Amazing how everyone has ganged up on Lewis Hamilton in the last few weeks. He’s always had his detractors – both inside and outside the F1 circus – but recently it seems to have stepped up a level.
It feels to me that there’s something of a Karate Kid playground gang mentality going on, a bunch of kids singling another out. But why?
Alonso is clearly doing it to show Ferrari that he’s got their back, as it’s well known he’s angling for a seat there in 2010. And if you remember photos from last year, Alonso was grinning his head off with Kimi and Felipe after they beat Hamilton.
And Kimi, well, Kimi’s just amused with nothing to lose.
So then the fans of those drivers start giving Lewis a hard time too, and it’s become – if you’ve been reading our blog comments in the last 24 hours – ‘fact’ that Lewis is the most hated driver ever, and if the other drivers hate him then surely the fans should too?
Personally, I like what Hamilton does and the way he does it (always have, but no one in the office agrees). Yeah, so he’s arrogant, but so are all the drivers.
And the thing that’s going against Massa in particular, the thing that marks Lewis out with the mental capacity to be a world champion, is that this has only made him stronger.
Could it be the undoing of Felipe, who doesn’t handle things well when they’re not going his way? Just look at yesterday…
Anyway, all of this has lead me to wondering one thing: what if, instead of growing up with McLaren, Lewis had ended up being schooled and consequently signed to Ferrari, to partner Kimi?
How different would it all be then?
Pure nonsense, Lewis needs to stick within the rules as does everyone else. I really hope Massa wins the title, but if Lewis wins, it will be more than fair as he has done a great job this year. Stop complaining about nothing.
like the comedian Katt Williams once said you aren’t successful until you have people hating on you he must be doing something right and i agree with jamie the other drivers need to grow a pair and start making these races more interesting
You only have to read the various blogs to see Hamilton has an enormous number of haters. It’s always easier to slag someone off than write positive comments. I can’t imagine he’s disliked any more than Schumacher was or Alonso last season (by Hamilton fans). It’s just that he’s at the top that we hear more about it. If he was mid table the haters would soon find someone else to latch on to
Martin Brundle made a typically excellent observation about this during the race:
It’s partly because Hamilton is considered quite aggressive in wheel-to-wheel racing situations.
And it’s partly because he gets so much press attention and because some of the things he says to the media irritates them (it’s the same with the Danica factor in the IRL).
But it’s also partly jealousy: not only that he landed in F1 with a top team (something that hasn’t happened since Jacques Villeneuve) but also that he’s done well enough to more than justify it.
Brundle is brilliant by the way: the BBC will have made a terrible error if they don’t get him on board for next year.
‘Most hated driver error’? I reckon Pironi was less popular after Villeneuve died – but that’s a whole different thing really.
hamilton is hated only by ferrari and schumi fans (and racists too). they just can’t accept a black, british, mclaren driver becoming the new premier attraction of F1!
Hamilton is way less arrogant than a lot of drivers, who justify a lot of failures by themselves or their team by lashing at Lewis.
Mr Anomymous called Lewis a ’spoiled kid’ further up. LH and Kubica must be the LEAST spoiled of the bunch.
And of course Lewis is hated, he is very close to getting what most drivers want. He’s messed up a few times, great, who hasn’t. He’s also been made to pay very dearly for his mistakes.
i agree with zzz
we have someone in a sport that is doing well, with a part british team. until honda sort themselves out and put button up the front again so we can see him race at his best, hamilton is who we are proud of.
and people, stop slagging off someone who has talent, you didnt slag off vettel when he won did you…?
ash above put it nice…
‘hatred’ from the rest of the bunch is a result of his arrogant character combined with his color and the envy for his extraordinary talent & driving skills…
hope they let him become the champion he deserves to be…
Ira R.
that’s a very good point.
why do people hate HAM?
and why are they so enthusiastic about Vettel?
Both Vettel and HAM are very talented ( so are other drivers, apart from a few ones who there for PR or marketing reasons)
but in many ways vettel is the opposite of Ham
here are some of the differences:
Vettel is not arrogant, he seems to be so relaxed, just caring about driving, not PR
he does not use his hand to show some well-known offensive gestures when he can’t overtake somebody
his driving is fast but not aggressive towards other drivers. Of course, he has made a couple of mistakes but everyone does. but he doesn’t push other drivers off the track. ( what you call spectacular driving)
journalist form all over the world were excited when won POLE and the race. because they saw someone who seemed to be a genuine driving enthusiast, who only cared about his driving not wondering how many points his rivals scored. Not a corrupted regular.
