Current Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE

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"

 

[The Artist.....]

Speshal

- Or if the naysayers are correct, then we may hear it from Whitmarsh's mouth once the season is up!

 

[Mephistopheles]

I have a feeling Lewis is more likely to blab than Whitmarsh probably on twitter..

 

[racecub]

Ive never, ever heard Hamilton say a word against Whitmarsh. I have heard Whitmarsh speak disengenuously about Lewis.......Im just saying.

 

[Brogan]

Off topic but personally I'm looking forward to Ron's book as he said years ago that the truth would eventually come out.

 

[racecub]

I think that truth will be how the FIA didnt allow Lewis to win the 2007 world championship. All hush hush but if they didnt agree McLaren would be out altogether. Couldnt do it openly-too much flak. well its a theory, shoot me down in flames if you like.

 

[MCLS]

The FIA didn't allow Lewis to win the 2007 world championship? Did they mess with his gearbox in Brazil or make the gravel extra sticky in China?

 

[Jen]

F1/M15 - who is the shadiest?

 

[racecub]

MCLS I think they gave Mclaren an ultimatum. But its past now and I dont want to say any more on it.

 

[Brogan]

I know this has been discussed hundreds of times since China 2007 MCLS, but even Bridgestone were at a loss as to why McLaren ignored their multiple demands to pit Hamilton due to his tyres being down to the canvas.

I'm not suggesting that implies anything but it is one of the oddest incidents in F1.

 

[F1ang-o]

Martin Whitmarsh has said ...it is something we hadn't seen before & are never likely to see again....He said this not long ago, when the 2007 season was being discussed
Was it a similar problem that Lewis had at the last race...but terminal that time?

 

[MCLS]

True Brogan although McLaren have always been conservative with tyres in changeable conditions, they kept Hamilton out too long in Spa in 2010 and he was a few centimetres from crashing

 

[downforce]

MCLS I think they gave Mclaren an ultimatum. But its past now and I dont want to say any more on it.

Yes, you are certainly not the only one to think such. I have heard the thoery in many places and it doesn't seem totally unrealistic.

 

[RasputinLives]

Do we know why?

 

[Mephistopheles]

Does it matter?

 

[Brogan]

If anything untoward did go on then yes, I think it does matter.

Not that I am stating that it did, or did not.
I simply don't know.

Let's not forget, we only found out a few years ago that Ferrari had a "special" relationship with the FIA which included access to other teams' technical details as part of their technical veto, and a greater share of the prize money.

Nothing else surprises me in F1.

 

[The Artist.....]

It's actually for the best that it happened- had Hamilton (or alonso) won in 2007, it would have been a tainted championship because of the intellectual property issue!

 

[Brogan]

I would tend to agree with that.
Even now, some think Hamilton's 2008 WDC title is tainted for the same reason.

 

[Jen]

If you're going to take that attitude then probably every single championship has been tainted in one way or the other. Always best, IMO, to celebrate the drivers, machinery and teams and leave it at that (if at all possible!!)

 

[Brogan]

I would tend to agree with that also.
F1 and controversy/cheating are very familiar bedfellows.

 

[Road of Bones]

It's odd, but when the whole issue of Ferrari's veto and special payment from all the other teams was brought out in 2009, I wasn't in the least bit surprised, as both EJ and Paul Stoddart had hinted at just such a relationship between Ferrari and the FIA in previous years anyway, and I seem to remember Frank Williams mentioning it once too- if I had the time to trawl through all my back issues of F1 Racing, I'm sure I could find a quote or two!

Anyway...back on-topic...

Conjecturally-speaking, I reckon it was time for Lewis to move on anyway. Whether it was disillusionment with McLaren or the lure of enhanced riches goaded by the whispering of his management team (who have a vested interest in such enhancement), the only real question is this: why didn't he hang on until 2014, when more competitive seats may have been available? Was he sold on the idea of enhancing his image by dragging Mercedes to the front? Or is it really as simple as he felt unloved at McLaren and had to get out ASAP?