‘No excuse’ for not getting pole – Hamilton

F1 Fanatic Round-up

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In the round-up: Lewis Hamilton says he will have no excuse if he fails to take pole position at Monaco for the first time tomorrow.

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Your daily digest of F1 news, views, features and more.

Hamilton aims to emulate Senna (The Telegraph)

“In 2009 I had the chance to be on pole but I crashed. I had to be on such a limit that day, it was a risk, a bit too much of a risk. Last year I did but I wasn’t quick enough. This year I know I’ve got the car, and I don’t have an excuse.”

Adrian Newey commits his ‘foreseeable future’ to Red Bull’s F1 team (The Guardian)

“Formula One’s greatest designer, Adrian Newey, will remain with Red Bull for the foreseeable future, even though Ferrari are prepared to pay an estimated £20m salary for his considerable services.”

2014 Monaco Grand Prix Thursday Press Conference (FIA)

Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci: “If I invite Adrian Newey to work at Ferrari? No.”

The rise of Brabham (MotorSport)

“Rather than slavishly follow [Colin] Chapman’s monocoque lead, Brabham stuck with space frames that were easier on the pocket, easier to repair – and damned difficult to beat.”

FIA to continue F1 noise efforts (Autosport)

“There is a growing feeling in the F1 paddock that the issue itself is becoming less important to react to.”

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Comment of the day

GP2 champion Fabio Leimer didn’t get a seat in F1 this year but he will test a Lotus next week. Does he deserve a shot?

I think that one of the main reason to why Leimer can’t even seem to get close to a seat in F1 is because his GP2 championship came quite late (in his fourth season).

Comparatively speaking, Hamilton, Rosberg and Hulkenberg won their GP2 championship in their first season.

Then again, it took Grosjean four years to win a GP2 championship yet he didn’t turn out too badly (despite the slow career start).
@Kingshark

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On this day in F1

Jarno Trulli interrupted Michael Schumacher’s winning start to the 2004 season with victory in the Monaco Grand Prix for Renault. Trulli was the only driver other than Schumacher to win in the first 13 races that year, yet he was dropped by Renault before the season ended.

Schumacher’s race came to an end after a crash in the tunnel – as did Fernando Alonso’s. The Ferrari driver tangled with Juan Pablo Montoya while the Safety Car was deployed.

This was just a few laps after Alonso went into the barriers while lapping Schumacher’s brother Ralf. Alonso left the Williams driver in no doubt who he blamed for the crash, raising his middle finger while the Renault was still sliding to a stop.

Image © Daimler/Hoch Zwei

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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134 comments on “‘No excuse’ for not getting pole – Hamilton”

  1. I wish Hamilton would stop talking and just get on with it. I’m fed up of hearing all these comments about how he’s more hungry than Rosberg or how he wants to destroy him. It’s not very classy and considering how well he’s doing it just seems unnecessary. Just do your talking on the track Lewis. You don’t see the likes of Raikkonen, Vettel or Rosberg coming out with all this crap.

    1. Your comment seems unnecessary too. There is Nothing wrong with setting a target to qualify on pole.

      1. I was’t really referring to this comment in particular. I don’t have a problem with what he said here. It’s just some of the other things he’s been saying this week. I like Hamilton but he says some daft things sometimes.

        1. you should get over ut @james as psychological battles are part of racing/sport and they have not just began with Ham. Just don’t listen if you don’t want. Senna used to do some talking that made his rivals think differently about him……

        2. @james

          I was’t really referring to this comment in particular.

          Then maybe you should provide a quote of the comment you think you’re talking about. It looks like you’re not referring to anything Hamilton actually said, but to what you assume he meant by saying something else. It speaks more about you, than about him.

          1. +1.

            I really can’t see the cocky devil tons of people see in Hamilton. I can’t even clearly uderstand what fuels such bad impression some people have of him.

          2. @maroonjack

            Stuff like this: http://en.espnf1.com/mercedes/motorsport/story/159475.html make him look like a fool IMO.

          3. I’m completely in agreement with @jcost on this one.

            @rcorporon you guys are acting like Hamilton invented this genre. Every “human interest piece” on every athlete in the press is about how they overcame their humble beginnings/terrible circumstance/devestating injury/being too young/being too old/ etc/etc/etc.

            Now Lewis talks about the fact that his background makes him feel like he has something to prove and everyone loses their mind.
            Try some of these links:
            http://soccerlens.com/overcoming-adversity-three-extraordinary-achievements-by-the-modern-football-players/83688/
            OR
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilma_Rudolph
            OR
            the story of how Larry Ellison became a mega-billionaire despite the fact his teenage mother essentially abandoned him…..yada yada yada.

            You can’t watch a sports contest without hearing one of these stories. Why is Lewis a “fool” for being motivated by what he’s overcome?