Now try you imagine how Raikonen must have felt when Hamilton hit him in his back, and stole 10 points.
think how weber felt when hamilton was pushing him off the track in a long straight when weber was trying to overtake him.
There is some sort of hate going on about Hamilton. First because many people can’t stand to see someone that was dropped into a top team in his firts F1 season and being the most successfull rookie of all time, and also for pure racism. There is still a very strong Schumaker fan base that now have moved their support to Ferrari only and their hate to McLaren. But this situation isn’t new and the most famous example was between Senna and Prost and the hate that Senna experienced after Prost left Mclaren. but, despite Hamilton’s wave of hate that is coming on, we must not forget that Schumi was heavily critisised, even by the most famous F1 drivers in the past. Hamilton, just needs to ignore it and move on with his career.
When everyone hates Hamilton, he performs well, when everyone likes him, he crashes.
I think most people hate him because they are jealous, or because he said he was good as, if not better than, Ayrton Senna…
hamilton is one of the best drivers in the current f1.
people are only jealous of him.
he is only getting penalties because the FIA dont let the do anything anymore, next thing you no they wont be alowed to pass each other.
ill be honest. Im jealous of Hamilton, id give anything to line up in that car, on pole, knowing ive that much talent to know i should win, every couple of weeks (and thats before the money and the girlfriend). Show me someone who likes motorsport who isnt jealous of him. Can only name two people. Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. However. I still like the guy and being British he’s our only hope of sucsess for a fair while (Jenson Button should just retire quietly while no-ones looking that he’s getting cained by Rubens every race).
i agree, so many people are jealous of Lewis Hamitons talents. Also the fia appear to be biased towards Ferrari, if you look at Felipe Massa’s unfair pitlane exit at valencia he was fined £6,000 but when Lewis Hamilton cut the corner and gave the advantage back to Raikonnen he was given a time penalty which put him own from 1st to 3rd.
Lewis Hamilton is the most exciting driver for a very long time. Watching him is more than just seeing “some driver” because he takes you on a roller coaster ride of highs and lows and he shows his raw talent every race. He is the future of F1 and is fantastic for the sport even if he sometimes shows naivety to the rules. C’mon Lewis win the championship and shut the critics up.
Meh, Hamilton is an ass yes, but so is a lot of other F1- drivers. I bet he’s actually a pretty nice guy. He needs to chill though.
As for the rules, i think people breaking rules (like touching, too violant overtakes) are fun to watch, F1 needs some action, and hell that’s what Lewis has given us.
They need to lighten up on the rules. F1 is becoming boring.
t’least this is my opinion. ;P
Floppy said..
ill be honest. Im jealous of Hamilton, id give anything to line up in that car, on pole, knowing ive that much talent to know i should win, every couple of weeks (and thats before the money and the girlfriend). Show me someone who likes motorsport who isnt jealous of him. Can only name two people. Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. However. I still like the guy and being British he’s our only hope of sucsess for a fair while (Jenson Button should just retire quietly while no-ones looking that he’s getting cained by Rubens every race).
Yeah that’s true. Don’t forget Alonso though. I think he’s the most talented driver in F1 today.
Jealousy that is all it is.
He is far better than the 90% of drivers who are only making up the numbers,
He messes up but is still at the top and that is what is pissing you all off.
He fought for the title that was to be his last year but was prevented from having it because of alonso crap last year,I mean keep him out longer than neccesary in China 07 and a strange electrical fault in Brasil Electronics can change various paramaters in his car fo a few laps,FIA could not let him be champion then let sponsors down by retracting it.
Alonso you were thrashed fair and square last year,Get over it.
I believe Hamilton is the best F1 driver since the pass of Senna.He is talented and has the passion for driving and win,and the other drivers are jelous and lack the determination he has.I think the most interesting thing in watching a F1 race is just to watch how Hamilton takes over other drivers and they are helpless… haha
I really dont understand the level of out right hatred Lewis has directed at him. People have consistently said he is arrogant and completely self-absorbed…..WHAT! can no one remember how bad schumacher was. This man actually did drive people off the track then smiled through his press conferences knowing no one would dare touch him. I have to admit to being a bit of an Alonso fan but he has more than once opened his big mouth only to put his foot right in it. Great driver but arrogant and petty.
