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"

 

[RasputinLives]

First time I've heard that story about Kimi Cook! If thats true then he shouldn't be allowed in the sport. Anyone convicted of drink driving shouldn't be allowed to be in F1.

I'm a little outraged to be honest. Have you got a link to that story?

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Naturally it wasn't made official, but I doubt anyone failed to read between the lines at the time;

http://www.dui.com/dui-library/celebrities/kimi-raikkonen-dui
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Kimi-Raikkonen-Drunk-and-Driving-33628.shtml
http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=39700

I like this one best;
http://wn.com/Formula_1_Kimi_Räikkönen_drunk__Ferrari_in_trouble

 

[RasputinLives]

Hmmm seems Hungarian authorities are a tad easier to keep quiet than Australian one's - not that the incidents even compare.

If those reports are true I'm pretty disgusted he didn't have his super licence taken away from him. If you're a taxi driver, bus driver or even a lorry driver and you get caught drink driving even in your personnel time you lose your job why should it be any different for an F1 driver?

 

[The Artist.....]

Rasputin - I suspect that the story is more that he left a party rather the worse for wear, and lost his driving licence and money, rather than a drink-driving case. Certainly, the RAC/MSA are rather reluctant to provide a national racing licence to anyone who has had their own driving licence removed - hence why both Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell weren't banned when they were caught driving rather too quickly (Or at least, their ban didn't cover the start of the season)!

 

[Cookinflatsix]

I suspect that the story is more that he left a party rather the worse for wear, and lost his driving licence and money,

Back on topic, now imagine Lewis had 'left a party rather the worse for wear, and lost his driving licence and money'

Without doubt there would be calls for him to lose his super licence, to be banned, he would be a bad example to kids, ungrateful towards his team and sponsors, cant hold his drink, etc etc blah blah

 

[The Artist.....]

Back on topic, now imagine Lewis had 'left a party rather the worse for wear, and lost his driving licence and money'

Yep - I've imagined it - the only criticism is that he'd had too much to drink!... There is too much of an attitude of persecution when it comes to Hamilton!

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Yep - I've imagined it - the only criticism is that he'd had too much to drink!... There is too much of an attitude of persecution when it comes to Hamilton!

So which should generate more media coverage and vilification

A driver who gets so drunk at a team party that he forgets how he got back home that night (no one else he was with remembers either), loses his licence and passport, has trouble leaving the country with the rest of his team because he 'lost' his passport at the party, can only leave once he 'loses' $7000 (the same amount as a fine for DUI) and 'finds' his passport again a couple days after

or

A driver who, on his exit from the race circuit, on a road empty of public traffic, performs tailslides for eager race fans leaving the circuit also

 

[The Artist.....]

So which should generate more media coverage and vilification

A driver who gets so drunk at a team party that he forgets how he got back home that night (no one else he was with remembers either), loses his licence and passport, 'loses' $7000 (the same amount as a fine for DUI) has trouble leaving the country with the rest of his team because he 'lost' his passport at the party, can only leave once he 'finds' his passport again a couple days after

or

A driver who, on his exit from the race circuit, on a road empty of public traffic, performs tailslides for eager race fans leaving the circuit also

.... Other than the fact that these were, of course, made up allegations........ There are NO reputable media sources for this story... None at all!

 

[racecub]

Reputable media sources? Surely thats an oxymoron.

 

[Brogan]

Hamilton defends his management team: http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12433/7376105/

"I think this year XIX have taken a huge amount of criticism which has been massively unfair and that's a lot to do with me, my fault really.

"They've wanted to be here every single race, they've been nothing but supportive.

"I control it and I decided not to have them at every race because I wanted to be on my own at some races. For the future I'll have them at every race.

"But they've taken negative criticism and they're still there supporting me.

"They've never ever had any impact on my thought process of how I handle things. I've really taken that all on board myself."

 

[Lewywo4]

I think the criticism of his Dad was that every time there was an interview in the Mclaren pit it was with Anthony and the camera cut to him so often during a Grand Prix we missed the racing. I have made the criticism of constant interviews with John Button, especially in 2009 - the problem was not with either Anthony or John but the singular lack of imagination of the broadcast media (both ITV and BBC were as guilty as on another) in trying to find anyone else to talk to.

Interesting interview none the less and I think Bernie made some very salient points.

It's true which many don't understand that, Anthony Hamilton and John Button had nothing to say or control about when their pictures would show up on your tv screen, but John Button's picture never has raised such vitriol in many, which have been expressed towards Anthony Hamilton.

 

[KekeTheKing]

On BE: What a nutter! The gist of his comments boil down to this, "He's acting too much like some of the famous black people that have become attracted to F1 because of him."