        3. My apologies for forcing you to read them ;)

        4. Kenneth Ntulume
          23rd May 2014, 8:36

          I think you are overzealous in your dismissal of Hamilton. Frankly you come of silly.
          Have you considered the fact that Hamilton is simply answering questions…….I thought so!

        5. Another thing too is that the press is fishing for stories with the types of questions they ask the drivers! It makes it more entertaining for some people, so you can’t blame the drivers.

    2. Hmmm…I would understand that sentiment if it was accurate, but personally I haven’t heard/read anything like that he is claiming to be hungrier and wants to destroy NR, and in fact he is saying it on the track. Also, keep in mind that as a key icon in F1 right now, in a dominant car, having just taken the lead in the WDC chase, he’s gonna be interviewed a lot.

    3. I’m fed up of hearing all these comments about how he’s more hungry than Rosberg or how he wants to destroy him.

      Quote an article where he says anything of the sort.

      1. The article from formula1.com has been all over the place today.

        1. Chris (@tophercheese21)
          23rd May 2014, 1:58

          He never said he was hungrier than Rosberg.
          He just said that “… I’ve got to be the hungriest – to win the world championship you need to be the hungriest.”

          Jouno’s are asking questions constantly, and when he does give an answer, people jump on him (usually based around a mis-quote or misunderstanding) at every chance they get.

          It just annoys me when I see a headline like today’s round up, because I can tell immediately that there’ll be someone who will be having a go at Hamilton for no reason at all.

          Just stop.

          1. Well I think it’s safe to say that he implies it with the comment: “Let me tell you this: I come from a not-great place in Stevenage and lived on a couch in my dad’s apartment – and Nico grew up in Monaco with jets and hotels and boats and all these kind of things – so the hunger is different.” I do agree that the press often manipulate these kinds of comments though, and the headlines very often belittle the context of the driver’s actual comments.

          2. Chris (@tophercheese21)
            23rd May 2014, 2:16

            He said the hunger is different.
            That doesn’t in anyway imply that Nico is any less hungry than Hamilton.

            You’re just looking for something to criticize him for when there’s nothing there!

          3. I must say that for me that line also did not make me look positively on Hamilton @james, but I am glad that we can at times hear / read something that comes from the driver rather than the teams PR people.

          4. I chose, in the end, to read it as explaining why Hamilton leads the celebrity life and Nico just lives in comfort doing what he likes doing: he already knew bling from birth, and learned that it is not what matters ;) Nico probably has a drive to outdo his father though, quite a different drive, in that Hamilton is right, even if he formulated it a bit oddly.

          5. indeed – its harder than you might think to answer questions, in a press conference, off the cuff, and still make sure that whatever you say doesn’t come across as arrogant, dismissive, or any other sin you can think of once the tabloids have turned it into a one line quite taken right out of context.

            Kimi’s approach is the only one I’ve come across that is pretty much guaranteed to be effective (even so, its not without its critics).

        2. I agree with you @james, Lewis thinks he is the best thing there is

          1. well fact is he is the best at the moment…. at least in 2014; without hi saying anything

        3. That covers the hunger part (and the other 21 drivers would agree with the concept), but at no point does he ever say he’s out to destroy Rosberg.

        4. @James
          Why are reading all of Lewis comments?
          They are not for you but for us who enjoy them.
          “He’ll be emulating Senna this weekend”.

      2. It was on BBC earlier.

        1. I don’t really class the BBC F1 page as reliable anymore. It’s mostly speculation and ‘facts’ that are untrue.

          1. They don’t make up quotes though. I agree it isn’t the best source of information, when it’s essentially a type-up of an interview/press conference there’s nothing wrong with it.

          2. Yeah . Benson pretty much twists everything .

    4. At least you know when he does talk, its actually a little bit interesting, even Nico has something to give to. The rest……forget it

    5. @james

      I don’t see any hunger comments in any of the linked articles?

    6. I agree Lewis can be at time annoying when he gets to the microphone. But still, as long as he’s driving like he usually does, I really don’t care. He’s my type of guy on the track, and that’s all that matters. I don’t intend to read his autobiography.

      1. @cyclops_pl exactly ! It’s his own way of speaking and doing things( which I too don’t admire as I like some humility and don’t see the point of mind games ) . Why is it so different for people to separate the driver and the personality ? He is pumped up for the weekend . Don’t make a research of his answers ,please guys . When he is on the track , he is absolutely on the max . That’s enough for me .

    7. People ask him questions. He answers them. It’s pretty easy to see where the comments come from.

    8. Now with a little bit of context
      “It seems amazing you have not been on pole here?” it is suggested to him. Interrupting, the bemused Hamilton says: “More…” Then, after a few seconds, the 29-year-old realises: “Actually, I haven’t been on pole. That’s true. Jeez, I didn’t even think of that. Damn.
      “In 2009 I had the chance to be on pole but I crashed. I had to be on such a limit that day, it was a risk, a bit too much of a risk. Last year I did but I wasn’t quick enough. This year I know I’ve got the car, and I don’t have an excuse.”