It seems to me to boil down to this:
He’s Black
He’s not in a Red Car
and he’s bloody good.
You add up the british press who like to stab in the back any good british sportsman. The legions of ferrari fans and the barely veiled racism of a largely rich white guys sport. He’s done amazingly to get where he is.
Dudes, it’s a damn sport. Just like premiership football, cricket, rugby, etc. These things always happen. I, on the other hand, can only hope it will be an exciting race, with alot of tension and some crashes. Whoever wins the blingbling title will have won it fair and square.
Either hamilton or massa, so let’s sit back and enjoy the race. You do know, that there will always be a next season….
It’s not so much what Hamilton does, but what UK press and fanboys say and do. The bigger the hype, the bigger the resistance from “the other side”.
Easy answer.
another very British article, a few more and it even won’t be funny any more
the problem is that because Lewis has landed in the best car from the very begining he thinks, and says it out loud, that:
- if he loses that’s only because the weather has changed (for him only??
- he should be handed victories for races he didn’t win because he thinks he was the best on the track
- he doesn’t need to follow the regulations like signal lights and following safety car
- there should be a crane on every corner of every track always ready to put him back in the race
- and he is more fit that Jenson
All of you HHHs (Hamilton Hating Hypocrites) should shut up! Lewis is a fantastic gift to Formula 1, and deserves to win the title. He s not arrogant, he’s just so good at it. He’s trying to inject some excitement to the sport, something that was always missing over the last couple of decades.
To all the Ferrari fans out there, you can keep your Constructors’ title for all I care (even though you don’t deserve it these days).
To all the HHHs, you should be ashamed of yourselves. You’re just jealous that Hamilton is doing brilliantly and that Massa, Alonso and Klumsy Kimmy aren’t.
So lay off Lewis and accept the fact that Britain will celebrate in 2 weeks time.
i’m a Honda supporter myself but Alonso is taking it over the top because he can stand having some one who is more talented than he could ever be,
Heh, you people are going way out of your way to make Lewis the poor, black, misunderstood near enough underdog he isn’t.
- He joined F1 in a team that had one of the fastest cars. Rookie or not, he had to deliver. Whitness Renault’s treatment of Kovalainen and Piquet and Toro Rosso’s treatment of Bourdais. He over-delivered, sure, but quite a bit of his achievements were no less than expected.
- He’s a very good driver, with a tendency to push the rules (and his rivals) and as a result gets more penalties than anyone else.
- Drivers are all rivals to eachother, with their likes and dislikes and preferences. The press’ job is to write stories and if they have to make half-arsed interpretations of comments by the drivers to be able to do so, they will. Alonso pre-China said it best:
Q: (Jon McEvoy – The Daily Mail) So would you like to see Lewis win as much as the other two drivers?
FA: We can be here forever and you cannot misunderstand what I say, you know. When we say all these things, my best relationship for example is with Robert. I would like to see him winning the championship but I know this is quite difficult… …You can take whatever you can from my comment but it is very simple.
- Opinions are bound to be more outspoken about the top drivers. Raikkonen has forever been derided for being a disinterested mumbler and party animal, but no one would have cared had he stayed at lacklustre Sauber until it was bought by BMW. And so people are bound to take offense when Lewis starts bragging about never again being overtaken on the outside, or lack of balls, regardless of whether these are heart-felt comments or just spur of the moment rivalry.
Me personally, I liked Hamilton better last season when he kept his mouth shut except to spout marketing department censored pc crap and let his driving do the talking. That’s why last year Alonso was the hate target and that’s why this year it’s Hamilton. But underdog like you guys are making him out to be? Really…
Well I think Alonso is much better and complete driver than Hamilton. I also think that while Hamilton is a “product” of McLaren, Ron Dennis and his daddy, we see really exceptional drivers like Webber, Kubica or Vettel who managed to get to the sport without the support Lewis had, and still has. For me Kubica is the most stable cold-headed and professional driver of the young generation and give him a Ferrari class car we’re gonna have a Schumi in the making. Mark my words.
