managed a 5th place & over a minute behind. Hamilton only lost 23 seconds & before the safety car came out he was 3rd, 16 secs off & closing on vettel

cider_and_toast you have to take things on face value, of course its on his terms because he got a lot of demands on his time over a weekend. & he doesn't have to it, but he still paid out of his own pocket for 2000 marshalls now if it was PR or not. the fact he stayed for a hour for a chat & pictures meant the world to the marshalls. outside probally riccardio you dont hear of any other drivers doing this. be interesting to see if Vettel does anything in 2 weeks, as Ocon/Grosjean > France or Ferrari > Monza & time doesn't redefine greatness but when 2 tenths is a huge, then a laptime decrease of 3.6 seconds is massive & its going to take it out of anyone in 30c heat. they are taking copse & abbey now flat, pulling 6g twice a lap. then he was pushing every lap because of circumstances it going to take it toll mentally & physically

 

[RasputinLives]

Sorry F1Brits_90 but comparing a drive through the field at Silverstone with a drive through the field at Paul Ricard is apples compared with oranges. With so many pure straight line speed sections on Silverstone and 3 DRS zones it was always going to be easier. Plus like I said. No one fought him. I can't even remember one driver going off line to defend against him because there was no point. The top 6 are basically LMP1 whilst the rest are LMP2. I find it very hard to get excited about.

 

[Andyoak]

The conditions weren't unusually hot for a GP weekend: Just a GP weekend in the UK.

 

[cider_and_toast]

F1Brits_90, reminds me of this hilarious bit of histrionics from Mansell (Hamilton is now officially in my book, S.O.M. or Son of Mansell).

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives F1Brits_90 I'll agree with RasputinLives the top 3 teams are so much faster now at worse you would be 6th even if every car finished the race

Take nothing away from Hamilton because it would have been the icing on the cake had he managed to pass Vettel and win but the gulf between a winning car and the rest is so huge. We need teams like Haas, Renault and Mclaren to get onto the back of them and challenge then for race wins and podiums at least.

Other than Perez, in a Force India I don' think there has been any other constructor on the podium for the last two years besides the top 3.

Going back to Hamilton about him being exhausted after the race , well he was driving his nuts off to recover from dead last and what would you expect especially at one of the fastest circuits on the calendar.

The comment about him not able to do Indy that's rubbish because that race is rarely run without an incident and there is time to get a breather.

The F1 regulations were done to test the demands of the best drivers so looks like it is doing that part and this year the tyres and the aero are creating terrible turbulence which means it is even more physically straining following another car to prevent it from sliding.

 

[vintly]

Sportsman exhausted after doing sport – shocker!

Seeing as you didn't ask, my problem with Lewis is not that I don't like him (I don't but I don't mind that in someone who entertains me nonetheless), it's because anything he does out of the car is dull. And that for me is the single worst thing someone who I pay to watch can be. If he opens his mouth or writes anything, it's predictable and shallow. His preening and fashionista status is comical. His displays of being at one with his fans or having the common touch are just that - displays. If he donates money to an orphan-jaguar sanctuary in Timbuktu you can be damn sure he'll let you know. And regardless of how much he gives away, he spends so much on himself and flaunts it – to the point that it's ugly to see. I'd much rather he kept his helmet on at all times, ate through a straw and sat in the car watching cartoons between races.

 

[cider_and_toast]

And if you add to that, a certain section of fanhood who treat him as some sort of modern day Saint who can do absolutely no wrong and I think you've hit the nail perfectly on the head vintly

 

[Hamberg]

Agreed vintly. If I supported him because of his personality I’d be a little screwed, he’s, well, a knob. I love his racing though.