    9. @james
      Get a life dude.
      Your type of rhetoric is now just too predictable.

      1. @jason12

        Take a look at your posting history before saying something loke that :-)

    10. Guys just calm down. This is a forum to express our opinions and everyone is entitled to one.

      @james I disagree with what you said. The irony of your comment was that you sound as much emotional as Hamilton sounds when he is talking :-)

  2. Lewis and Nico’s fighting talk is great to hear, we never got this from Red Bull. It reminds me of that scene from RUSH in the press conference before Japan ’76 where Hunt just says “..and I fully expect next time we meet, it’ll be with me as world champion” So cool!

  3. I guess every man has a right to free speech, an in exercising my right, I felt Lewis and the whole “hungrier than Nico” bit was a little poor in taste.

    1. The great thing about Hamilton though, is his natural ability to make comments which make him look oblivious, clueless, or mildly hypocritical. A couple of paragraphs on from the “growing up with jets” comment he goes on about having a “no shoes on my jet” rule. His Twitter feed is a 1:1 division of “god is great” bland homily and vainglorious narcissism, idol worship, celebrity nonsense or consumerism. Often in the same tweet.

      His attempts at psychological warfare aren’t nearly as clever as he seems to think. What will break his teammates isn’t mind games and media commentary, but doing what he’s good at: being the fastest man in the cockpit. Do your talking on the track, Lewis, and don’t try to be cleverer than a guy who speaks 5 languages fluently and was accepted by imperial college.

      1. Lewis’s tweets just make me think of a big, friendly dumb dog that only wants to have fun with you and be your friend, really. I mean, he has used the hashtag #swagblessed in the past in a completely non-ironic way, and I think that’s actually amazing. In any case, he is the fastest man in the cockpit right now, results-wise.

      2. Seriously, Why won’t he just respect his betters? I draw great inspiration and satisfaction from his comments as do many who didn’t become reknown polyglots and prepare for college at exclusive schools, but yet sought and achieved much.

      3. Ha, great post.

      4. @hairs nice comment except for a small bit…… just because someone speaks 5 languages and get accepted by imperial college does not make them smarter, it only shows the opportunities they got and how much they availed of it. Btw most urban Indians can speak, read and write 3-4 languages fluently. We are talking millions of ordinary people.

        Now that both Hamilton and Nico have the same opportunity and Hamilton is beating Nico wouldn’t that mean he is smarter than Nico?

      5. “Lewis, and don’t try to be cleverer than a guy who speaks 5 languages fluently”

        I love how people keep regurgitating this crap about 5 languages.

        How many languages did Einstein speak? 2? omg Nico must be more intelligent than the guy who came up with general relativity!! how many does Stephen Hawking know? Since when was how many languages a person speaks a barometer for intelligence?

        People only seem to think Lewis is less intelligent than Nico because when Lewis does interviews his sentences are quite broken and dosen’t often use the exact word he’s trying to get at. So Nico is stronger than Lewis at languages, shocker!

    2. “Nico, Lewis is hungrier than you!”

      1. LOL! COTD for sure

      2. @Danny why do I think this is going to become a catchphrase LOL …I can’t stop myself laughing !!

      3. That’s funny.

        If the hungry index was the deciding factor for who wins the championship, Sutil would win hands down….after all, wasn’t he fasting for two days to keep his weight down in Barcelona?

        As for those who keep criticizing Lewis’s comments, as demonstrated above, people copy snippets of his comments, losing the context. Context is everything. Thanks for those who have access to the whole transcript of the conversation and make them available here.

      4. Great, not I’m not going to be able to take the race seriously because I’m going to be thinking about this all race. LOL

    3. What Lewis said was not easy to say and no matter how he tries to say it there will be those who find such sentiment to be in poor taste.

      Some drivers – Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button – made it to the grid because their parents devoted their lives and all of their money to making it happen. At times there may have been tough choices – ‘food for the table or petrol for the cart’.

      This contrasts with the ‘nepotism by default’ drivers (Rosberg, Bruno Senna) and the pay drivers (Crashtor). The deal was different for those guys.

      I think that what Lewis had to say resonates with those that find themselves working with lots of ‘public school types’ yet they themselves only have a ‘comprehensive school’ background. Pointing this out is not going to make you popular!!!

