I was a little surprised at the weekend to hear to people, both of whom would automatically be supportive of British competitors in any event, express regret at hearing that Lewis Hamilton had won the Australian Grand Prix.
When I asked them why they were anti Hamilton when they were both very supportive of him 12 months ago, they responded that he was "up his own arse" and "arrogant". Others I have spoken to since then too have expressed their total apathy towards him citing his "running away from Britain", his "lying about his reason for moving" and the fact that he seems to listen to his management too much.
There ought to be a real ground swell behind Hamilton, but aside from real Grand Prix fans, his decision to become a tax exile at the first possible moment, citing "press intrusion" as the real reason (whilst publishing an autobiography - hardly the actions of someone seeking publicity), only to later admit that it was all about avoiding paying UK tax, was a big mistake.
So I was interested today to read that Lewis Hamilton has also been criticised by Sir Jackie for refusing to support and join the Grand Prix Drivers Association, an organisation dedicated to safety in formula one. Lewis Hamilton claims he has not got time to join. I wonder if he might have the time after he has a serious accident ?
As Jackie Stewart said "I'm surprised and disappointed. He has been badly advised," he said. "It is completely wrong not to be involved."
Again, Lewis Hamilton ought to look to his advisers and ask if they are advising him wisely. He is a great talent, but he seems to be developing a really arrogant attitude.
21 comments:
I am mystified by the antipathy against him. I think he's great. All the F1 drivers live as tax exiles, as does the golden girl of athletics, Paula Radcliffe. The difference is that they haven't had thousands of people shoving a microphone in their face and examining their reasons why. With the level of hatred against him, I am glad he doesn't live in Britain. I think a lot of white people hate to see a decent, proud, articulate, talented black man doing so well and being so happy about it. He is lauded in the land of his grandfather, Grenada, and all countries with predominantly black people, like those in South America, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia, who look on him as a God. It is the racist white Europeans and British who are always putting him down. Of course, this comment will be refuted by frothing at the mouth indignants, who proclaim: "how dare I accuse them of racism", er like it doesn't exist in the West. A less arrogant person you couldn't hope to meet. At least those who know him, like the F1 commentators who have known him since his karting days, his old friends from home, his ex-girlfriend and those he's met, know the real him and see him as the wonderful guy he is.
He's a formula 1 driver, a bigger bunch of prima donna's would be hard to find outside of politics.
Grenada, it is so easy to shout "racist" when confronted by any issue affecting coloured people, but that avoid the issue.
One of the people who spoke to me about Hamilton is mixed race, so your argument falls apart at the first hurdle.
This issue is his PR and the bad advice.
Colour is less of an issue now than it has ever been, ecept, of course, if you have an axe to grind. Who blunted your axe ?
I note granada only set up his account this evening. He's just a troll.
To Benn, just because you don't agree with my comment, doesn't make me a troll. So no-one new can join a discussion without being a troll? God, how restrictive. I meant every word I said.
What a load of old bollocks. PR and bad advice, my arse. The reason I cite racism is because I am totally mystified as to why this mature, dignified, intelligent, talented man is so berated. The only thing that I can see that ignorant white people can hate is his colour. Your mixed race friend - well maybe he's just joining in the nastiness to fit in. It's quite sad really. And yes, I do have an axe to grind – this guy is brimming with positivity and resilience thank God, and that’s what these racists really hate. I can understand why people would hate Tony Blair or George Bush, who are evil war criminals, but to hate someone who has such a zest for life, and a sunny nature, is totally perplexing to me.
I’ve been on another forum and someone posted really negative comments about why they disliked him. One reason they came up with was his "hogging the limelight from Jeremy Clarkson when he gave him an award at the National Television Awards". I actually watched those awards and remembered it completely differently. So I called it up on YouTube and dissected it bit by bit, inviting other posters to view for themselves and concluded that Hamilton was the epitome of deference and politeness. The negative comments were totally false, and when the other posters watched the footage, they totally agreed with me. That is the worst of it - the scurrilous lies that dog Hamilton, which are easily proved wrong with the wonders of YouTube.