Lewis most hated? Nah Schumi has him beaten on that one. (especially for “patenting” the start line-chop and some other dubious incidents (impact with JV for one).
BUT
One thing both Michael had and Lewis has that many of their detractors don’t is class off the track.
They’re polite and reasonable in interviews and even come accross as humble for the most part(as far as racing drivers go…and hey I race in a formula car series so I know what that’s all about)
On the track they are/were pure uncompromising racers and they should be. Thats how you win.
So most hated? no not Lewis, not yet, maybe in a few years time when he continues to dominate the scene.
i am amused that people just hate lewis for being so aggressive. he is a very talented driver and quick but but in my view he is not a class act as of now bcoz i havnt seen him in a car that is not good. i want to see him how he drives or handles himself in bad car . from the time he stepped into formula 1 he has been lucky or might even be that he was the reason to receive a car of championship caliber (hard to judge since u dnt know what goes behind during testing) so he is able to deliver but still has made a lot of mistakes. everyone has made mistakes but the only way he can turn it around and making people his admirers is only when he is able to extract the maximum out of a bad car like alonso did this year or like vettel. Vettle is a class act and awesome driver and i think lewis can learn so much from him.
People are slagging off Hamilton for his aggressive driving style but surely that wheel to wheel action is what is needed in F1 thats what was lacking in the later years of Schumacher racing, those were predictable days. Now we’ve got abit of unpredictability which is rather relieving. personally i do think he deserves the title as he has bin subject to a fair bit of bias from the FIA (which also needs to have a bit of a regeneration considering most of the members r pretty close to their expiry date.)
Good luck Hamilton
Each to their own opinions, I think the reason why most other drivers hated Hamilton is because he joined F1 in one of the fastest and strongest (not to mention one of the wealthiest too) team, while the rest of the pussies had to work their way up.
This lead to jealousy, they just cannot accept the fact that Hamilton can drive ‘that’ good and the fact that McLaren had offered him a contract.
Is this what we called luck? Maybe. But nonetheless, Hamilton still has the talent to back his luck up. No doubt he brings aggressiveness into the competition, so what? In true motor racing, you race for life, true racing driver life and die racing, if one drive cautiously and be a dog of the rules and the stupid stewards, the race would be a boring shit, and every one is just expecting crashes at every corner to excites themselves in each race.
It is interesting to see how Hamilton stir up the race with his out of this world driving and as a result of that, works out the entire audience, media, and FIA.
He is the one that brings excitement to the race, be it good or bad. He gets the whole forum chat room, the papers, the medias, off their seats. He pinches some salts and rub it in your wounds, and he is having fun.
I am having fun watching him.
I’m finding it difficult to find any mention of Hamilton’s race from anyone other than his fans, who seem to consider criticism of Lewis almost entirely racially motivated.
That is the most racist and insulting thing I’ve heard in a long time. There are plenty of valid reasons for disliking the character he shows on the track, and selfish arrogance is one of them. Sitting in his car at last year’s Nurburgring race has absolute shades of Schumacher’s rule-bending attitude and his desperate lunges down the inside of countless corners screams of moves that depend on the driver in front avoiding a crash rather than skilled race craft.
None of this is helped by ITV’s blatant partisanship in its commentary and coverage, which does nothing than pander to the new crowd who can’t name more than three or four drivers (of which there are legion, and not just those with whom I work) and alienate fans who would rather watch F1 and not the Lewis Hamilton Show.
Right guys can we sort this racism thing out? Please?
it isnt racism just because alot of people hate hamilton, to be honest he is a cock sure little sod off the track and he complains about other drivers stealing his dirty tricks.
Honestly… if you cant take it, dont dish it out. Childish i know but thats what this argument is.
Now for the shock, I am a Hamilton fan regardless of his personality because he is a fantastic driver. Not senna at all, yet, but he could be.
Now who watched Spa and didnt sit on the edge of there seats?
This isnt the Hamilton show, this is the new F1 which has been exciting for most of the races since he started so be happy hes here.
Another point though is this, for those of you that think rubbing tires and bumping each other off the track is fun then try sitting in a car travelling 180mph and run it into a wall… not a good idea. watch grass-track if you want violence.
P.S. give Button a decent car PLEASE!
@ dennis g. Agree with you totally.