      1. I think what Lewis is saying is mostly true. Those whose have in a sense “came up the hard way” are usually driven in a way that most who have had the silver spoon treatment usually aren’t. I have seen this borne out on university campuses, in the workplace and sports at all levels. I personally was not born in a privileged environment, so when the opportunity to attend university in America came along I grasped it with hands and feet…when classmates slacked off I was on the grind because for me failure was not an option and I knew where I came from and the absolute improbability of me even getting the opportunity. Unless you have been in that situation it’s easy to miss Lewis’s meaning…I have worn that shoe and I understand precisely.

      2. Lewis has had the most gilded, well funded and supported entry to f1 ever. He was shepherded, trained, financed and developed by McLaren before he was a teenager. He was dropped into championship winning cars in his first two years. He was rude, selfish and abusive to the rest of the field, and he was actually supported while he did it.

        In the context of becoming an f1 driver, he is the privileged rich boy, not Nico. @pjsqueak

        1. @hairs Interesting perspective there .I would argue that any driver programe is like that take Vettel , Kvyat. It just happened that Mclaren were also very competitive in 2007 . Imagine what would have happened to Lewis had it been like 2014 Mclaren . Had the Mercedes been competitive in 2010 , Nico would have fought tooth and nails with Schumi and would have even beat him . I feel Lewis has become less arrogant after his initial Mclaren years ( I hated the Australia incident , even when he wanted to tell the truth , Mclaren told him to lie) and is now, more open to his fans . But yeah , once in a while he says something kiddish and hell breaks loose. I hope he doesn’t loose concentration with all this crap

        2. “…He was shepherded, trained, financed and developed by McLaren before he was a teenager…”

          You really don´t know how McLaren operates or how hard Hamilton Senior had to work (he got two jobs) to fund his son in the beggining of Lewis´ career. Those things — Championship winning cars — wasn´t gave to him in a silver spoon.

          And to be well funded by Ron Dennis you really, really have to be a hard worker and achieve every goal set by Mr. Dennis; And thats highlights Hamilton´s determination even more.

          I doubt that you — or even Rosberg — was under the same pressure to deliver as was Hamilton in his childhood.

    4. Have you read the article on f1.com?
      Q: It looks almost certain that it will be you and your team mate Nico Rosberg fighting for the title. One German publication asked last weekend whether Nico is too soft for that fight – because you have more killer instinct. Is that so?
      LH: Let me tell you this: I come from a not-great place in Stevenage and lived on a couch in my dad’s apartment – and Nico grew up in Monaco with jets and hotels and boats and all these kind of things – so the hunger is different. I want to be the hungriest guy in the cockpit from all 22 of us – even if every driver has to believe that he’s the hungriest – because if I were to come here believing that Nico is hungrier than me then I might as well go home. So I’ve got to be the hungriest – to win the world championship you need to be the hungriest.

      In context, i don’t see a problem with Lewis’s response. He’s just saying they’ve come from different places and both have a hunger, as do all the other f1 drivers, just that lewis wants to be hungrier.

  4. Referring to the COTD….I think the main difference between Leimer and Grosjean is the fact that Grosjean had so much more success before his GP2 title than Leimer. A quick look at their CV shows that Leimer’s only real success before his GP2 title was a 2009 International Formula Master championship. Where Grosjean’s inlcudes, ’05 French Formula Renault title, ’07 F3 Euro Series title, ’08 GP2 Asia Series title (at a time when the Asia Series was kind of legit), ’10 Auto GP title, ’11 GP2 Asia Series title (when it was not so legit), and his ’11 GP2 title.

    So a case can be made that Grosjean showed more “potential” at this point than Leimer.

    1. Another huge difference is that Grosjean was on his way to win GP2 in 2009 (his second season) before he was called to substitute Piquet jr, and then in 2010 he didn’t even race for the whole season. It’s a bit insincere to say it took him 4 years to win GP2, especially compared to Leimer who had full 4 years in GP2.

    2. Also, as I said to the COTD originally, Grosjean didn’t take 4 seasons in the same way as Leimer. Grosjean only had 2 full seasons, those being his first and the final (‘4th’) one where he won the title. Besides that he had half a season in 2009 where he was still in contention for the title against Hulkenberg when he was promoted to F1. And he joined a poor DAMS team for half of the following season after wrapping up the Auto GP title. GP2 may be a spec series, but DAMS had always been pretty unspectacular, and his results in that half season were pretty strong considering that. And it was the same team which he won the title with the year after.

      1. @matt90 I agree, I was going to add that he was in contention for the ’09 GP2 title before the ill fated Renault call up. You also make a good point that DAMS had been pretty unspectacular in GP2 up until the point he came on.
        Now, his ’11 GP2 title with DAMS did come when the series had changed chassis, allowing for teams to basically press the reset button. However, I think part of their success was due to the fact that he was in the team.

        1. @sward28 And it’s still working to the extent that they can now afford to take on less gifted drivers (Valsecchi, Ericsson, Palmer, Richelmi) and still have good results.

