Lewis Hamilton’s arrogant streak

17 August 2007 10:51

Accuse me of taking part in the Lewis Hamilton backlash if you want. But regular readers will know that, while I have been impressed by a lot of his on-track action, I have been disdainful of the mad hype that has surrounded him.

There is something that happened over the weekend of the Hungarian Grand Prix that has put quite a different light on the previously angel-like Lewis Hamilton. Not only is there now a spotlight on his current conduct, but a different light is now cast on past events in his career.

As is now well-documented, the whole fallout in the McLaren team began when Lewis Hamilton broke team policy by selfishly leading the train in the fuel burn-off phase when it was Fernando Alonso’s turn to do so. So the whole situation was really Lewis Hamilton’s fault — not Fernando Alonso’s as most of the tabloids claimed.

With Hamilton having broken internal McLaren rules, the team tried to redress the balance to take away the advantage that Lewis Hamilton unfairly gained (and thereby remove the incentive for Hamilton to try anything like that again). What did Lewis Hamilton do? Did he take the blame, accept this slap on the wrists and move on? No. He actually indulged in an incredibly bad tempered rant against his own boss.

Lewis Hamilton: Don’t ever fucking do that to me again!
Ron Dennis: Don’t ever fucking speak to me like that again!
Lewis Hamilton: Go fucking swivel!

For what it’s worth, McLaren now claim that the exchange did not take place — and that the relationship between Hamilton and Alonso is on the mend. But it took them five days after the event to say so. It smells to me like a few sponsors have been having words with the team over the events of the Hungarian Grand Prix and have pressed them to spin a different light on the weekend.

So let us say that the reported conversation between Lewis Hamilton and Ron Dennis did indeed take place. It takes a certain type of individual to talk like that to any old boss in the first place.

But Ron Dennis is not even any old boss — not to Hamilton anyway. Lewis Hamilton has been a part of the McLaren family for around a decade now. McLaren took Hamilton under their wing when he was still very young. They have nurtured and looked after him. They have made sure that his career has followed a steady path. They have given him all kinds of opportunities that have never been available to any other Grand Prix driver in history. Yet, now that he has got into one of the McLaren F1 cars, Hamilton’s response has been, “Fuck you.”

Rumour has it that Lewis Hamilton was even the person who instigated the investigation into Alonso’s actions. This is what led to Alonso’s grid penalty and McLaren being stripped of their Constructors’ Championship points. If this is true, it is quite a shocking act of selfishness at the expense of the entire team.

I was interested in the fact that Eddie Irvine felt that Lewis Hamilton was being disrespectful. If there was any other driver in recent history who was likely to go against team instructions or swear at their boss, it would surely be “bad boy” Eddie Irvine. But even he thought that Lewis Hamilton crossed the line.

It is worth remembering how Ron Dennis first heard of Lewis Hamilton. It is quite a well-known story. Nine-year-old Lewis Hamilton just strode up to Ron Dennis and announced that one day he was going to drive for McLaren. I mean, what a cheeky little bastard! Correct, but cheeky. No doubt a lot of people find that quite cute. And, for whatever reason, Ron Dennis clearly took a shine to him. But on this evidence, Hamilton has an arrogant streak.

We saw a similar thing when Hamilton went to the media to whine that he wasn’t allowed to race at the Monaco Grand Prix. All along, McLaren were just using sensible and common precautions to prevent their two cars from crashing out. On this evidence, Hamilton is selfish and cannot see a race from the team’s point of view.

Then during the European Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton audaciously persuaded the trackside marshals to use a crane to lift his car, which was beached in the gravel trap, back onto the circuit so that he could continue racing. We have seen in the past Michael Schumacher being pushed back onto the track. This is an exploitation of a loophole in the rules. Perfectly legal, particularly since the loophole has steadfastly remained open.

But involving the use of a crane is an entirely different matter. In fact, it is probably illegal. But Hamilton pushed the rules to their very limits — perhaps beyond — and he got away with it.

On the one had, this is the sort of thing that World Champions are made of. A hefty dose of arrogance is sometimes what is required if you are to avoid becoming a goody-two-shoes Button or Barrichello.

But there is a point at which it becomes downright nasty viewing. Michael Schumacher went over the limit several times. Hamilton has already done it once or twice in his short career.

As Eddie Irvine said, Lewis Hamilton plays a brilliant game with the media, pushing his angel-like image. But for as long as his on-track actions continue in the way they are going, his interview performances will begin to look smarmy.

Lewis Hamilton sniffs an opportunity and jumps for it — no matter what the consequences. Just look at the fallout following the Hungarian Grand Prix for his outright disregard for his team mates and his boss. In short, he seems like the sort of person who you wouldn’t trust with your girlfriend.

At the beginning of the season, people were commenting on how much value for money McLaren and their sponsors were getting out of Hamilton. Now I wonder if Ron Dennis thinks that Hamilton is more trouble than it’s worth.

Rating: +19

Loading ...

Eddie Irvine / European Grand Prix / Fernando Alonso / Hungarian Grand Prix / Jenson Button / Lewis Hamilton / McLaren / Michael Schumacher / Monaco Grand Prix / Ron Dennis / Rubens Barrichello / team orders

38 comments »

#1 Richard Leyton
17 August 2007 13:38

Excellent post. I too have become rather weary of the Hamilton-can-do-no-wrong media circus, and was intrigued when ITV F1 coverage pointed out the events that had preceded the ‘Alonso incident’ that it cast a very different light from the mass-media view.