I am quite certain than any criticism or hate for lewis hamilton is not racially motivated. Us britons usually jump at the chance to have a champion in big and popular sports. Its been a long time coming and we would fall in line for anyone who seems to have even a remote chance.
I have no doubt that if Lewis hamilton’s skin was black, white, gold, red-white-and-blue(in the uninon jack livery) or whatever colour you can think of, things would be exactly the same. I dont like hamilton, not one bit but its not beacuse he is dark skinned, (hell I am dark skinned myself) but rather his attitude and the way he composes himself.
Thats not to say I hate him as a person though, ok not many of us know him personally so we cant really hate him like that. I would say I have no sympathy for hamilton, I have no emotion for him, I just dont care. However what I do hate is (which I am entitled to) his actions and the image that he portrays. I dont base anything on what I read but rather what I see and form my own opinions, be they informed or not.
Im a follower of motogp and a motorbike rider and fan, ive never realy got into f1 due to it being so political, dull and predicatble…that was until lewis came on scene, with motogp you can see the riders body language and can see how much there trying, you didnt realy get that with f1, that was until lewis arrived and was taking risks (racing risks) locking up the tyres, passing where nobody expects to be passed, not backing down, to see somone so determin to win or just get a result is so refreshing in F1, its made it alot better to watch, it dosnt matter what colour lewis is or were he comes from, its the matter that a new boy has arrived who is not there to make friends but to win races and the cliche at F1 dont like it, but they will have to get used to it!! go get em lewis!!!
I just think that the majority of drivers who critises hamilton, are just jealous of his raw talent and the fact that mr shcumacher did some hairy stuff and didn’t get penenlisd for it, just shows how corrupt some parts of the sport can be.
Well and truly Teams like Ferrari (i love there road cars by the way!! F40 springs to mind!!) seem to have there drivers get away with some rather seriouse offences.. the authoritys need to look at them selfs and see how they can stop turning a blind eye to this and adjudicate the sport properly
Coming from a background where “foreign talent (FT)” is a norm (and terribly hated here as well), I’d dare say I can roughly understand what’s happening on and off the circuit now.
Very rightly put by Ho Kyung in a very early post, Lewis the Hammer (referenced to another TG article) had to deliver right from the start. And watching the Hammer’s 2007 F1 debut in Melbourne, deliver he did (and to an extent, somewhat subtly as well).
I guess this would have definitely trigger a strong sense of dissent amongst the “senior” drivers in this highly competitive sport. Much like how a majority bunch of the locals in my country hate the high-flying FTs here.
And I believe, like this strong feeling of dissent, it all boils down to one thing: It’s all natural.
Think about it, if someone (a newcomer, especially) suddenly intrudes into what you’ve been going about for years on end as your niche and outperforms you in that respect, wouldn’t that put you in the defensive right away? (And that someone is also pissing right on YOUR own turf, mind you.)
So, to answer Jamie’s question, it really doesn’t matter what colour car Hamilton is driving in. Even if he doesn’t make PR mistakes (which I really can’t find any even in the recent weeks) and continues to drive the way he does (and I think very well done, too), Lewis would still be hated by the more “senior” drivers and their fans as well.
I think, seriously, before we start pelting rocks at each other, we should really sit down and think rationally. Are there any good reasons for anyone of us (media, drivers and fans included) to hate such talent? I believe none. In fact, if everyone were to drive in a more “civil” manner, the races would simply become like the recent Chinese GP. And that, frankly, is more than a yawn (even said so at the FIA post-race conference by Massa himself).
I believe racing has always been, and always will be, all about pushing the limits. And this not only applies to F1. And I really don’t see a point if racing is all about driving with cars slotted on invisible rails and the ONLY way to determine who wins is by the level of technology and team strategy. Just so as not to get into the FIA Stewards’ bad books, or earn a drive through penalty.
That said, I’m not denying that technology and team strategies are important. In fact, I believe they should just be there at a level to augment the driver in doing his job. But if they are going to be the be-all and end-all of the sport, things would be just too mechanical and take the human out of the spirit of things. And the sun would once again set on the game.