          1. @wsrgo I think to call at least two of the drivers on that list less gifted is perhaps a bit harsh. Valsecchi won his title fair and square just like the rest of them, it was more his attitude that let him down I feel. Also Palmer isn’t too bad, everybody went into this season expecting Vandoorne or Nasr to win it but top of the standings currently is the young Brit with 4 podiums out of 4.

          2. @craig-0 Valsecchi won the title in what was possibly the weakest GP2 field ever. Palmer is in his fourth year, has a fair bit of experience over the others, and has a top car. None of the above guys have a junior record anywhere near Grosjean’s.

    3. @sward28 Not counting his Lista and Renault Speed Trophies in 2003. That makes it eight titles in single seaters.

  5. Lewis Hamilton should avoid speaking to the press sometimes ….and if he does speak then he should be brief and specific about himself and the car…this constant mentioning of his team mate and his previous life at team maclaren is unhelpfull…and counterproductive.
    …of late you hear him talking as though he came from hell to heven since he joined the Mercedes team.

    1. He was probably just answering questions. Also given that all of the drivers are made to speak to the press after every session, that’s a bit difficult.

  6. Neil (@neilosjames)
    23rd May 2014, 0:57

    Money won’t work on Newey at this stage of his career. He already has enough for several lifetimes. I imagine he’d look at working conditions and challenge long before he’d consider the numbers.

    1. @neilosjames
      I just don’t agree with you, if Ferrari were seriously trying to hire Newey then they’re going to give him a better working conditions than he has in RBR the 20M £ offer won’t come alone it will come with some exceptional bonuses, another thing there is nothing more challenging for a driver or car designer than to win the WDC/WCC with Ferrari. The problem is that F1 is not football when a coach change can change the results, it takes months to see the results of changes in F1 and Newey knows that very well, let’s suppose that Ferrari today have signed Newey, he will have to spend a gardening leave at least 6 months, by that time he will have no input on the 2015 car (this was exactly the case with James Allison). So if Newey have signed today with Ferrari, the results of the change will only be seen by 2016, by that time the engine development will be reduced significantly and if the Mercedes PU will stay as the benchmark (which will be the case probably) then Newey’s good chassis will be useless as it’s the case this year. So a move to Ferrari at this time will probably end his career in F1 and cause damage to his reputation, so it’s better for him to stay at RBR than to move to Ferrari, at least he can blame Renault for their PU’s and it’s better for Ferrari to spend that money in key area where the team is still struggling

      1. not everyone cares about ferrari!

      2. there is nothing more challenging for a driver or car designer than to win the WDC/WCC with Ferrari

        Because the team’s so mismanaged that it becomes extra difficult?

        1. Touché.

        2. It does look like Newey looked hard at the Ferrari management culture and decided no thanks. At Red Bull he’s basically boss. At Ferrari he’d be one more pawn trying to survive under the Montezemolo frown. I’m sure he’d improve Ferrari no end, but worth the hassle? Either way it reflects poorly on the Ferrari image that they couldn’t persuade him to join.

      3. @tifoso1989 Good points there. But you assume that Ferrari wont improve their engine by 2015 . Ofcourse I don’t blame you for being non-optimistic as they have done nothing right for the past few years . I was really looking forward to Kimi vs Alonso in the top mix this year .

    2. But then we also know there will be some journalist or site that will also publish things that Hamilton never said.
      regarding the hell part, Mclaren had become a toxic environment in his last few years there.
      It may just have been hell for him.

    3. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      23rd May 2014, 3:14

      @neilosjames I agree, and especially when you see how Ferrari management behaves nowadays (to give knives as gifts, to always put full pressure in front of the media) I guess Newey prefers “being yelled” (if it ever happens) inside the house than out and aloud by Luca.

      1. I thought one of the issues is that Newey wont move to Italy. He’s got a family and doesn’t want to uproot. Also probably really expensive to ship his monster truck out there.

        1. Maybe the 20mil included flight tickets back and forth whenever he liked ?

  7. BJ (@beejis60)
    23rd May 2014, 1:13

    What is a CUK and PSU @keithcollantine? You make it sound like it’s the whole PU…

  8. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    23rd May 2014, 1:33

    Hamilton commits the same sin made by many people who hit success and don’t know how to deal with it. It’s not because he is young, it looks more as if it affects some people and not to others. And mentioning both his own background and Nico’s sounds horrible. You can’t blame a guy for being born rich, or for being born poor. It’s bad for the team environment, but mainly I think it’s bad for his own image. and unluckily it’s not the first time he slips his tongue into these kind of things.