#2 doctorvee
17 August 2007 14:09

Yeah, makes a change for ITV F1. I won’t forget their biased coverage of the incident at Monaco.

#3 Craig
17 August 2007 14:21

Very good, you always seem to write what I’m thinking – and in a better way than I could!

Whether the reported radio conversation really did take place, something happened between Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton that day. ITV were granted an interview and during questioning Steve Rider asked Lewis how things were within the team and Lewis looked a bit sheepish whilst admitting Ron was less than pleased with his performance during qualifying which would imply something relatively serious had happened between the pair – this would be prior to any spin being put on the story so probably offers a truer reflection on things.

All McLaren have really said is that Lewis didn’t use the “F-word” which doesn’t refute that he was less than complimentary to his boss.

I see that the wonderboy is on the cover of F1 Racing – again – this month, what a surprise.

#4 doctorvee
17 August 2007 14:32

Yeah, I remember another interview that Lewis Hamilton did that weekend — I can’t remember who with. But at one point he said, “I am probably in big trouble with my boss.”
The interviewer said something like, “What, you are in trouble with your boss?”
“I probably am, yeah.”

I think I would be in trouble with my boss if I told him to effing go and bloody well swivel.

#5 Calum Leslie
17 August 2007 14:47

As much of a good point as you make there, I still think that calling a professional sportsperson “arrogant” is akin to calling water “wet”; it kinda comes with the territory.

#6 Jeff
17 August 2007 14:50

I’m afraid your post does smack somewhat of the classic British trait of having a pop at someone just cos they’re successful in their field. Like Beckham, Rowling and Robbie Williams that have gone before, it seems Hamilton is next in the firing line.

So a couple of things in his defence:

(1) If there’s a big media circus around Lewis Hamilton, it’s not really his fault is it? If you’re fed up with his constant exposure, don’t blame Lewis but the packs of journalists trying to squeeze news out of a stone.

(2) What do you care if he’s got an arrogant streak? If he didn’t have that he wouldn’t be as ace a driver as he is. I’m sure Ron Dennis is big enough to take a few “F you’s” or whatever Lewis allegedly said in the heat of a pressurised situation. Ron has hit the jackpot with Lewis, and a bit of over-confidence thrown back at him once in a while is a small price to pay for it. If I was someone’s boss, I would want to see my employee chomping at the bit and pushing everything to the limit rather than some sort of laissez-faire, polite approach that you seem to prefer.

Personally, I love the guys that come in and say “I’m going to be the best” and then prove themselves right. And to do it at 9 years old is even more impressive. In most situations in life, you need to fight your own corner, in Formula 1 (especially with Alonso as your team’mate’), it’s of even more importance.

Muhammad Ali springs to mind: “I am the greatest”. And who can dispute it now? If Lewis came out saying the same thing the media, and your good self Mr Vee, would no doubt string him up for such chat. And yet, who can really claim he won’t make true such a claim…. Jose Mourinho, the special one, also comes to mind. Two Premiership titles later he didn’t have many critics.

If you want to be impressed by nice guys, I suggest you join a church group. If you want to watch one of the most impressive young sportsmen come out of the UK in a century and blow away the competition in his first season mixing it with the big boys, stick to Formula 1.

#7 doctorvee
17 August 2007 18:21

I agree that arrogance comes with the territory to an extent — I even say so in my post. But my point is that Lewis Hamilton takes this to an entirely new level. No other driver has had the audacity to persuade a crane operator to get his beached car back onto the track. Michael Schumacher was vilified in the British media for doing less. So why is Lewis Hamilton cast as an angel?

And while there have been arrogant sportsmen in the past, I doubt many have told their bosses to fuck off without regretting it — never mind a boss who has given them immeasurable opportunities throughout their teenage years and beyond.

Muhammad Ali can get away with saying “I’m the greatest” because boxing is a purely individual sport. And no matter what the media believes, Formula 1 is a team as well as an individual sport. Likewise, Jose Mourinho can say things like that because he is the boss and the buck stops with him.

Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, is an employee of McLaren. An important one, but the point is that he is a member of a team. By compromising his team’s situation so badly in Hungary for the sake of selfish gain, he gave a massive V-sign to the hundreds of McLaren employees who he relies on to build him a good car.

To take Michael Schumacher again. He was meant to be as arrogant as they come. But I don’t think he ever told anyone who his career depended on to “go fucking swivel”. And no matter what you say about Schumacher, there was no doubt that he was a team player. He is still an employee of Ferrari even though he no longer drives. I cannot envisage Lewis Hamilton making that kind of (relatively selfless) commitment to his team.

The point is that Lewis Hamilton is not just arrogant. He is plain nasty.

#8 Craig
17 August 2007 19:20

Well done Duncan, you answered that very calmly!

#9 Bill (Scotland)
17 August 2007 22:39

I know very little about F1, but I do know a little about unintended signals that people give out about themselves. There was a very telling incident in a press conference a couple of weeks ago (I think after the Hungarian GP) when Hamilton was on the left, someone in the middle (the McLaren boss?), and Alonso on the right. Hamilton had just made some anodyne statment, seemingly conciliatory, and then Alonso started to speak. As the camera moved to Alonso, a look passed across Hamilton’s face that was pure disdain – yes, what he had been saying only a few seconds before was purely ‘for show’. I don’t remember (because I wasn’t suffciently interested) what either man said, but the signals were as clear as daylight – yes, Hamilton does have a VERY arrogant, and mercenary, streak. But he is obviously talented as well. No doubt the cost/benefit of having him on the team is being assessed.

