In the round-up: Hamilton tells McLaren he wants to spend less time with sponsors.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
McLaren concede world title as Lewis Hamilton rages at sponsor burden (The Guardian)
“When I re-sign the contract with McLaren they are going to be shocked at how many days they are not going to be able to make me do. I will be doing a lot less work. I definitely won’t be doing the whole period of time before the Silverstone Grand Prix, that’s for sure. I will have at least five days to prepare [for the race] in the future.”
McLaren boss refuses to give up on British Grand Prix (BBC)
“At Silverstone Whitmarsh took the unusual step of delaying the first question to make an impassioned plea to keep faith with his team. […]: ‘Please understand we know it’s difficult, we know they [Red Bull] are quick, we know we’re not quick.'”
Teams to consider diffuser rule offer (Autosport)
“Although leading outfits including Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, and McLaren are understood to be in favour of the move, other teams are not totally convinced.”
Alonso tries another Ferrari: on track tomorrow at Silverstone (Ferrari)
“He will be at the wheel of the actual 375 F1 car that Jos?? Froilan Gonzalez drove to give the Scuderia its maiden win at the highest level of motor sport, when he won the 1951 edition of this race.”
Hamilton must learn that although criticism has been heavy it is also well meant (The Independent)
“Now 89 points down on a Sebastian Vettel in charge of a vastly superior car and with the fastest rising graph of admiration in any corner of world sport, Hamilton brims with frustration. Nor can his mood be softened by a recent declaration of Michael Schumacher that ‘Baby Schumi’ is poised to move beyond his own extraordinary achievements.”
Ruling body backfires once again (Daily Telegraph)
“Quite why the FIA felt the need to change the regulations in midseason ? normally something reserved for issues of safety ? is a mystery.”
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Comment of the day
Noelinho foresees an interested start to the race:
The start will be very interesting tomorrow. It’s a long way down to village and if the Ferraris get a good start, they have a great shout getting through, as long as they don’t get double-teamed through Abbey and forced to back off – which could happen. I doubt Vettel and Webber would cooperate on that though!
If one does get in front, it’ll then be interesting to see how Vettel and Webber respond.
Noelinho
From the forum
Where will Daniel Ricciardo finish in his first F1 race?
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On this day in F1
Juan Pablo Montoya scored his first victory for McLaren in the British Grand Prix on this day in 2005.
Montoya squeezed past Fernando Alonso at the start to take the lead.
Kimi Raikkonen recovered to finish third after being demoted ten places on the grid following an engine failure in qualifying.
Image © McLaren
JPQuesado (@joao-pedro-cq)
10th July 2011, 0:07
Lewis Hamilton is turning into Kimi Raikkonen with the sponsors. But I understand him, so I won’t criticise him.
Cacarella
10th July 2011, 1:17
Yes, and we all know what happened to Kimi right?
Tom
10th July 2011, 1:23
“I don’t understand how this car can be so hot. My ass is even burning in here!”
Lewis seemed to enjoy driving NASCAR, though. Him and Kimi could team up.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
10th July 2011, 1:24
Well apparently Kimi wanted the money and to do as little sponsorship as possible.
It seems insane that McLaren are working the drivers this hard. Even if it is their home race? Especially if it’s their home race.
Then again I think back to Jackie Stewart’s autobiography where he says how treating the sponsors right can cover up for short-term failure on-track. Sounds about right to me.
BasCB (@bascb)
10th July 2011, 9:37
I compare it to Button, and see the real problem is not in the program (guess Alonso had quite a program in the 2 spanish races and will have at Monza), but the fact Hamilton badly needs a pause to refocus and get his approach right.
bosyber
10th July 2011, 9:43
Well said. Apart from that, I’m pretty tired hearing what newspapers say to/about Hamilton, and what he now did/said that was apparently ill-advised.
Klaas
10th July 2011, 10:10
But first of all BasCB Hamilton need a winning car. I think his frustrations on-track are doing him more damage than those off-track.
hawkfist
10th July 2011, 11:39
If you read the last paragraph of the article Button actually agree’s with him, but just generically covers it up with “well it’s our home grand prix so”.
bananarama
10th July 2011, 2:05
Good thing (or not, depends on your point of view) is that Lewis says “when” instead of “if” when talking about re-signing a contract with McLaren. Guess we will hear the official news once its suitable at some sponsor event (oh the irony ….).
Toro Stevo
10th July 2011, 2:40
Being a home race probably has something to do with it.
Button had mentioned in the past that the sponsor work was a bit overwhelming when at home, and Webber’s said the same of Australia.