So, in conclusion to this super wordy comment, let there be more swearing, hand-gesturing and aggressive overtaking in F1. If there is going to be more driver politics in this game, so be it. At the very least, things would be a lot more exciting for the average bystander.
i hate Hamilton
Jamie Wrote:
Anyway, all of this has lead me to wondering one thing: what if, instead of growing up with McLaren, Lewis had ended up being schooled and consequently signed to Ferrari, to partner Kimi?
How different would it all be then?
—-
Hamilton in Ferarri? FIA will love it much! But..
1 – Alonso will hate Hamilton’s more. (there’s no place left for him to begging for)
2 – Massa/Raikonen gonna be hate or scare to him.. What if he be 1st driver.. now anyone must follow ‘fair’ team order.
3 – The flip flop ferrari fan now turn pink.. they will love hamilton too.
4 – for me.. there’s no more excitement yet in F1.. maybe…
Maybe later ‘the most hate driver’ title will gone to Robert Kubica.
The Schumacher fans are having their revenge on you German hating British #$!@s! (by the way i’m australian)
Fully agree with sleepy_hollow way up at comment 10.
when Hamilton first came into F1 i was a fan because of the hype and how fast he was meant to be (and is).
as time went on my opinion of him lowered more and more. his personality did account for some of this and the fact that everything all the time seemed perfect.
but not all is because of him.
watching each race all we seem to hear about is lewis from all the commentators. it drives me mad and other drivers surely have to get a go.
maybe a mix of all these are the reason why fans don’t like hamilton because all these played a part in me going completely off him, mainly due to the biased commentry on each race.
Such a sorry tale uve told …. its not tha lewis is a great driver he just happen to be in the right place (mclaren after those reliability issues 2 years ago) at the best time possible for me he’s just LUCKY to be at Mclaren. put any driver in a good car (Adrian Sutil) n he’ll carry it off as nicely as lewis.
I reckon you are all just jealous of his success!!
Oh please. People hating Hamilton has nothing to do with his ethnicity and skin colour, and I don’t even think its jealousy on the drivers part. I mean Schu was never hated so consistantly by almost the entire F1 field as Hamilton is, even though Schu dominated the sport a lot more than Hamilton has, and dominated for a lot longer.
I think from F1 fans its partly from jealousy or suspicion because here is a rookie driver that got a ride in the top team whilst every other driver has to make do with the force india’s and redbulls and toro rosso’s. Then there is the total media fascination with Hamilton, so slight misgivings people might have get amplified. Then there is the perceived arrogance, maybe from his posh english accent, maybe from a few of his comments that usually end up as sound bites. Thats why Kimi has a lot of supporters, he just drives, and drives well. No media spotlight, no ‘god was with us all weekend as always’ comments, he lets his driving do all the talking.
As for the drivers, well its partly his over-aggressive driving style and partly how much the media love him I guess. Its a self sustaining cycle because the media fascination comes from how divided everyone is over him, which means all news articles about Hamilton get a lot of hits (why else would this blog be on the front page of this site so often, when its just one out of many equally interesting blogs). Then the media fascination divides people even more.
ITV doesn’t help, all they talk about is Hamilton.
He isn’t hated for no reason.
I would say his arrogance is the type of “cheeky-ness” kids often have… and that is annoying.
I think the partisan fans have to a large extent created a degree of delusion to the extent that Ham. is “hated” because in return it feeds there never ending desire to make up more and more to feed the hype. Yes he is good , but reality is Alonso while on his back-foot because of being ousted by the team equalled him last year , while this year Felipe’ , plagued by reliability problems which have cost far more than the points gained in Spa, is still only 7 points behind superham ? Now let me quickly remind all of you , Felipe’ has always been rated as “average” , especially by the BBC commentators , and his mistakes condemned. Yet as I say above , he is only 7 points behind “superham” driving the super-reliable “supermacmobile” – draw your own conclusions.