#10 Clive
18 August 2007 04:17

Interesting point of view and the same goes for the replies. Having thought about it, my feeling is that Ron Dennis is experienced enough at the game to handle this minor kerfuffle. Anyone who kept Senna and Prost together in his team for two years must have a basic idea of what to do.

But I’ll agree with you on Hamilton’s character – it does look ummm, shall we say, undeveloped? Senna was accused of arrogance in his first couple of years in F1, mainly because he said what he thought without bowing to the established stars. After that, two things happened – his performance on the track was sufficient to silence his critics, and he matured and thought more carefully before opening his mouth. One can only hope that Hamilton will also learn a few things from the upsets he has caused this year.

#11 Max
20 August 2007 09:58

I hate to disagree, but this is a rather silly post which reveals little understanding of how high performance teams actually function on a dayily basis.

There is no way that you can be successful in any sport without being arrogant – some people just hide it better than others. You have to beleive that you’re better than the people your fighting with for status – first within your team then in the actual competition.

The radio conversation, if it did happen, is completely understandable. Anyone who’s competed at a resonably high level will have been in a similar situation – your doing what you think is right in a race and a coach or team manager gives you advice you disagree with and you scream “fuck off” through gritted teeth. It doesn’t mean that you respect them any less – you apologise afterwards, but each party knows that it means nothing in the scheme of the effort you’ve both put into the realtionship over the previous months and years.

As for the press coverage… I think you’ll find that, while still in his honeymoon, Hamilton still faces far more questioning from his national press than Alonso, Schumacher or Raikonen.

#12 Alan
26 August 2007 14:42

So what? Lewis Hamilton clearly has an ego. But successful people have ego’s. This post is written by a complete loser. Lewis is a winner. I look forward to him winning the championship.

#13 Ernie
27 August 2007 09:05

The boy’s a born winner.
He’s the fastest around and wants to win so much I’d pick him for my team.
You want a guy who even hates losing at tiddlywinks to win a race for you.
I’m impressed by the crane thing – the boy’s got cojones like melons!
It’s about racing not public relations.
My problem is Alonso bleating to the media all the time about inequalty in the team – Alonso is a fine racer but doesn’t have the dignity of a champion when he does this.
He’s not a nice guy loser and I think that’s a PLUS.

#14 Ernie
27 August 2007 09:58

Lewis Hamilton.
Racing Driver.
Winner.

I forget which sportsman said that when a confident person observes a less confident person, the less confident person will think of the confident one as arrogant.
A few people on here need work on their confidence.
I don’t think he is arrogant, just very very good………

#15 Kev
28 August 2007 22:35

Q.Can anyone say with total certainty that no other driver has sworn or argued with their boss
A. Emphatically NO, how can you, have you been listening to every converstion between driver and boss simultaneously at every race?

Q. Is it Hamiltons fault that the media write about him all the time
A. Emphatically NO, he is not incharge of all media types at all times.

Come on guys, how can you hate someone so much based upon media speculation. Without personally knowing him I have no idea if he’s arrogant and nasty or whatever. I do no he is fun to watch on the race track. Cheers

#16 Diego
30 August 2007 01:43

It was Hamilton who once said:

I have No 2 on my car. I know I am No 2 — coming into the season I expected that.

#17 H ROBINSON
2 September 2007 22:00

A few years ago, I was an avid fan of F1, then along came a bloke called
schumacher, and it became so boring I lost all interest. now at last we have a vivid new hope for once again having a british world champion and all people can do is criticise and find fault, Lewis Hamilton is doing for F1 what Cassius clay done for boxing, give the lad a break, and a bit of support and forget the nonsense in the Press, just watch and wonder
at the Genius of the boy wonder. I for one sincerely hope he wins every race left this season, and become sports personality of the year.

#18 Ciara
3 September 2007 15:58

I just want to say i hope Lewis Hamilton doesn’t win this championship!
He’s a arrogant fuck and i hope Fernando Alonso wins!!!!!!!!!!!!

#19 Malwod
5 September 2007 13:27

What do they say good guys never come first! To get where he is has takes arrogants, I spent years in motor sport and used to start every event by apologizing to my crew for the bad things I would say to them, heat of the moment and competitive spirit etc. will end in F’s being thrown around, nature of the beast.

#20 paul
6 September 2007 02:19

Lewis plays the press like a fiddle,his comment about the “cool runnings” song “rise above it” and how it helped him through the hungarian quali injustice.he was the cheaky TW@ at fault.

He informed the press that alonso was not talking to him but assured them that HE was ready to forgive and forget.I admired Alonso’s cool throughout whilst Lewis just kept on digging.

#21 John
7 September 2007 21:25

Yet another rich vein of massive knowledge. How to win races at the highest level? Sadly not. Proven critique perhaps. Nope, not that either.
Why don’t you armchair critics go and do something useful for a change.
And who is interested in what Eddie “loser” Irvine has to say?
Like all losers, you have to pick and pick and people who are winners.
Well guys, you might be interested to learn that your views are as interesting as dog turds in the park.
Lewis – you rock buddy – go and kill ‘em all.

#22 phillipa white
13 September 2007 22:32

Just another racist hamilton hater. nothing unexpected.

#23 doctorvee
14 September 2007 15:40

Calling me racist (without providing any evidence) is really low. It is particularly low when, in another thread on this blog, you said this:

what i cant understand is why we british can’t support our own

I do not support drivers on the basis of their nationality or their skin colour — unlike you, apparently.