Then again, they’re all going to need to take pay cuts if they want to do less work. You don’t get something for nothing.
zecks
10th July 2011, 10:21
it’s their home race and everyone wants a piece. His petulance is astounding and announcing his contractual terms to world before agreement is just naive
Pinball
10th July 2011, 4:55
Everyone else in the world has to work almost every single day too, and we don’t bitch about it. The sponsors are the guys that pay his wage, and pay the bills for McLaren. If he wants the money, and a good car to drive, you need the sponsors. If you don’t want to do things for the sponsors why should they do anything for him.
hawkfist
10th July 2011, 11:46
I don’t think Lewis minds doing work at all, it’s just that his idea of working is on and around an f1 car and racing. For example the BBC showed him doing a photoshoot yesterday where he turned up and had to be the photographer. He seemed to enjoy himself but that’s just 1 small event out of hundreds, and you don’t know how much of an act it is.
While you can argue these events are part of his overall “job”, I think it’s pretty fair to say with the amount they’re having to do, it’s interfering with the most important side – ie the racing side. I know I’d be ****** off at work if I had to go and visit 4 various events with a smileyface on while I knew there was stuff I should be knuckling down on back at the factory.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
10th July 2011, 5:29
On his quietest day, Hamilton is still doing more sponsor hours than Raikkonen was on his busiest. Hamilton and Button have been doing a lot of PR functions of late, and maybe a cutback is exactly what he needs to calm down a little. Raikkonen, on the other hand, hated PR commitments, and was already doing the bare minimum when he effectively asked for a contract that meant he would have no media obligations.
The difference here is that Hamilton will ask for a lighter load, not an exemption from PR functions.
bosyber
10th July 2011, 9:47
And he is asking it to be able to have more time to prepare for the races. Given his recent less than great results, that does seem to be a reasonable request, really.
But maybe he and McLaren should sit down w/o talking to the press about how to get that now, instead of from contract negotiations.
Or perhaps that was unsuccessful and hence Hamilton spoke out. If that’s the case, it would seem to be very silly from McLaren, they need results too to better woo those same sponsors.
They certainly didn’t seem to be doing very smart things this weekend, so who knows. Let’s see how their race goes.
DVC
10th July 2011, 6:41
I agree with Hamilton on this one. A driver is employed to drive. They are elite sports people who need to have the proper preparation and right frame of mind for a grand prix weekend. If you want to win, don’t give your drivers extra stuff to do.
phildick (@phildick)
10th July 2011, 9:46
The driver is employed to do what is written in his contract. That’s what he’s paid for. While I understand his point and I’m pretty sure that the whole ‘Vodafone/McLaren/Mercedes’ stuff may be overwhelming I expect he could read and understand what he was signing a few years ago.
Of course this was his first F1 contract so he didn’t have that much knowledge of the burden he was taking on himself but after getting some experience last years he could ask for a lower wage or talk with Whitmarsh and sponsors about it. But he of course did what he likes best – went to the press and whined.
MuzzleFlash
10th July 2011, 7:47
I was at a Santander event on Wednesday, and while it was great to actually see him because I can’t afford to fly to a grand prix, you could tell they really didn’t want to be there and were basically being treated as pets by those involved. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if there was a bit more dignity in it.
TheBrav3
10th July 2011, 12:09
Personaly i think someone needs to sit him down and slap him in the face hard and i say that as a massive lewis fan.
He never does interviews before an event which every other driver even michael schumacher does do sometimes. Now he doesn’t want to do sponsor events, he should realise those events aren’t about the sponsors but the fans who see them. With out the fans watching these events there would be no point in the sponsors arranging them. saying he doesn’t want to do it may as well be a back hand to all of us he doesn’t have time for us.
Oliver
10th July 2011, 14:31
I guess you need that slap on the face, as you don’t know his schedule. You don’t even know if both drivers have equal amount of PR time.
These are racing drivers, they need a few quiet moments to Focus.
TheBrav3
10th July 2011, 15:54
LOL I guarantee you hamilton gets ALOT more time off per year than anyone here!
TheBrav3
10th July 2011, 17:21
Then there’s the fact that as a sportsman he’s suposed to work hard for the limited ammount of time that he is a top level sportsman. Ask any other champion in any other sport, granted maybe formula one more so but it’s the cutting edge.
Hamilton is going to retire at give or take 35 as a multi multi multi millionair, living in mauritius drinking cocktails from a coconut for the latter 40+ years of his life doing sod all!!! Complaining about his work load is pathetic. Compared to him the average person will work their way to a broken body an early death and poverty having worked their fingers to the bones for 50+ years just to get their familys by.