    1. Some of you guys don understand what Ham is saying, when grow up in a less privileged environment; The thing you have better than a guy who had all he needed whenever he needed it is HUNGER FOR SUCCESS; you should notice he didn’t say he was cleverer than Nico he said hungriest; He goes ahead to prove it on the track. I remember Senna found himself in the same situation when he go the opportunity to join F1. He often said i race to win not to become second or third ,etc. He goes on to say, “being second is to be the first of the the losers” the simple thing is that he was hungrier than all the rest and try to check his background, and you will realize that its F1 that brought him the fame and money

      1. @sigwa Dude, you make it sound like if SENNA came from a favela… Truth of the matter is that his family was already wealthy… In F1, SENNA did make his OWN money but he was no broke bloke!
        Now you want to talk about a rise to the top… read a little about Alonso´s way up… Father driving him around to the races and then getting lucky to get sponsors… he always got the best out of crappy equipment even while sponsored! THAT is awesome but some people just fail to see it! You wanna talk about hungry… read into it!

        1. Or Schumacher’s. Home built cart, dad took a second job to support his racing. Respect.

          1. +1! and don´t get me wrong… I AM a Senna fan!

  9. Daniel (@collettdumbletonhall)
    23rd May 2014, 2:02

    It’s stuff like this that puts me off Hamilton and his twitter feed is a bit embarrassing as it’s essentially just an ego trip. It’s a shame because he is entertaining to watch but when he comes out with this sort of crap it makes me hop into the Team Nico camp.

    1. Exactly! Just when you think he’s grown up he comes out with this immature load of crap

    2. @collettdumbletonhall dude , please separate the person from the driving skills . I know its tough to do . But sometimes I’m disappointed he comes up with these things in interviews . PR management take note .

      1. Daniel (@collettdumbletonhall)
        23rd May 2014, 9:50

        @hamilfan
        His person and his driving skills are basically tied together and are one and the same.

        1. @collettdumbletonhall Not necessarily . You can be a genius and also be terribly rude and arrogant .It’s possible. He is a great racer despite everything he says ( I am not saying I like whatever he says or support it )

          1. Daniel (@collettdumbletonhall)
            23rd May 2014, 12:56

            @hamilfan I am not saying he isn’t a brilliant driver but he doesn’t seem like a very nice person with some of the stuff he comes out with so I won’t be supporting him.

          2. Like Gregory House? Yes you can be a genius and be arrogant but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable nor should it be the norm. It’s a package deal. One cannot exist without the other and if one is bad, it affects how others view the other.

          3. I don’t think Lewis is rude or arrogant by the way . Just saying people may not always behave the way we want them to . He sometimes just says something kiddish and brash and it becomes a controversy .sigh .. cant wait for Saturday to come .

    3. petebaldwin (@)
      23rd May 2014, 11:18

      Everyone’s twitter is just an ego trip! Why else would you share the boring things that are going on in your life with the world!?

      In the same way that I don’t care what footballers are like off the pitch and I don’t care what musicians from my favourite bands are like off the stage, I couldn’t care less what Lewis has to say off the track.

      If you’re into the whole celebrity culture thing, buy “Now!” or “Chat!” whatever theyr’e called and you’ll get lots of celeb gossip but if you’re in it for the sport, I fail to see why it matters. On the track, there are few who can match Lewis.

  10. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    23rd May 2014, 2:14

    I’m sorry, but did I miss something?
    I’ve read the Telegraph article about Hamilton and nothing he said was egocentric, arrogant, inconsiderate, offensive or anything!

    Why are people jumping on the “Pedantic-criticism-of-Hamilton” bandwagon when he’s not actually done anything wrong?

    Someone linked to an article above claiming that Hamilton said he was hungrier than Rosberg, but he said nothing of the sort. He simply said that in order to win the WDC, you have to be the hungriest. And that’s what he’s striving to do.

    It’s utterly pathetic.
    And I’d say this about any driver who got this kind of reception for no reason at all. It’s not necessary at all.

    1. Daniel (@collettdumbletonhall)
      23rd May 2014, 9:51

      @tophercheese21
      I don’t think anyone has been complaining about him wanting to be hungrier but the reasons for it were in bad taste in my view.

  11. I’ve been a Hamilton fan for a long time, but I’m beginning to get a bit put off by some of his recent statements. I get the feeling that he is going out of his way to emulate his hero(s) from the past by trying to create tension between himself and his teammate. Specifically, for him to suggest that Rosberg’s hunger to win somehow pales to his own because of differences in their upbringing is a bit rude. I find myself pulling for Nico to overhaul Lewis for the WDC (assuming that Mercedes maintains their advantage), but I can’t deny that Hamilton seems to have the edge. He should allow his excellent skills on the track to do the talking.

    1. @schooner before you get put off on Hamilton, be sure you read what he actually said in all these cases and not what the media headlines are misrepresenting. Like anyone, he can make some bonehead statements, but most are media attempts to grab readers with out of context or even flat wrong headlines.