#24 tom pilbeam
18 September 2007 02:06

this is just a short comment but im a huge fan of english sports stars and love nothing more than to see them do well. but i for one think that fernando alonso is a better driver and really does deserve to be world champ this season he has had been in the passenger seat since the ‘wonderkid’ hamilton came along and alonso has proved on several occasions this season that he is the best on track. Hamilton comes across a smarmy, spoilt little kid who has always got what he wants and now mclaren are giving him whatever he wants he’s allowed to swear at the boss and gets away with it and yet the public seem to forget that and shine the light on alonso for unsporting behaviour on track. jus take a look at this weeks newspapers. At spa alonso ’shoved’ hamilton off track. No! he had the racing line and he defended it the same as any driver challenging for the vital championship points would. The british press seem to hold a light to hamilton’s halo and scourn Fernando.
I cant wait to see the close of the season. I would like to see hamilton win of course but i think that after being behind hamilton, alonso has shown amazing grit and determination and has inched back and i think he will steal gain those points to beat Lewis to the finishing line.

#25 Da Wei
30 September 2007 22:20

It’s possible that a lot of the comments you make come from your obviouse lack of world experience.
You must be a regular church goer who sees the world through rosy spectacles.
It really is amazing how you have managed to work yourself up into such a frenzy over something so utterly trivial.
The point you make about the incident with the crane really is pathetic and illustrates your petty prejudice towards the man and not the sports man Lewis is.
You were born in 1986 which puts you a year or so behind Lewis, can you tell us all what your achievements are to date?
You really do need to get a life buddy and stop being so typically British in hating the success of others!

#26 doctorvee
30 September 2007 23:10

I have not been responding to most of the comments in this thread for a while, but I really have to take issue with this latest one.

Obviously Da Wei’s obviouse [sic] massive world experience has led him to conclude — from the fact that I think Lewis Hamilton is smarmy and arrogant — that I am a regular churchgoer (untrue), and typically British. Da Wei’s achievements to date are obviousely [sic] mostly in the field of mass, unfounded generalisations. Quite funny for someone who calls somebody prejudiced for pointing out when somebody breaks the rules!

#27 Sean
1 October 2007 16:02

Silence to all you Bitches, Lewis had to learn at an early age that you have to have total self belief, lewis raced competitively whilst most young boys were still siting on their mothers laps for a cuddle.

Even at cadet Karting the competition is intense, go to any Kart meet and you will see scores of (babies) knocking each other from pillar to post, and the prize, a tin cup. this boy has raced at the top of each formula for longer than he has been alive, like it or not he is predatory animal when it comes to racing, he didnt get out of the car and throw a tantrum when he span off, he used cunning, just the sort of cunning that makes champions, Schumacher would employ the same tactic to secure points yet he is a national hero in Germany.

I have a great deal of respect for Fernando but bitching over Lewis isn’t the action of a double world champion, he should be the one who draws from his experience and rise above infighting, oh no, he brought 5 tenths to the team so they should have been greatful, if that isn’t arrogant then what is? prepare to step aside Fernando you are tomorrows chip paper.

We have been blessed with a god given talent, one that started from humble beginings, I have a lump in my throat when I see Anthony look at his boy on the podium, I stand and applaude him during our national anthem, for once we are not the “never mind there’s always next time” competitors, so wind your necks in, rid the envy from your bodys and watch our new superstar with pride.

#28 alvin
5 October 2007 06:11

Hey Vee,

Like Craig said, you put into words what some people feel about Hamilton, only better than they can themselves. Ever since Bahrain, I’ve been hoping for some bad luck to knock the rookie down a notch or so, but the circus just kept on building, and we got the entire bandwagon going – not unlike Man Utd in the 90s and Chelsea in the Mourinho era.

First off I’d like to say the kid is good – there’s just no two ways about it. But few people seem to mention at all how lucky he’s been: 1. driving a McLaren when they finally got some reliability into their cars; 2. given personal guidance by Ron Dennis since young. Hamilton supporters will say he earned the guidance because he merited it, but no one seems to mention how unlucky Kimi has been with McLaren.

The worst thing about the whole thing is listening to (perhaps only British?) “experts” creaming themselves over the kid, and almost never failing to find something good to say about him when a neutral fan might go “eh?”. Johnny-come-latelys who support sport like they do because Federer-rules-tennis or Tiger-rules-golf or Mourinho-is-better-than-Fergie, I understand if they feel that way. For seasoned pundits to worship him so not only bestows legitimacy to the newbies’ (and even veterans’) view of F1, it insults the intelligence of the viewing public.

That said, I hope Hamilton is NOT punished for that incident at Fuji Speedway. It pains me to see the kid romp away with the title, but docking points would make him a victim, and in this day and age, nobody can say anything bad (in public anyway) about a fighter who overcame his oppressors to become a champion.

#29 Nacho
8 October 2007 11:39

I couldn’t have summarised it better!!!

#30 Craig
8 October 2007 15:46

The best part of the Chinese GP was when Lewis was getting out of his car – he stood on the seat and looked round at the marshalls as if to say “Why aren’t you helping me? Don’t you know who I am?”

Priceless!!

#31 TOKEALOT
8 October 2007 18:18

Lewis Hamilton is possibly the best young prospect to come into F1 since Michael Schumacher. But he almost certainly wouldn’t be where he is today without Ron Dennis and Mclaren. A little gratitude would seem to be in order.

He isn’t bigger than the team, but apparently he thinks he is. He seems to think that Mclaren and F1 need him more than he needs them.