I don’t dislike Lewis Hamilton because I love Ferrari with all my heart. It’s not even the fact that, over the next decade, he could eclipse the achievements of Michael Schumacher, a man I consider to be somewhere between man and God. It’s the fact that he hasn’t ‘earned his stripes’ in F1. Drivers of similar talent (Vettel, Kubica etc) are currently plying their trade with inferior teams. They never had the opportunity to take a podium in their first race, or to challenge for the title in their first season. There is no denying Hamilton has huge ability, but he hasn’t learnt yet to respect other drivers because he hasn’t been lapped by them on a weekly basis. Neither does he know how it feels to have your car break down every other race. I think this also explains his arrogance. Perhaps you can blame his natural ego, but he’s been on cloud 9 for two years and it must be difficult not to believe you’re something very, very special. I think the reason he’s hated by the drivers is jealousy. Not of his talent, but of the fact he’s been handed this title (if he wins it) on a platter by being in the best car by a mile. Ferrari have been a mixture of unlucky and plain poor this season, and I can’t help feeling that Kubica in a Mclaren would have had this title in the bag weeks ago.
At last the world sees what an arrogant prat hamilton is
they’re all jelous of him because ‘new boy’ comes in and wins everything
they will never learn british are da best
stop going ga ga over hamilton his arrogance is only the problem. not his colour, who is the idiot who brought this colour topic??
I think a reason for the public backlash against Hamilton is due to the British press – Topgear included – for no fault of Hamiltons. The British press cannot report on F1 without it turning into “Hamilton vs the foreigners”, “FIA is Ferrari-biased” and then getting quotes from the stupid old Scotsman – and the stupid soon-to-retire Scotsman on how wonderful Hamilton is and how unfair the world is to him. It is not Hamiltons fault – he is a fabulous driver who is doing well and just needs to calm down a bit sometimes, but jeeezzzz are we tired of hearing about him all the time.
There all going green with envy. FIA included.
One things for sure, he has raised the profile of F1 Motor racing.
Well I for one will be cheering for Lewis on sunday week.
I agree with ferrariman
he did not have the chance to learn to respect others.
He got a seat in one of four best cars, he got huge support from his team (at the expense of Alonso), He’s got no idea how it is when you drive a car which is far behind the leaders, or it keeps breaking down all the time ( puncture is not a typical failure- when don’t save your tyres, you shouldn’t be surprised that they blow up).
There are some other drivers who as talented as he is, but they happen to drive weaker cars. That’s it.
I also agree with CoolDane.
The British press has considerably contributed to boosting hatred against Hamilton. Branding him “hero”, “the best”, “hammer” and, making fun of other drivers at the same time couldn’t go unnoticed.
Of course, hamilton himself is at fault.
At the begining I was neutral towards him. I did not care what car he drives, what nationality he is. But when I saw him showing an offensive/aggressive gesture towards a driver in an inferior car, whom hamilton found difficult to overtake ( not to lap). I thought OK. But I saw him repeat it again and again. In the end I lost my neutral attitude and thought who the f*** are you? the owner of the racetrack?
That’s how my dislike towards him was born.
Sleepy hollow, do you expect hamilton to quit mclaren and join a lesser car? If you were him wouldn’t you take advantage of the fact your in a fast car and USE it in a race?
Lets say that there are drivers with as much talent but in a weaker car, do you want him to look for them and surrender his place at mclaren to give them a chance?
Oh and this pucture u blame him for, when u first started learning to drive, i’m guessing you never stalled. I bet you were flawless. Especially if you expect Hamilton to never make a mistake like that.
As soon as one little mistake is made, he is punished or slagged off. Look at jenson button, you cant even blame his car because of how bad he is.
another useless comment to say that the poor little Lewis doesn’t deserve that…
At the end you will make people hate him only by repeating every single day that he is “mister nice guy” and that everybody is jealous because of his talent,…
F1 driver would do anything to get the title ! Belive me, if Lewis had to push someone out of the track to get some points, as every driver, he would do it… He schould just addmit it and not pretend that everybody is against him…
Yes McLaren cheated, yes he was aware of that (how couldn’t he be ?, even DeLaRosa and alonso were… ).