Yes he’s a good driver but actually, If all 9 billion people in the world were given the same opportunity as he was as a youngster. He probably wouldn’t even be on the same page as who ever was deemed to be the actual greatest because there will alawys be someone better. How ever you look at it he’s had a blessed life complaining about it is not the done thing.
polishboy808
10th July 2011, 0:09
Okay, am I the only one that gets the Sounds ads? I emailed Keith about it but I got nothing back, and still nothings happened. I also get a Survey ad that slides into view on the home site. Sorry, but this is getting pretty ridiculous.
graham228221 (@graham228221)
10th July 2011, 0:17
I’ve had one, ever, and read the site pretty much every day. If they’re based on some sort of google analytics, then that would explain why some people see them more than others.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
10th July 2011, 1:05
I have never had one.
Fixy (@)
10th July 2011, 8:37
Neither have I. No flashing/noisy ads.
Bigbadderboom
10th July 2011, 11:00
I’m here everyday and never had an issue with sounds or surveys.
Cacarella
10th July 2011, 1:12
I’ve never gotten a ‘slider into view’
ad. The ones I see just keep to themselves around the perimeter of the page.
mmm… Asian Beauties….
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
10th July 2011, 1:18
I’m not sure if I’ve received your specific email – I do get an awful lot.
I have requested the removal of two ads in the last 24 hours that do not comply with the restrictions I impose on auto-playing sound. These should go out of rotation soon.
If you have a complaint about an ad please get in touch via the contact form and arrange to supply a screen grab of the ad so I can look into it.
Adrian Morse
10th July 2011, 6:46
I get some Dutch ads (being from the Netherlands), so maybe your sound-playing ad was Polish, and therefore was not so easy for Keith to spot?
MaksutovCG
10th July 2011, 8:31
one add that i’ve been getting frequently is the one advertising Asian single ladies. One of them goes something like this:
“Live Chat with Asian single ladies now!!”
looks pretty ridiculous when seen on this site. Makes the whole site cheap and unprofessional.
MaksutovCG
10th July 2011, 8:32
*ad
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
10th July 2011, 9:24
Again that is not the sort of ad that should be appearing – it’s not an ad I’ve seen. If you can supply any further details, please do so via the contact form.
Mike
10th July 2011, 0:22
I’m going to be honest… The more Lewis is unable to clam down and get on with it. The more Button will revel.
I think with Lewis’ antics this year, I can’t see how he’ll have a Mclaren contract next year if he doesn’t settle soon. He is doing too much damage. However, I think his problem will be whether anyone else up top will take him. Red Bull are apparently close to keeping Webber for another year, and I can’t see Alonso allowing Ferrari to take him…
Nixon (@nixon)
10th July 2011, 0:34
Just been thinking when you said “I can’t see how he’ll have a Mclaren contract next year if he doesn’t settle soon. ” is he trying to do that deliberatry so he can go to RedBull.
Pinball
10th July 2011, 4:58
Mark Webber has apparently told Australian TV that he will be driving for Red Bull next year.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
10th July 2011, 5:31
Webber is smart enough to know that if he tells the Australian media what they want to hear, they’ll move on and ask him something interesting. If he doesn’t, then the entire interview will be about whether or not he will be staying at Red Bull – and he hates those interviews.
MaksutovCG
10th July 2011, 8:49
good point, but if Mark does not stay one would assume that Ricciardo could get the drive…
going back to Hamilton, frankly, if he wants to leave McLaren I would not give him a drive in any competitive…
David-A (@david-a)
10th July 2011, 0:41
Apparently, Fernando’s problem was with Mclaren management (Ron Dennis, Martin Whitmarsh) rather than Lewis himself. Still hard to see those two paired together again though.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
10th July 2011, 5:34
Alonso’s problem was Alonso. when he went to McLaren, he assumed that because he was the reigning World Champion and Lewis Hamilton was a rookie, he would get preferential treatment from the team from the outset. However, his contract never stated that he would be the team’s lead driver. He had just come out of Renault, where he had been the favoured son of Flavio Braitore for years. Whatever Alonso wanted, Alonso got. He expected the same from McLaren. It wasn’t until after the falling-out with McLaren and his subsequent return to Renault that Alonso stopped taking his position within the team for granted.
Q85
10th July 2011, 11:08
so how comes pretty much every 3-5 years mclaren have the same problem. time and time again(prost, DC, montoya, kimi, fernando, kova, lewis-button turkey) . Things have improved since ron left. but turkey last year proved team orders still exist in mclaren as much if not more than any where else. which is fine team orders are ok, but dont lie about it.