Having said all that, Alonso is no better. Two great racers, but both arrogant tossers nonethless.

Kimi raikonnen for world champ.

#32 FI
21 October 2007 23:35

LH sucks. Bad guy, very bad

#33 Woody
4 November 2007 21:59

I’m still struggling with the whole Hungary thing (and with selecting the best thread to attach this comment to).

LH ignored an internal team plan/order/request to allow FA to lead Q3. Perhaps not the best decision but, as the article in F1Fanatic highlights, if FA was meant to be leading Q3, why was he not first at the pitlane exit ready to go?

I’m sure it would have been easier to hold LH in the garage until FA had exited and then follow out in convoy.

It’s been suggested that LH’s actions justified FA’s decision (or his engineers, or whatever) to hold in the pit just that bit longer, thereby preventing LH to complete a final qualy lap. Someone in McLaren (perhaps even FA himself) must have realised that this course of action could be deemed ‘illegal’ (or whatever term you care to apply) and therefore subject to a penalty?

And given that the the finger has been pointed at LH for starting this whole debacle my ignoring a team-internal order intended to maintain fair-play/equality, why not elect to redress the problem by applying a team-internal ‘penalty’ on LH?

For example, McLaren could have prevented LH from leading the subsequent Q3s at the next two GPs?

An internal problem solved, internally…….

Just a thought.

#34 doctorvee
4 November 2007 22:35

And given that the the finger has been pointed at LH for starting this whole debacle my ignoring a team-internal order intended to maintain fair-play/equality, why not elect to redress the problem by applying a team-internal ‘penalty’ on LH?

My reading of the situation was that the team brought Alonso in for his pitstop before Hamilton in order to penalise Hamilton. The problem was that Alonso over egged it.

The possibility you suggest had occurred to me as well. I suppose the problem is that if Hamilton ignored the instruction once, what’s so say he wouldn’t ignore it again and again?

#35 Woody
4 November 2007 23:01

Well, it should only need someone to stand in front of his garage to prevent him from leaving it before Alonso gets in the queue.

It would have been nice to see it resolved in a more adult fashion. I think both drivers behaved a little childishly.

But then, both are a fair bit younger than i am, and I wouldn’t say i behave all that maturely!

#36 Chris
22 June 2008 15:12

Hamilton has been groomed for stardom all his life, given every opportunity possible and clearly given years of coaching and training on how to work with the media – none of this works as he I believe he will end up being the most hated driver in history. In his forst year he called all the more experienced drivers in lesser teams “also rans” in the Monaco race he said “Im living the dream for them all” – meaning his team – in short he is a c**t.

Comments RSS feed / Trackback URL

#1 Richard Leyton
17 August 2007 13:38

Excellent post. I too have become rather weary of the Hamilton-can-do-no-wrong media circus, and was intrigued when ITV F1 coverage pointed out the events that had preceded the ‘Alonso incident’ that it cast a very different light from the mass-media view.
#2 doctorvee
17 August 2007 14:09

Yeah, makes a change for ITV F1. I won’t forget their biased coverage of the incident at Monaco.
#3 Craig
17 August 2007 14:21

Very good, you always seem to write what I’m thinking – and in a better way than I could!

Whether the reported radio conversation really did take place, something happened between Ron Dennis and Lewis Hamilton that day. ITV were granted an interview and during questioning Steve Rider asked Lewis how things were within the team and Lewis looked a bit sheepish whilst admitting Ron was less than pleased with his performance during qualifying which would imply something relatively serious had happened between the pair – this would be prior to any spin being put on the story so probably offers a truer reflection on things.

All McLaren have really said is that Lewis didn’t use the “F-word” which doesn’t refute that he was less than complimentary to his boss.

I see that the wonderboy is on the cover of F1 Racing – again – this month, what a surprise.
#4 doctorvee
17 August 2007 14:32

Yeah, I remember another interview that Lewis Hamilton did that weekend — I can’t remember who with. But at one point he said, “I am probably in big trouble with my boss.”
The interviewer said something like, “What, you are in trouble with your boss?”
“I probably am, yeah.”

I think I would be in trouble with my boss if I told him to effing go and bloody well swivel.
#5 Calum Leslie
17 August 2007 14:47

As much of a good point as you make there, I still think that calling a professional sportsperson “arrogant” is akin to calling water “wet”; it kinda comes with the territory.
#6 Jeff
17 August 2007 14:50

I’m afraid your post does smack somewhat of the classic British trait of having a pop at someone just cos they’re successful in their field. Like Beckham, Rowling and Robbie Williams that have gone before, it seems Hamilton is next in the firing line.

So a couple of things in his defence:

(1) If there’s a big media circus around Lewis Hamilton, it’s not really his fault is it? If you’re fed up with his constant exposure, don’t blame Lewis but the packs of journalists trying to squeeze news out of a stone.

(2) What do you care if he’s got an arrogant streak? If he didn’t have that he wouldn’t be as ace a driver as he is. I’m sure Ron Dennis is big enough to take a few “F you’s” or whatever Lewis allegedly said in the heat of a pressurised situation. Ron has hit the jackpot with Lewis, and a bit of over-confidence thrown back at him once in a while is a small price to pay for it. If I was someone’s boss, I would want to see my employee chomping at the bit and pushing everything to the limit rather than some sort of laissez-faire, polite approach that you seem to prefer.

Personally, I love the guys that come in and say “I’m going to be the best” and then prove themselves right. And to do it at 9 years old is even more impressive. In most situations in life, you need to fight your own corner, in Formula 1 (especially with Alonso as your team’mate’), it’s of even more importance.