      1. @daved That’s a very broad brush you’re using there. Who do you think he has been misrepresented by, and how?

        1. @keithcollantine
          I truly was not talking about you. I mean everything from Button saying it from his inference that Lewis was playing mind games with Nico. How? Are you sure, Jenson?

          Lewis was saying that Nico was quicker and he clearly was freaking out during Q1 and Q2 when he couldn’t keep up with Nico. Yes, he pulled it out…barely…in Q3 but he was a bit rattled. Then they get in the race and he couldn’t shake Nico and could feel Nico getting closer and closer those last few laps. When you have that feeling you’re hanging on for dear life and just need this to end, then I can see how HAM genuinely felt Nico was quicker.

          The article that started this current discussion was from an interview on the Formula1.com site. The question was asked by the interviewer: “….whether Nico is too soft for that fight – because you have more killer instinct. Is that so?” Lewis was answering that question and why he felt like he might be hungrier. Was it the most artful and tactful thing to say? No. But Lewis didn’t sit down and hold court with a self called press conference and start discussing why he was “hungrier” than Jenson.

          And he went on to try and clarify in that same comment: “…even if every driver has to believe that he’s the hungriest – because if I were to come here believing that Nico is hungrier than me then I might as well go home.”
          Taken out of context, these comments seem much more arrogant than Lewis intended. But with all the similar instances in the past, everyone just assumes the worst and jumps on the band wagon. And now THIS instance will be yet more proof in everyone’s mind of what they already suspected.

          And on top of that, I’ll freely admit Lewis is a bit cocky. But first, if you’re not a little cocky, you can’t convince yourself that last week’s bad race was a fluke and now suit up this week ready to fight. You have to be able to have that kind of confidence.

          Secondly, I never said Lewis wasn’t a bit cocky. :) But to a degree he’s kind of earned the right.

          But seriously, I want to reiterate, I truly did not mean you, Keith. This is by far the best F1 site on the web. Good information, good discussions, timely updates and good overall coverage. Not kissing up….just giving my opinion.

        2. @keithcollantine

          One other example of what I mean by “the media” in the broader terms, let’s compare what you did to other media.

          Your lead about Hamilton’s comments today: ‘No excuse’ for not getting pole – Hamilton. This was followed up with a non-inflamatory and factual quote from Lewis explaining he should get the job done with the tools he’s been given.

          Let’s look at gpupdate.net: “Hamilton: I’m hungrier than Rosberg” with no pointer to the original story or indication that Lewis was answering a question about why he has more “killer instinct”.

          The forums at Autosport: Hamilton begins mind games; ‘I’m hungrier for success than Nico’

          With these headlines and most people not having the time to track down the original article and see the context of what was said and why, I feel these things misrepresent Lewis.

    2. I think sometimes we forget these are not teamates in the sense of an amateur football team. They are rivals employed by the same ‘Team’ in this case each of them wanting to beat the other. They are past the first few races now and the serious business of win at almost all cost has kicked in.I have no doubt they would both love a DNF from their ‘teamate’ this weekend .

    3. I think Hamilton gave a smart answer: saying that he and Nico had different kinds of hunger was perceptive, but it also stood as a challenge and a provocation to Rosberg without actually saying he was less hungry. The interview also ended with him saying he wants Rosberg to finish (way) down the points.

      The question is whether it’s right strategically to provoke Rosberg before this race. It’s also admitting he, Hamilton, thinks he’s too close for comfort, so Rosberg could actually use that in his favour.

      Nobody seems to have connected this to Button recently coming out with the ‘Hamilton mind games’ remark. Coincidence? Seems more like Hamilton decided to run with the idea.

      As for right or wrong, I think that’s just irrelevant. Rosberg has been less than generous after all Hamilton’s wins. Understandable, but then so is some mild payback for that.

      1. Button , in my opinion is very good with mind games . He never makes the public know he is playing one . That’s how good he is . Remember he made hamilton freak out with the telemetry . I think there is a back story to that and not just Lewis getting angry ( he has had worse days than that and kept his calm saying “that’s motor racing , things happen ” )

  12. Paul Ogbeiwi (@)
    23rd May 2014, 2:45

    People…hate him or love him, there’s a reason why he’s the most marketable sports person; and it’s not just his driving. It’s also his ability to polarise opinion; week-in-week-out. Rumours are he laughs all the way to the bank.

  13. I wish drivers would just shut up. This is not against Hamilton, I mean all of them.

    More often than not they just speak annoying nonsense, and they show the spoilt babies they actually are.

    Of course, having an ego complex is necessary to compete is such a high sport level, but I wish I would see less of it.

    It’s quite frustrating to visit sites like this o autosport to looking for ACTUAL news just to find the new silly thing the diva of the day happened to say.