Also recent outbursts from a certain driver perhaps show alonso wasnt the the petulant one. Tho Alonso has learned a great deal since mclaren and lewis would be smart to follow his example. Fernando has had many reasons to blow his top at poor decisions from his team in the last 12 months but has not done so once. Lewis hasnt really had any reason to but cant seem to go a week without putting them down in one way or another.
But also id like to add (and coulthard agrees in his book) that it was good for fernando to stand up to what was happening at mclaren (same goes for prost). A drivers career is a short one you cant waste years in teams where you know you dont have an even crack at it…….remember what the great ron said in china ‘ we are racing Fernando’ Alonso didnt go the best way about it perhaps i would agree, but he had to do something. DC im sure will regret not doing so himself.
Klaas
10th July 2011, 9:50
Nah, don’t think Lewis will leave McLaren soon. No other top team will get him because they already got their stars (Alonso and Vettel). What team needs scenes like Monaco and Hungaroring 2007 or Turkey 2010?
About McLaren offering him a contract for next season – be serious Mike, Lewis is a gold mine (and the most effervescent driver on the grid), no antics will determine the team to drop him. It’s more likely too see McLaren changing their politics than giving up on Hamilton.
Lucio Ghigna
10th July 2011, 11:45
I would like to see Lewis in Ferrari with Feranando. Pure show!
LL Jehto (@)
10th July 2011, 0:24
Unfortunately for them, they don’t just have to drive the car to get their awesome salaries at the end of the month. Maybe they would rather take a pay cut for less sponsor-related work? (I know I would)
Simon
10th July 2011, 8:49
He talked about the amount of work he does being prohibitive to his preparation – not being able to train between Valencia and Silverstone as a result of sponsor commitments.
Whilst I’m surprised he chose to talk about it in public, what he actually said appears reasonable.
LL Jehto (@)
10th July 2011, 10:45
yeah, that’s preciselly it: to speak in public. It has a feeling of emptyness, vacuity what he did, hasn’t it? When someone has an issue with his employer, the best he can do is talk to him, right? What is he expecting from those declarations, really?
MVEilenstein
10th July 2011, 0:28
Where he started. That’s not a knock on HRT.
Klaas
10th July 2011, 10:17
This is the best outcome, I bet he won’t even finish this race.
Calum
10th July 2011, 0:32
Apparently there is going to be an Eccurie Eccosse at Silverstone doing a parade lap tomorrow?
Well it turns out I have links to this race team – I’ll get back to you when I find out more, we did some family tree research and it turns out a former team member was a lot closer related than we realised – got phone numbers to find out more – I’ll hopefully get back and share the knowledge I get later today. :D
Matty
10th July 2011, 0:44
‘Baby Schumi’ Thats funny yet horrifiying
maxthecat
10th July 2011, 0:44
Long gone are the days when Lewis was just happy to be in F1 eh. I really hope he sorts himself out because as a fan of his i have to say he’s really coming across as someone who thinks all aspects of F1, aside the driving, are beneath him.
He’s a great driver but the more years pass the less i see him winning anymore titles and for someone so fast it’s a real shame.
Sam
10th July 2011, 1:15
I think he’s just immensely frustrated with the ‘fluff’ of F1 and just wants to be afforded the opportunity to battle it out for the win. He really believed that 2011 would have been a competitive year.
bearforce1
10th July 2011, 1:57
I think at least twenty other drivers want the same.
DaveW
10th July 2011, 1:00
This is what else the Guardian had to say about what Hamilton said, besides the part that just makes him look bad quoted here:
Hamilton, who has had a torrid season on and off the track, has worked almost every day since the last grand prix, in Valencia two weeks ago. The British driver has sometimes had to make as many as four appearances in one day on behalf of McLaren’s many sponsors. He said in the buildup to this grand prix: “I have just come from the last race and I have had a day or two off and I am certain if you look down the paddock there won’t be many other drivers that have done what I have been doing over the last two weeks.”
This is the reality. And when you consider that the team is backsliding now, you have to wonder if it helps the team that the drivers are spending 95% of their time hawking cellphones instead of training, analyzing data, and working to develop the car with engineers.
Wooly
10th July 2011, 3:44
Well said. If sponsors are affecting the performance of the outfit, someone has to say something. There must be a very careful balance.
Adrian Morse
10th July 2011, 6:54
I agree that something must be said, but preferably behind closed doors. Implying in public that you do not enjoy spending time with your sponsor will probably not impress said sponsors much.