Muhammad Ali springs to mind: “I am the greatest”. And who can dispute it now? If Lewis came out saying the same thing the media, and your good self Mr Vee, would no doubt string him up for such chat. And yet, who can really claim he won’t make true such a claim…. Jose Mourinho, the special one, also comes to mind. Two Premiership titles later he didn’t have many critics.

If you want to be impressed by nice guys, I suggest you join a church group. If you want to watch one of the most impressive young sportsmen come out of the UK in a century and blow away the competition in his first season mixing it with the big boys, stick to Formula 1.
#7 doctorvee
17 August 2007 18:21

I agree that arrogance comes with the territory to an extent — I even say so in my post. But my point is that Lewis Hamilton takes this to an entirely new level. No other driver has had the audacity to persuade a crane operator to get his beached car back onto the track. Michael Schumacher was vilified in the British media for doing less. So why is Lewis Hamilton cast as an angel?

And while there have been arrogant sportsmen in the past, I doubt many have told their bosses to fuck off without regretting it — never mind a boss who has given them immeasurable opportunities throughout their teenage years and beyond.

Muhammad Ali can get away with saying “I’m the greatest” because boxing is a purely individual sport. And no matter what the media believes, Formula 1 is a team as well as an individual sport. Likewise, Jose Mourinho can say things like that because he is the boss and the buck stops with him.

Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, is an employee of McLaren. An important one, but the point is that he is a member of a team. By compromising his team’s situation so badly in Hungary for the sake of selfish gain, he gave a massive V-sign to the hundreds of McLaren employees who he relies on to build him a good car.

To take Michael Schumacher again. He was meant to be as arrogant as they come. But I don’t think he ever told anyone who his career depended on to “go fucking swivel”. And no matter what you say about Schumacher, there was no doubt that he was a team player. He is still an employee of Ferrari even though he no longer drives. I cannot envisage Lewis Hamilton making that kind of (relatively selfless) commitment to his team.

The point is that Lewis Hamilton is not just arrogant. He is plain nasty.
#8 Craig
17 August 2007 19:20

Well done Duncan, you answered that very calmly!
#9 Bill (Scotland)
17 August 2007 22:39

I know very little about F1, but I do know a little about unintended signals that people give out about themselves. There was a very telling incident in a press conference a couple of weeks ago (I think after the Hungarian GP) when Hamilton was on the left, someone in the middle (the McLaren boss?), and Alonso on the right. Hamilton had just made some anodyne statment, seemingly conciliatory, and then Alonso started to speak. As the camera moved to Alonso, a look passed across Hamilton’s face that was pure disdain – yes, what he had been saying only a few seconds before was purely ‘for show’. I don’t remember (because I wasn’t suffciently interested) what either man said, but the signals were as clear as daylight – yes, Hamilton does have a VERY arrogant, and mercenary, streak. But he is obviously talented as well. No doubt the cost/benefit of having him on the team is being assessed.
#10 Clive
18 August 2007 04:17

Interesting point of view and the same goes for the replies. Having thought about it, my feeling is that Ron Dennis is experienced enough at the game to handle this minor kerfuffle. Anyone who kept Senna and Prost together in his team for two years must have a basic idea of what to do.

But I’ll agree with you on Hamilton’s character – it does look ummm, shall we say, undeveloped? Senna was accused of arrogance in his first couple of years in F1, mainly because he said what he thought without bowing to the established stars. After that, two things happened – his performance on the track was sufficient to silence his critics, and he matured and thought more carefully before opening his mouth. One can only hope that Hamilton will also learn a few things from the upsets he has caused this year.
#11 Max
20 August 2007 09:58

I hate to disagree, but this is a rather silly post which reveals little understanding of how high performance teams actually function on a dayily basis.

There is no way that you can be successful in any sport without being arrogant – some people just hide it better than others. You have to beleive that you’re better than the people your fighting with for status – first within your team then in the actual competition.

The radio conversation, if it did happen, is completely understandable. Anyone who’s competed at a resonably high level will have been in a similar situation – your doing what you think is right in a race and a coach or team manager gives you advice you disagree with and you scream “fuck off” through gritted teeth. It doesn’t mean that you respect them any less – you apologise afterwards, but each party knows that it means nothing in the scheme of the effort you’ve both put into the realtionship over the previous months and years.

As for the press coverage… I think you’ll find that, while still in his honeymoon, Hamilton still faces far more questioning from his national press than Alonso, Schumacher or Raikonen.
#12 Alan
26 August 2007 14:42

So what? Lewis Hamilton clearly has an ego. But successful people have ego’s. This post is written by a complete loser. Lewis is a winner. I look forward to him winning the championship.
#13 Ernie
27 August 2007 09:05

The boy’s a born winner.
He’s the fastest around and wants to win so much I’d pick him for my team.
You want a guy who even hates losing at tiddlywinks to win a race for you.
I’m impressed by the crane thing – the boy’s got cojones like melons!
It’s about racing not public relations.
My problem is Alonso bleating to the media all the time about inequalty in the team – Alonso is a fine racer but doesn’t have the dignity of a champion when he does this.
He’s not a nice guy loser and I think that’s a PLUS.
#14 Ernie
27 August 2007 09:58

Lewis Hamilton.
Racing Driver.
Winner.

