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"

 

[Brogan]

If Hamilton doesn't win another WDC title at Mercedes for the next three or fours years then he will have equalled his tally at McLaren over the same period of time for the preceding three or four years.

 

[Jen]

I know it shouldn't but that made me laugh!

 

[Jen]

Of course you are right ExtremeNinja!

Ifs, buts and maybes make or break a career - the thing is we, joe public, will never know the reasoning behind any of it and will only see the results of good or bad decisions.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

...but surely we may speculate. There are plenty of us with plenty to say on the matter.

 

[Jen]

Indeed, but is it all pertinent?

 

[ExtremeNinja]

It is food for discussion. Enough that some of us will be happy with our conclusions and not enough for others. Still, food for healthy discussion and forming and sharing of opinions, whether entirely pertinent or otherwise.

 

[racecub]

@Jen like everyone I can only surmise what actually happened at McLaren based on what I see and what is said by the people directly involved. I can't always remember where I read things but I do try to read all the direct quotes, particularly from Lewis. It was he who said how difficult his decision was, how he had swayed one way then the other and weighed up a lot of things, and that he finally found himself settling on Mercedes in that break he took after Singapore, and then his mind didn't change back and his decision was made. He has said he is exited and has no regrets and he realises there is a lot of hard work to do. Whilst he isn't regretting his decision, maybe he will regret how things worked out, McLaren has been his world for very many years and he speaks very fondly of it. If he has regrets surely it will be about possibility and potential unfulfilled not about his decision to try a different path.

 

[Lewywo4]

Lewis has said that his decision was not based on money, though the initial offer from Mclaren to cut his salary was probably a kick in the teeth to him and started him thinking is he really valued?.

Let's not also forget racecub, when Ron Dennis said in public, " I think people get a little wrong impression. When I last looked at the contract I was paying him, so it's a question whether we employ him, not the other way around." I could imagine that this public statement made by Ron Dennis, may have given Hamilton a feeling of being less valued, and as you said racecub having, " a kick in the teeth. "

 

[racecub]

It certainly wasn't the brightest move Ron Dennis has ever made.

 

[F1ang-o]

IMO Lewis has been taken for granted too much at McLaren....& like everything...there is a limit ....& it was exceeded.

 

[Quintessentially]

Hamilton is believed to have earned about $24m (£15m) including bonuses this year with McLaren.
Sources say McLaren initially offered Hamilton about $20m (£12.5m) plus bonuses for 2013
and upped that to $22m (£13.8m) plus bonuses when they realised Mercedes was a serious possibility for him.
Mercedes initially offered about $28m (£17.5m) plus bonuses, upping it to about $31m (£19.4m) plus bonuses after McLaren raised their offer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20269668

 

[Galahad]

Nobody surely could question Hamilton leaving McLaren. It's the joining Mercedes part that I struggle with.

 

[Quintessentially]

I'll be interested to hear the other viable and realistic alternatives apart from Mercedes. In fact I would hazard a guess that McLaren began negotiations with a lower offer because they thought realictically he had no where to go. Auntie Beeb article backs this up.

 

[Hamberg]

I quite liked The Artist..... suggestion of negotiating the Red
Bull 2014 seat. But we are where we are and it seems Mercedes have a level
of confidence about 2014.

 

[Galahad]

Quintessentially

If Red Bull and Ferrari were really not an option in any way at all, then I didn't think he had anywhere realistic to go either, and expected him to stay put for the time being. We'll just have to hope Mercedes rise to the occasion - and not just for Lewis' sake. What are the suits in Stuttgart likely to do if they're paying one of the best drivers on the grid all this money, investing in hugely expensive new equipment for 2014, and still not winning?

 

[siffert_fan]

If Merc doesn't rise to the occasion, they will run the very real risk of becoming a new BAR/Honda team. The question then would be whether their abysmal performance would turn LH into a new Jacques V.

 

[racecub]

I'd say, no chance! Different animal.

 

[The Artist.....]

racecub ...

I don't know- I mean;
Entered f1 in a blaze of glory, surprising everyone at his first race, before finishing runner up in the championship in his first season, then winning it in his second season, despite a controversial penalty in the run in of the championship,... Having an on-off relationship with an overseas pop singer/ actress...... Who am I describing?

 

[teabagyokel]

The Artist..... - You also forgot:

• In third season carried #1 as cars from Newey and Brawn started to overtake his team
• Things went sour with "his" team when Jenson Button arrived and he left

 

[downforce]

I think Hamilton is an entirely more talented driver than JV, but will end up with the same number of WDC's