Boomerang
10th July 2011, 8:46
I wonder what took him so long to speak up…
LL Jehto (@)
10th July 2011, 7:56
you know, that’s how the teams manage to pay what they pay to the drivers. and to have money to build and develop a competetive car. It’s a bit sad, but that’s how it is, and part of a F1 driver job description is not only driving but also working for the sponsors, appearances and all of that, on McLaren and on every other team.
Lewis time and time again continues to show he has no brain. with this commentaries to the press who he is helping? himself? the team? the sponsors? no, no and no. someone said he speaks his mind. no, this is being petulant and childish: it’s called making a tantrum. Speaking his mind was Nelson Piquet (Senior), that said what he thought, but not what was no benefit for him, or would hurt him. Speaking one’s mind means telling the truth, saying what one really thinks, but those who do it also choose about what they’ll speak his mind.
Trust me, he won’t be able to make those kind of demands, no matter how good he is; he would just lose his seat.
Boomerang
10th July 2011, 8:49
Your comment assumes that he should be more commited to the sponsors rather then driving. But, he is a RACING DRIVER not marketing expert…
BasCB (@bascb)
10th July 2011, 9:54
no, but doing driver appearances at sponsor events is part of the way to being successfull. Just look at what NASCAR stars do for their money!
And compare what Steward (I think) said about playing to the sponsors, especially when things were not going well and making them stick around because of a positive and open attetude.
LL Jehto (@)
10th July 2011, 10:38
the problem, BasCB, is that Hamilton seems to have a mental age of 14 (maybe 15, let’s not be too harsh on the boy) years old. he doesn’t seem to understand someone else is paying for him to have the chance to do those races, and that they then ask him something back. I remember being a teenager and only wanting to demand my parents more money and not understanding why should I do what they told me. Of course that all changed when I got my first real job.
LL Jehto (@)
10th July 2011, 10:28
No, it doesn’t assume anything of the kind. It just emphasizes that being a racing driver (why the caps?) in F1 these days implies doing those marketing stunts. It’s just how it is. It also saddens me, believe me. The money they (the team) get from winning races and race results is not enough for their budget. How difficult is to understand this?
Just to see the difference between Lewis’ attitude and his teammate, who has a simmilar workload, just read Button’s declarations, in the end of the article, I believe.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
10th July 2011, 1:09
On a much more positive note, was anyone as impressed as I was with the new fly-by-wire camera mounted down at Brooklands-Woodcote? They run one down the length of the pit straight at Bathurst, but this is the first time I’ve seen one used with a pivot before. It looks great.
graham228221 (@graham228221)
10th July 2011, 1:45
Yeah, really cool!! Was trying to guess where it was going to end :)
Icthyes (@icthyes)
10th July 2011, 1:53
I was very impressed, it kept me guessing when the view would end!
Eggry (@eggry)
10th July 2011, 2:06
I want much more air cameras including wire and helicopter.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
10th July 2011, 5:37
A pivoting fly-by-wire camera running across Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel would be fantastic. But they already had a great angle looking back towards Copse, so I’m hardly complaining. I don’t think I’ve seen that one before, either.
Lee
10th July 2011, 7:52
wewere watching it moving while we were there on Friday, it was getting very very low at some points and providing great shots on the big screen!
US_Peter (@us_peter)
10th July 2011, 8:14
Yep, best thing FOM has done since going HD, which for me just happened this race as well. The combination of my new HD box, that camera, and those wet super slow mo shots made for some pretty fantastic F1 viewing so far this weekend. I hope we see more of these cameras this year, and hopefully at multiple locations around the track too!
BasCB (@bascb)
10th July 2011, 9:55
finally something positive for the FOM coverage. I agree on these camera’s and good camera angles making it all the more enjoyable.
Boomerang
10th July 2011, 8:53
At last, someone to say something positive. Cheers mate
Butler258
10th July 2011, 10:29
Im surprised that everyone is digging this so much, they used to have on at the new Hockenheim a few years ago which tracked the cars out of the hairpin and down that straight to that little kink.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nG-e-mNNOk You can see it fly by on this onboard.
Dont get me wrong its a lovely shot but FOM have done it before :-/
SoLiDG
10th July 2011, 1:16
I understand Lewis. Mclaren do way too much promotion apperances for their drivers. They need to be concentrating on the racing instead!
For some above, mclaren wont let him go
they know he’s the best they can get. Vettel and Alonso aee the only on his level and aren’t available!
Tom
10th July 2011, 1:20
If Lewis keeps whining, McLaren will let him go (and likely Martin Whitmarsh too, for good measure).