I forget which sportsman said that when a confident person observes a less confident person, the less confident person will think of the confident one as arrogant.
A few people on here need work on their confidence.
I don’t think he is arrogant, just very very good………
#15 Kev
28 August 2007 22:35

Q.Can anyone say with total certainty that no other driver has sworn or argued with their boss
A. Emphatically NO, how can you, have you been listening to every converstion between driver and boss simultaneously at every race?

Q. Is it Hamiltons fault that the media write about him all the time
A. Emphatically NO, he is not incharge of all media types at all times.

Come on guys, how can you hate someone so much based upon media speculation. Without personally knowing him I have no idea if he’s arrogant and nasty or whatever. I do no he is fun to watch on the race track. Cheers
#16 Diego
30 August 2007 01:43

It was Hamilton who once said:

I have No 2 on my car. I know I am No 2 — coming into the season I expected that.
#17 H ROBINSON
2 September 2007 22:00

A few years ago, I was an avid fan of F1, then along came a bloke called
schumacher, and it became so boring I lost all interest. now at last we have a vivid new hope for once again having a british world champion and all people can do is criticise and find fault, Lewis Hamilton is doing for F1 what Cassius clay done for boxing, give the lad a break, and a bit of support and forget the nonsense in the Press, just watch and wonder
at the Genius of the boy wonder. I for one sincerely hope he wins every race left this season, and become sports personality of the year.
#18 Ciara
3 September 2007 15:58

I just want to say i hope Lewis Hamilton doesn’t win this championship!
He’s a arrogant fuck and i hope Fernando Alonso wins!!!!!!!!!!!!
#19 Malwod
5 September 2007 13:27

What do they say good guys never come first! To get where he is has takes arrogants, I spent years in motor sport and used to start every event by apologizing to my crew for the bad things I would say to them, heat of the moment and competitive spirit etc. will end in F’s being thrown around, nature of the beast.
#20 paul
6 September 2007 02:19

Lewis plays the press like a fiddle,his comment about the “cool runnings” song “rise above it” and how it helped him through the hungarian quali injustice.he was the cheaky TW@ at fault.

He informed the press that alonso was not talking to him but assured them that HE was ready to forgive and forget.I admired Alonso’s cool throughout whilst Lewis just kept on digging.
#21 John
7 September 2007 21:25

Yet another rich vein of massive knowledge. How to win races at the highest level? Sadly not. Proven critique perhaps. Nope, not that either.
Why don’t you armchair critics go and do something useful for a change.
And who is interested in what Eddie “loser” Irvine has to say?
Like all losers, you have to pick and pick and people who are winners.
Well guys, you might be interested to learn that your views are as interesting as dog turds in the park.
Lewis – you rock buddy – go and kill ‘em all.
#22 phillipa white
13 September 2007 22:32

Just another racist hamilton hater. nothing unexpected.
#23 doctorvee
14 September 2007 15:40

Calling me racist (without providing any evidence) is really low. It is particularly low when, in another thread on this blog, you said this:

what i cant understand is why we british can’t support our own

I do not support drivers on the basis of their nationality or their skin colour — unlike you, apparently.
#24 tom pilbeam
18 September 2007 02:06

this is just a short comment but im a huge fan of english sports stars and love nothing more than to see them do well. but i for one think that fernando alonso is a better driver and really does deserve to be world champ this season he has had been in the passenger seat since the ‘wonderkid’ hamilton came along and alonso has proved on several occasions this season that he is the best on track. Hamilton comes across a smarmy, spoilt little kid who has always got what he wants and now mclaren are giving him whatever he wants he’s allowed to swear at the boss and gets away with it and yet the public seem to forget that and shine the light on alonso for unsporting behaviour on track. jus take a look at this weeks newspapers. At spa alonso ’shoved’ hamilton off track. No! he had the racing line and he defended it the same as any driver challenging for the vital championship points would. The british press seem to hold a light to hamilton’s halo and scourn Fernando.
I cant wait to see the close of the season. I would like to see hamilton win of course but i think that after being behind hamilton, alonso has shown amazing grit and determination and has inched back and i think he will steal gain those points to beat Lewis to the finishing line.
#25 Da Wei
30 September 2007 22:20

It’s possible that a lot of the comments you make come from your obviouse lack of world experience.
You must be a regular church goer who sees the world through rosy spectacles.
It really is amazing how you have managed to work yourself up into such a frenzy over something so utterly trivial.
The point you make about the incident with the crane really is pathetic and illustrates your petty prejudice towards the man and not the sports man Lewis is.
You were born in 1986 which puts you a year or so behind Lewis, can you tell us all what your achievements are to date?
You really do need to get a life buddy and stop being so typically British in hating the success of others!
#26 doctorvee
30 September 2007 23:10

I have not been responding to most of the comments in this thread for a while, but I really have to take issue with this latest one.

Obviously Da Wei’s obviouse [sic] massive world experience has led him to conclude — from the fact that I think Lewis Hamilton is smarmy and arrogant — that I am a regular churchgoer (untrue), and typically British. Da Wei’s achievements to date are obviousely [sic] mostly in the field of mass, unfounded generalisations. Quite funny for someone who calls somebody prejudiced for pointing out when somebody breaks the rules!
#27 Sean
1 October 2007 16:02

Silence to all you Bitches, Lewis had to learn at an early age that you have to have total self belief, lewis raced competitively whilst most young boys were still siting on their mothers laps for a cuddle.

Even at cadet Karting the competition is intense, go to any Kart meet and you will see scores of (babies) knocking each other from pillar to post, and the prize, a tin cup. this boy has raced at the top of each formula for longer than he has been alive, like it or not he is predatory animal when it comes to racing, he didnt get out of the car and throw a tantrum when he span off, he used cunning, just the sort of cunning that makes champions, Schumacher would employ the same tactic to secure points yet he is a national hero in Germany.