 

[Lewywo4]

Lewis ' first sign of not concentrating on the track was his idea of having fun doing a burn out last year in front of the police in Melbourne

I did think what on earth is Rihanna doing at the Canadian GP earlier this year in the Mclaren garage?

Hamilton's burn out is a much ado, about nothing. How can you be so sure that Lewis saw the police in the first place?

Objecting to the antics of that fool Ice T in the Mclaren pit area is understandable, but sipping champagne and hugging Lewis, should hardly be a reason for Rihanna being banned from the Mclaren garage during a race weekend.

 

[Lewywo4]

Let's not forget, at that very same weekend, Alonso and two other drivers were racing each other on their way back to their hotel, through busy streets packed with traffic.
It was caught on video and uploaded to YouTube.

I would have thought that was far more dangerous than doing a wheelspin.

Apparently not though because none of the usual media outlets reported it.
Funny that.

http://cliptheapex.com/threads/lewis-hamiltons-driving.1320/page-3#post-20236

Now let's talk about perspective, balance and fair treatment. Oh and hypocrisy.

 

[Lewywo4]

Firstly it was ITV that saturated us with Anthony Hamilton and secondly the out cry wasn;t against Lewis it was against pointless media interviews with his dad - and you're wrong the interviews with John Button were equally mocked.

Not here in the states!

 

[Lewywo4]

Back on topic, now imagine Lewis had 'left a party rather the worse for wear, and lost his driving licence and money'

Without doubt there would be calls for him to lose his super licence, to be banned, he would be a bad example to kids, ungrateful towards his team and sponsors, cant hold his drink, etc etc blah blah

 

[Lewywo4]

So which should generate more media coverage and vilification

A driver who gets so drunk at a team party that he forgets how he got back home that night (no one else he was with remembers either), loses his licence and passport, has trouble leaving the country with the rest of his team because he 'lost' his passport at the party, can only leave once he 'loses' $7000 (the same amount as a fine for DUI) and 'finds' his passport again a couple days after

or

A driver who, on his exit from the race circuit, on a road empty of public traffic, performs tailslides for eager race fans leaving the circuit also

You are........GOOD!!

 

[Il_leone]

Oh come on. lewis wasnt even at work then, he was outside the track and fell foul of draconian laws. The whole fuss was OTT. Vettel did doughnuts, thats not allowed either. No fuss about it, neither should there be. Neither transgression was a danger. Bit of fun by two young men letting off steam

I don't think Lewis had in mind spending early hours with the police and getting delayed back to the track where he was suppose to be concentrating on preparing for the race

it messed him in qualifying clearly

 

[Il_leone]

oooo gonna have to disagree with you on that front my friend. I seem to remember a certain Mr Mansell thought the same thing when he headed off to the states in 93 and what happened? F1 went on without him and by the time he decided he wanted to come back the sport had moved on and didn't want him.

Lewis Hamilton is offered endorsments because he's one of the best F1 drivers in the world - take him out of F1 and they'd soon dry up because he'd just be that bloke who used to be one of the best drivers in the world. No one is bigger than the sport. Super stars come and super stars go but F1 has been here over 60 years.

Especially with the current field. Maybe from a British perspective it might lose something without Lewis but you really telling me you wouldn't be hooked by a Vettel/Alonso/Button scrap? Or fascinated to see which of the up and comings takes Lewis's seat and pushes the car on?

However Lewis Hamilton is no fool so I don't think we'll see him quiting F1 anytime soon.

F1 can move on easily without Lewis if someone else suddenly steps in and steals the limelight say like Di Resta... no one will remember Lewis then so he would be the only real loser if he quit F1

With Mansell he did win the Indycar title but really he could have won another world title seeing how Prost really struggled being a year out of F1 to stay ahead of Senna and Hill.

Just look at Juan Montoya no one missed him when he decided F1 was not for him..there will always be other drivers ready to take over and seize the moment

 

[Il_leone]

seriously though, whats a proper manager gonna do instead then? lets not forget that Anthony was his father as well as manager



I think Bernie got mugged by a guy wearing a hood and assumes it was a rapper

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Difference is Anthony got into people's faces too much just to protect Lewis ..remember the fall out over liegate...Anthony blamed the door at Mclaren.

Also Hungary 2007 it was Anthony and Lewis who went up the stewards and complained about Alonso's deliberate hold up not Ron or Mclaren

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What I meant as proper manager is to accompany him at the races and talk to him and help him deal with the pressures from outside the cockpit...and yeah deal with other teams for him about opportunities.

F1 is a lonely place because of the constant travelling and you have to treat your team as your work colleagues and employers on a business level rather than personal level.

Simon Fuller is a waste of space period. All he will ever do is drag Lewis to some showbiz party which he does not really need to be at. Lewis is not Eddie Irvine who only cared about scoring women than winning on the track