    People complain that F1 drivers are too robotic, I complain they aren’t robotic enough. There again, I follow F1 for the competition and the engineering prowess, not the cheap-soap-opera-level gibberish.

  14. All of this talk about drivers being hungry is making me hungry.

    LET’S RACE ALREADY.

    1. On the contrary , I’m reaching for my snacks.

  15. Neither Leimer or Valsecchi was really spectacular when they came to GP2.

    Compared to Maldonado who also needed four seasons to take title, Maldo was regularly in top 10. 11th in his first season which ended early due to off-track injury. Then 5th, 6th and 1st.

    Valsecchi was 15th (missed three events due to injury though), 17th, 8th, 8th and 1st. Leimer was 19th, 14th, 7th and 1st. It’s better looking their first years as a reason why they didn’t get F1 drive.

  16. I don’t know why Hamilton is saying he’s the ‘hungriest’ driver. In my opinion the hungriest drivers are probably Sutil, Hulkenberg, and Vergne.

    1. @keithedin Boom tish…

    2. @keithedin He actually didn’t say he was the hungriest. He said he HAS to be the hungriest if he wants to win the WDC.

  17. Lewis Hamilton just cannot win.a lot of our critique of him probably arises out of his uniqueness in the formula.people should take a step back ignore everything and maybe just maybe we will see a regular under 30yr old having success from nothing and managing it fairly well.one girlfriend,holidays mostly in quiet places,dresses no worse than most and seems to be very good at earning his living.if you don’t like him fine.otherwise just allow the lad to breathe please.he never said he wants to show all sub 30yr olds how to live.its his way.

  18. When you are in the position to reject a £20m offer for your services, you know your life is in a good state.

  19. We all love our F1 but one of the downsides is too much said by the drivers. Its not their fault as everywhere they turn someone throws a mic in their face, and they must run out of things to say. They leave Spain and answer questions, sit on a plane then when they get off answer some more questions from the same guy!!

    I really hope Nico can even up the ledger somewhat, I don’t mind if the Mercs dominate just as long as we get a good battle until the end…………………….. and Daniel is third each race :)

    I read this week, as I am sure a lot of you did, that in 1988 & 1989 only 3 drivers won all the races for two years- Senna, Prost & Berger. Never in F1 have only two drivers won all races for the year (1988 would have been if Senna was not T-boned by a ‘never was’ in Monza). As reliability is so much better now perhaps this year we may see that record broken!!??

  20. Hamilton needs to keep his mouth shut or listen to his handlers more. Yapping about how he’s hungrier than Nico or how his background somehow makes him a better competitor is silly and comes off in a poor way.

    Seb had the same issues with his “cucumber” stuff before.

    Drivers should try to stick to what they know best: driving the car.

    1. @rcorporon There is a difference between what is said in the heat of battle during a race and the air conditioned coolness of a press room.

  21. A lot of people are piling on Lewis and I find that interesting. A great number of these reports are taken out of context or they are flat out wrong as they go for sensational headlines to get eyeballs and clicks. Secondly, yes, Lewis and anyone else can say some stupid things when you have someone constantly putting a mic in your face and asking questions, many of them almost goading you for a sound bite they can use for headlines.

    But at the end of the day, Lewis didn’t beat his wife or girlfriend, he didn’t abuse children or do drugs or get caught shoplifting somewhere. He didn’t deny the Holocaust or say a bunch of racists stuff.

    If these fairly low key statements ares a reason to hate him considering all the stupid stuff we see from people in the public eye, then we’re probably being too hard on him. Having a bit of an ego is necessary to perform at this level and being proud of overcoming odds is something we encourage in nearly every profile you say in print or TV. He hasn’t had the worst life in the world, but like most people he’s overcome some circumstances and to him, it’s something to be proud of. Not a major crime.

    1. Great post, some think Lewis is handed a mic and told you have 10 minutes to say what ever he wants, he was simply asked a question and he replied, without knowing the context of the questions people always misunderstand these articles.

  22. Kimoni Nakamoto (@)
    23rd May 2014, 18:19

    It’s time something was done about teams putting pressure on their drivers to lose weight, all they talk about these days is how hungry they are.

  23. it was sad to see and hear the V10s around monaco

  24. nico said he was quicker than lewis in the dry,he said he’d definitely beat lewis in china,,,i didnt hear ppl calling nico arrogant,,,,i wonder why.it seems its only a problem when lewis sais something.lewis was happy for nico when he won in aus,he sais nico was quicker,when he believes that to be the case.he always thanks his team,,,and yet he’s cocky and arrogant apparently….he has won 4 in a row tho,so why not be.

  25. Why don’t you guys just be honest and say you don’t like lewis because he’s black and he’s the best

  26. Why don’t you guys just be honest and say you don’t like lewis because he’s black and he’s the best

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