I have a great deal of respect for Fernando but bitching over Lewis isn’t the action of a double world champion, he should be the one who draws from his experience and rise above infighting, oh no, he brought 5 tenths to the team so they should have been greatful, if that isn’t arrogant then what is? prepare to step aside Fernando you are tomorrows chip paper.

We have been blessed with a god given talent, one that started from humble beginings, I have a lump in my throat when I see Anthony look at his boy on the podium, I stand and applaude him during our national anthem, for once we are not the “never mind there’s always next time” competitors, so wind your necks in, rid the envy from your bodys and watch our new superstar with pride.
#28 alvin
5 October 2007 06:11

Hey Vee,

Like Craig said, you put into words what some people feel about Hamilton, only better than they can themselves. Ever since Bahrain, I’ve been hoping for some bad luck to knock the rookie down a notch or so, but the circus just kept on building, and we got the entire bandwagon going – not unlike Man Utd in the 90s and Chelsea in the Mourinho era.

First off I’d like to say the kid is good – there’s just no two ways about it. But few people seem to mention at all how lucky he’s been: 1. driving a McLaren when they finally got some reliability into their cars; 2. given personal guidance by Ron Dennis since young. Hamilton supporters will say he earned the guidance because he merited it, but no one seems to mention how unlucky Kimi has been with McLaren.

The worst thing about the whole thing is listening to (perhaps only British?) “experts” creaming themselves over the kid, and almost never failing to find something good to say about him when a neutral fan might go “eh?”. Johnny-come-latelys who support sport like they do because Federer-rules-tennis or Tiger-rules-golf or Mourinho-is-better-than-Fergie, I understand if they feel that way. For seasoned pundits to worship him so not only bestows legitimacy to the newbies’ (and even veterans’) view of F1, it insults the intelligence of the viewing public.

That said, I hope Hamilton is NOT punished for that incident at Fuji Speedway. It pains me to see the kid romp away with the title, but docking points would make him a victim, and in this day and age, nobody can say anything bad (in public anyway) about a fighter who overcame his oppressors to become a champion.
#29 Nacho
8 October 2007 11:39

I couldn’t have summarised it better!!!
#30 Craig
8 October 2007 15:46

The best part of the Chinese GP was when Lewis was getting out of his car – he stood on the seat and looked round at the marshalls as if to say “Why aren’t you helping me? Don’t you know who I am?”

Priceless!!
#31 TOKEALOT
8 October 2007 18:18

Lewis Hamilton is possibly the best young prospect to come into F1 since Michael Schumacher. But he almost certainly wouldn’t be where he is today without Ron Dennis and Mclaren. A little gratitude would seem to be in order.

He isn’t bigger than the team, but apparently he thinks he is. He seems to think that Mclaren and F1 need him more than he needs them.

Having said all that, Alonso is no better. Two great racers, but both arrogant tossers nonethless.

Kimi raikonnen for world champ.
#32 FI
21 October 2007 23:35

LH sucks. Bad guy, very bad
#33 Woody
4 November 2007 21:59

I’m still struggling with the whole Hungary thing (and with selecting the best thread to attach this comment to).

LH ignored an internal team plan/order/request to allow FA to lead Q3. Perhaps not the best decision but, as the article in F1Fanatic highlights, if FA was meant to be leading Q3, why was he not first at the pitlane exit ready to go?

I’m sure it would have been easier to hold LH in the garage until FA had exited and then follow out in convoy.

It’s been suggested that LH’s actions justified FA’s decision (or his engineers, or whatever) to hold in the pit just that bit longer, thereby preventing LH to complete a final qualy lap. Someone in McLaren (perhaps even FA himself) must have realised that this course of action could be deemed ‘illegal’ (or whatever term you care to apply) and therefore subject to a penalty?

And given that the the finger has been pointed at LH for starting this whole debacle my ignoring a team-internal order intended to maintain fair-play/equality, why not elect to redress the problem by applying a team-internal ‘penalty’ on LH?

For example, McLaren could have prevented LH from leading the subsequent Q3s at the next two GPs?

An internal problem solved, internally…….

Just a thought.
#34 doctorvee
4 November 2007 22:35

And given that the the finger has been pointed at LH for starting this whole debacle my ignoring a team-internal order intended to maintain fair-play/equality, why not elect to redress the problem by applying a team-internal ‘penalty’ on LH?

My reading of the situation was that the team brought Alonso in for his pitstop before Hamilton in order to penalise Hamilton. The problem was that Alonso over egged it.

The possibility you suggest had occurred to me as well. I suppose the problem is that if Hamilton ignored the instruction once, what’s so say he wouldn’t ignore it again and again?
#35 Woody
4 November 2007 23:01

Well, it should only need someone to stand in front of his garage to prevent him from leaving it before Alonso gets in the queue.

It would have been nice to see it resolved in a more adult fashion. I think both drivers behaved a little childishly.

But then, both are a fair bit younger than i am, and I wouldn’t say i behave all that maturely!
#36 Chris
22 June 2008 15:12

Hamilton has been groomed for stardom all his life, given every opportunity possible and clearly given years of coaching and training on how to work with the media – none of this works as he I believe he will end up being the most hated driver in history. In his forst year he called all the more experienced drivers in lesser teams “also rans” in the Monaco race he said “Im living the dream for them all” – meaning his team – in short he is a c**t.