Paul Di Resta or Nico Rosberg would probably jump at the chance to take Hamilton’s seat.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
10th July 2011, 5:39
Pffft. I very much doubt McLaren would take Hulkenberg. Not when they could pick up someone with an extra year’s experience – like, say, Kamui Kobayashi.
Lee
10th July 2011, 7:54
who said anything about hulk in the posts you are responding too?>
Tom
10th July 2011, 1:17
Lewis, watch “A Season with McLaren”, and you will see that even Senna had to do the sponsorship stuff.
invisiblekid
10th July 2011, 1:22
Say what you like about Lewis and Button, but I never see any other team do so much PR. I’m sure there were some figures posted about how many hours each driver did, or at least some and the GB team by far did the most…..from what I remember.
As Joao Pedro said, Kimi made sure he did as little as possible. But of course you need to be in a better championship pos. than Lewis is in right now to demand big cuts. Good news or bad news, Lewis generates hype and the Mclaren name gets mentioned just as much as a very winning Red Bull, so whether he stays or goes, that team will want him to do as much showtime as possible
Eggry (@eggry)
10th July 2011, 1:58
I recommend Ferrari or Red Bull to Mclaren drivers who don’t like sponsorship activicy :P I remember Alonso said he contracted under bias that he wanted to do such activity as less as possible. maybe they gone too far.
Eggry (@eggry)
10th July 2011, 2:01
I mean when Alonso contracted with Mclaren.
Mark Hitchcock
10th July 2011, 2:03
Plenty of people do harder work for more hours than Hamilton does, get paid much, much less and don’t get to do what they love every fortnight.
Sorry if I don’t have much sympathy for him.
I can understand his frustrations because he just wants to race an F1 car. But why air it so publicly? He’s just coming off as a self-entitled brat lately.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
10th July 2011, 9:43
Difference is most of us work hard at our actual jobs, not distracting sideshows which bare no relevance to how well we perform it.
Button also said it was too much but you chose to focus on Hamilton. In fact I don’t understand why Button gets this “Teflenson” treatment. He moans about the car’s grip just about every weekend but no-one seems to care much until Hamilton does it. It doesn’t bother me because I think it’s their job to say “this is wrong with the car” just as it’s their responsibility to say if they;re being worked too hard to do their jobs properly.
Klaas
10th July 2011, 10:07
Well it’s pretty simple – nobody expects too much from Button so it’s OK for everyone to hear excuses like “The car lacks grip, the set-up was wrong, etc” which in everyone’s mind (including Jenson’s) translates as “I’m just not as good as my team-mate”. When it come too Hamilton everyone expects something big and the disappointment fits the expectations. It’s like DOG BITES MAN is Jenson’s case and MAN BITES DOG in Hamilton’s.
Mark Hitchcock
10th July 2011, 12:10
Who pays the team so that they can pay his wage? Sponsors.
Why do they do this? To have access to the glamorous world of F1 and its drivers and use them for publicity.
He can’t do the part of his job he likes without pleasing the people who pay for it.
I’ve gotta do **** things in my job as well but I don’t also get to do something amazing every fortnight.
And I’ll repeat: he gets paid an extortionate amount of money. Why should we have any sympathy when he complains about having to actually earn some of it?
He needs some perspective when he talks about being worked too hard. What he does is not hard work.
He’s well within his rights to complain, but why do it in a newspaper?
Button always gets stick when he complains about the balance and grip of the car.
You’re trying to paint it like I’m just against Hamilton when that’s not the case.
It’s just that Hamilton is the focus of the article I’m talking about.
Chippie
10th July 2011, 2:09
Umm… Not really feeling much sympathy for Lewis here. As a racing driver he has to – i’m sure – stay up to date with the tech in the car, drive simulations, stay fit etc etc. However: Lewis is in a profession where he gets a fairly hefty holiday in the winter, you retire well before everyone else, the restrictions in testing coupled with the fact that McLaren employ a test driver mean that Lewis must have much less work than those in previous generations, he is whisked everywhere in top class luxury and for all this he gets paid a LOT of money. I’m sure the sponsor stuff is boring but maybe Lewis would be less over-worked if he didn’t live in Switzerland. A country which he moved to so that he paid less tax. Which means he has more money. Of which a fair proportion of which comes from his sponsors (both personally, and with the team). Call me wrong but it seems to me that compared to a guy who has to sit behind a desk all day earning a fraction of what Lewis earns, Lewis has it pretty sweet.