Yes he took advantage after trying to take the Ferrari over…
Grow up, admit it and just don’t act like if you were “the new most gifted driver ever”…
Try to win a champ title in a Honda or a Redbull, then you’ll have something to show off…
I think all Moaning F1 drivers should be taken back to start driving back in F2 so they can all learn how to race once again
there are a lot of good drivers in F2 who would like a chance to challenge Lewis on the F1 car
i agree fully with sleepy_hollow. and ferrariman is right as well on that kubica would have won the championship by now in a mclaren because, well, its the truth
Well, all these comments prove one point – some people out there DO hate Hamilton and the one’s who adulate him are up in arms because people hate him. Crikey, F1 hasn’t been this interesting since I don’t know when. As for Raikonnen, Alonso, & Kubica ganging up on Hamilton – boys, it was the worst move ever. I think you’ve stirred a giant. Hamilton has reminded everyone – us, the sport, but most importantly, the drivers – that the whole point of the exercise is to like, you know, OVERTAKE, THE CAR, IN FRONT, in order to WIN the race. I swear it would suit some drivers (and a certain red team) if overtaking were confined to pit lane strategy, and was otherwise banned. Then we could all go back to having a kip in front of the telly when F1 is on, and it would’nt be dangerous. Raikonnen, Alonso and Kubica – a reminder. Simply by getting in the seat of a 200mph F1 car, automatically makes it extremely dangerous. If you don’t enjoy being beaten by a very talented rookie driver, and your embarrassment is so tangible I can almost smell it, then take Raikonnens advice earlier in the year when referring to the removal of traction control – if you don’t like it, go do something else. A bit of light embroidery, perhaps. Pussies.
Some of the Hamilton-haters posting on the BBC 606 forum have a history of negative posts against other black sportsmen. So in the online forums at least, I think there is racism, and there may even be racist astro-turfing going on.
Personally I think he is par for the course as fas as F1 driver personality goes – these are not normal people, and he is an outstanding driver, he may develop to Clark/Moss level.
Most hated driver ever?YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Don’t like him, the rest of the world hates him, he has no class – and I’m mortally sick of the constant TV coverage of Daddy Ham looking like a plonker in the pit garage. Give Baby Ham a Toro Rosso and Vettel would show him the way to go.
Don’t like most of the modern drivers but the rest of them have a personality – and they don’t wear lipstick on race day.
Baby Ham is often likened to a young Schumi (never liked him either – like Coulthard, his chin was too prominent) but Baby Ham has already proved he can throw away a championship whilst driving the best car – 50% of Schumi’s titles were not attained by driving the best car…..did I mention that Baby Ham’s really, really, really not very likeable.
Roll on BBC covering F1 – maybe the commentary will be more balanced than the current idolizing of Baby Ham and his lippy
…End of Baby Ham rant!
If you drive like Hamilton does I think you’re entitled to be a little arrogant, really. He’s still young and faced with a lot of new fame for something he’s been doing since he was a kid. It happens to everyone who end up at the higher levels of whatever they do, and you can’t get to the top of the World Championships by being a rubbish driver – it’s not something you can learn on a simulator. Remember learning to drive when you were a teenager? It was damn difficult (I’m learning at the moment) and you certainly couldn’t learn from a computer game. Remember that and then compare it to what he has to do.
I don’t really dislike any of the drivers, except for Alonso but that’s just because I think he’s an idiot. And he has ridiculous hair.
Besides, it’s nice having a Brit who’s good at sports. We seem to be having a spate of them at the moment, what with the Olympics and Hamilton too. I can put up with a bit of arrogance if he wins (and I bet any money that if he does, people will say they supported him all along.)
THE POINT IS THAT LEWIS IS HATED FOR A REASON, HE IS DOUBLE FACE. NOBODY CARES IF HE IS ARROGANT OR NOT. HE LIES ALL THE TIME, AND ON TOP OF THAT HE PUTS A BABY INNOCENT FACE… NO MEN CAN TAKE THAT, AT LEAST THE OTHER DRIVERS WHEN THEY LIE, THEY DO NOT OVER REACT, AND THEY KNOW THAT PEOPLE KNOW THEY ARE LIYING FOR POLITICAL/TACTICAL REASONS. HAMILTON NO, HE BELIEVES IN HIS LIES, AND TRY TO TRULY CHEAT ON EVERYONE. THAT IS WHY HE IS HATED, BECAUSE HE IS A SELFISH LIER KID.
I really hope that Lewis Hamilton wins the GP 2008, he deserves it. Why don’t people stop picking on him. He’s a very talented driver for someone so young. I do not like Alonso, what an arse! Good Luck Lewis, we are all behind you.
Hi!
My name is Jessika!
Hello !!! ^_^
I am Piter Kokoniz. Just want to tell, that I like your blog very much!
And want to ask you: is this blog your hobby?
Sorry for my bad english:)
Thank you:)
Your Piter