spree
10th July 2011, 3:15
Well, luckily every single word you say and action you do at your desk is not over-analyzed and/or taken out of context. And I think that has a lot to do with Lewis’ added frustration.
mwoerne (@mwoerne)
10th July 2011, 3:20
Yes, but Lewis is much more worthy of that money now, isn’t he? That poor schmuck sitting behind the desk can’t do what Lewis can do. I’ve always hated that argument- that just because people get paid a good deal of money, their complaints aren’t as well deserved. Lewis deserves what he earns because he’s damned good at it, and can complain, just like every other worker, about his job. Lewis, and Jenson for that matter, do a TON of work for McLaren, and I can understand his point of view, frankly. I bet you didn’t call out Button when he made similar statements a few months back, did you? Lewis is just way more fun to hate, I guess.
Pinball
10th July 2011, 5:23
I have no doubt there would be hundreds if not thousands of “poor schmucks” that could drive a Formula 1 car as fast and as well as any of the current Formula 1 drivers, it’s just they have never had the opportunity to have a go. Not every kid at the age of 5 has parents that are rich and can afford to pay for their kids to go karting, or have parents that are willing to potentially lose everything to pay for their kids to go karting.
Furthermore not every kid that is lucky enough to go karting is then lucky enough to get signed up by McLaren at any early age, and then have McLaren fund their entire (except of two races) career.
You’d have to be kidding yourself if you think the 24 F1 drivers are the best of the best. There is no doubting they are good, even very good, but being good or very good is a small factor of getting into F1. Having money to fund your junior career, and even to buy a seat in F1, and luck, are equally as important, if not more important that being good.
F1 drivers do not deserve the large pay packets, they are just lucky that sponsors are willing to pay the large sums. The thing is, in life, the more you get paid, the more you’re expected to make for the companies paying you. No one gets a free lunch. If Lewis doesn’t want to do the sponsor appearances than he absolutely does not deserve to be paid the millions he currently is.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
10th July 2011, 5:41
It’s been said that the greatest driver in the world is a woodcutter living in Siberia – but he’ll never know it and the world will never see him.
As has been pointed out elsewhere in this thread, the McLaren drivers are doing more PR work than any other team. And since McLaren themselves are on the downturn, they need every man-hour they can get. In the current state of affairs, is Hamilton’s time better spent selling mobile phones, or going over telemetry data with his engineers?
Boomerang
10th July 2011, 9:04
Pinball, it’s my opinion that you’re missing the point completely. The carpenter is supposed to make furniture. If you hire one to build something for you, what are your expectations? PR? I don’t think so!
Icthyes (@icthyes)
10th July 2011, 9:49
So in actuality, you agree with him, because he says his commitments prevent him from doing that.
This isn’t “I don’t want to do sponsorship, I want to go home and play on my PS3”. I wonder how well you’d do your job if you had to cut out preparation time for a meeting to meet and greet the company shareholders every week.
Chippie
10th July 2011, 12:40
Good point. All I’m saying is that his workload is relatively low and his pay is astronomically high, and some of that pay comes from doing a bit of sponsorship work.
Cacarella
10th July 2011, 2:15
Just picked up my HD receiver about three hours ago – Can’t wait til tomorrow morning!!!
Right now I’m watching the Kentucky NASCAR race!
I just threw up a little in my mouth, but the picture clarity is brilliant!!!
sato113
10th July 2011, 3:01
hi all! i’m back
Alfie
10th July 2011, 9:55
Didn’t know you were gone!
Cacarella
10th July 2011, 12:30
I knew you were gone – I could sense it. Welcome back!
Hallard
10th July 2011, 4:13
Seems like Lewis isn’t trying to say that he thinks the sponsor events are beneath him, or a waste of his time, but rather that he feels like he should be able to focus more on race preparation and training and whatnot (especially given the championship position McLaren is in). Which I agree with, even though its not the reality of the sport.
However, he should have said it in a more diplomatic way…as usual.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
10th July 2011, 9:51
Totally agree.
Kenny
10th July 2011, 11:12
Drivers have been griping about promotional duties forever (well, since 1966 anyway), and quite rightly sometimes. They do it, for the most part, in private so as not to **** off the sponsors. Griping in public is not cool and tends to get everyone annoyed with you.
Lewis knows this, and promotional work isn’t the only thing he’s complaining about. He’s on about everything lately. The man is not a happy camper. A move is imminent IMHO.
Malibu_GP
10th July 2011, 6:21
Can’t really refute that logic, can You Haters? Hmm, who am I kidding? All You armchair experts continue to find ways to look ridiculous…
Abuelo Paul (@abuello-paul)
10th July 2011, 8:55
I think if I had a contract worth 500,000 a week I would keep my mouth firmly sealed and jump through hoops if thats what the boss wanted. Not to mention the “pocket money” generated by looking after those sponsors in advertising their products.
It seems to me that Lewis’s frustrations are building up and he is looking at venting in any way possible, which is not cool.
Maybe in the break he should look into an anger management week and then a personal confidence building week and then a driver refresher course to get him back into the zone of why he is a Formula 1 racing driver at McLaren. And then a self maturity course to help him grow up.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
10th July 2011, 9:54
Except the situation doesn’t compare to you or I. He isn’t just doing a job – he’s competing against others in a visible way.
If I were a City banker but my company asked me to do promotional work at weekends instead of keeping an eye on weekend developments, I’d be pretty annoyed too when other people were clinching the bigger deals and getting promoted within theirs.
Abuelo Paul (@abuello-paul)
10th July 2011, 8:58
Has anyone seen Lewis’s dummy this weekend?
electrolite (@electrolite)
10th July 2011, 10:19
Too right Lewis…obviously a lot of us work longer and do more boring jobs and earn but a fraction; however they’re racing drivers and him and Jenson seem to spend more time acting.
electrolite (@electrolite)
10th July 2011, 10:19
LESS time acting!
VXR
10th July 2011, 11:59
Maybe he should read the small print in his contract next time? If there is a ‘next time’.
dave
10th July 2011, 10:31
Well done Lewis for speaking out about the whole sponsor duties ********.
I also wonder if Lewis meant to say ‘resign’ rather than ‘re-sign’
VXR
10th July 2011, 11:57
I suppose he could resign. A year off may do him some good.
VXR
10th July 2011, 11:53
Ain’t that the truth!
I know of one young lad that could run rings around the entire F1 grid. And you could bring back a few ‘greats’ at that, too.
Unfortunately for this lad he was more interested in the ‘darker’ aspects of life to be able to give his full attention to Kart racing.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
10th July 2011, 12:08
I’m not surprised Lewis is narked with that work load, I would be. He does have enough clout at McLaren to probably scale back the sponsor days.
Dvid
10th July 2011, 12:09
I am the only one who finds the front on view of the start frustrating as you cant see who has moved forward or backwards.
A view from slightly above solves this and invariably they show this as a replay about two laps too late !
Dvid
10th July 2011, 12:10
Mm perhaps wrong forum for my last !
Uk F1
10th July 2011, 17:43
Reasonable ! All the paying fans want to see there icons for a few bits of time at the home race + he bitches about it ! I think he’s spat the dummy out as he’s no longer golden boy personally ! As I said in 2007 the real test for Hamilton will come when he doesn’t have the best car + we’ll see how much of a gentleman he is when that day comes + as I thought he’s spat the dummy out once again this time calling the fans a put off well fans if you are like me I think we should all stop buying tickets + merchandise (Not ! just making an example !) to see how he would handle real life without these Mclaren silver spoon antics + £15,000,000 year plus sponsorship deals pay checks + see how happy he his if we all turn our backs on him like he has done to everybody else (including his Dad !) + all us fans + maybe even Mclaren as well in the future ! + honestly if he does leave Mclaren after all they have done for him then I will personally never support him ever again + I could only wish if he does leave Mclaren that he will get a rubbish RBR car + a rubbish whatever car he drives in the future + for the rest of his career.
Muddy250 (@)
10th July 2011, 19:17
Understand the need to have some time to focus on the racing which is what he’s paid to do after all BUT it’s hard to take complaints about workload from someone earning £30k a week eh?
I’d suspend him for a few races, they’re not gonna lose anything. Bring the spoiled little bugger down to earth, leave him at HQ to clean the bogs for £5.65 an hour for a fortnight and give someone else his seat.
Muddy250 (@)
10th July 2011, 19:19
oops, it’s worse than that Jim. Meant to say £300k a week
ianrox (@)
11th July 2011, 0:24
Lewis deserves a break. McLaren do expect too much. I was at a Vodafone Q&A saturday afternoon and as much as they looked like they were enjoying it (lewis and Jenson) I bet they only were cos it was Silverstone!
Sod all the money, they need time to prepare, Ok they need to do competitions for fans etc, but a lot of corporate tie-ups are rubbish and only attract TOWIE wannabes! Let them race and reward racing fans!
corky
11th July 2011, 9:29
Hanilton should not worry about sponsor work,his worry should be more about the amateurish race weekend performed by the Mclaren team