People hide their racism behind code. Dismissing it as an issue because racists choose not to state their objections directly is simply turning a blind eye to it.
And Granada misses the point entirely.
How come a man who has all his facets and good points has turned people off him ? The very same people who liked him twelve months ago (and as I recall he was still black twelve months ago).
Why not answer the point rather than bringing it back to race.
As for Ed, I think you have to know the people before you can call them racists. Their behaviour is very very far from racist. Indeed if you knew their full circumstances you'd feel a bit silly.
I'm lost for whats going on here. Hamilton is just another F1 driver living in an F1 world.
He has been badly advised if he is not joining the Grand Prix Drivers Association.
As I understand NB was making points about bad advice. Your right.
I dont know if Grenada read the same blog I did.
However, I wont say he is totally wrong in the points he made after it
... Im fairly sure if you went around Britain looking for somebody that felt this way you could find some.
Your going to find some racists everywere in the world... I believe a Majority of Brits are totally behind him at present. I do find him a tad arrogant but to some extent you have to be in F1.
Hey Norfolk Blogger, are you turned off him, as you say? Pray tell me. Also, if you HAVE turned off him, I would love to know specifically why. Then perhaps we can discuss and dissect your reasons. Afterwards, you may still have those reasons and fair enough. But when people print lies and then use those as an excuse to hate him, it is suspect, unfair and disgusting. I saw another one on YouTube just now. Apparently Hamilton has said he's better than Schumacher. THAT IS A TOTAL LIE! He has never said that. The person who wrote that is probably someone from the BNP who disseminates lies to whip up hatred, then morons who believe everything they read, even on YouTube for God's sake, can find a reason to hate him based on this lie. I saw the quote he made about Schumacher in reputable newspapers like the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Independent. I find if I read a lot of broadsheets with EXACTLY THE SAME WORDS IN QUOTES, it usually turns out to be true, and often can be backed up with YouTube footage. Lewis actually said that he aspires to be as good as Schumacher and would like to better him even. Now what is arrogant about that? That is ambitious and determined, the hallmarks of winners and champions, which is what he wants to be. It’s no good being like Button, so laid back he’s almost horizontal, with no winning streak in him at all. If you don’t like ambitious people who want to win, fair enough. Maybe you’ve had a bad experience with an ambitious person and are thus “allergic” to them. Now, that is an understandable reason to not like him, but why the Hell do you watch F1 (if you do)? Do you have a favourite and do you want him to win? If so, don’t you expect him to be ambitious? Can you see how I am dissecting someone’s reason for not liking him, and seeing how the premise is false to start with, but if we examine the truth, it is fair enough to use that as a reason to not like someone. I could use any number of examples I’ve seen on the forums and they bloody infuriate me. Which is why I have to come back to race because I cannot for the life of me see any other reason for the antipathy. Just because people splutter that they aren’t racist, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Racists will hide their motives, as Ed on this blog very succinctly put. Also, many white people (obviously not all) are racist so deep down and instinctually, that they react against black people without even thinking about it.
But I must thank you for putting these comments up here, because so many forums (I know this is a blog so it’s different) won’t allow ANY controversial postings so you can’t get to the root of an argument. I implore you though, Norfolk Blogger, to tell me your reasons for not liking Lewis or why you think others don’t like him.
I just re-read your original blog. I saw this article from autosport.com which I shall cut and paste into this message: "The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) has said it is not putting any pressure on Lewis Hamilton to join the organisation, despite Jackie Stewart's criticisms of the McLaren driver this week.
Hamilton is one of four F1 race drivers who are not members of the GPDA and Stewart was widely quoted this week as saying he believed it wrong for him not to join up.
Stewart said: "I'm surprised and disappointed that Lewis has not yet joined the GPDA. The GPDA did an immense amount of good. It is wrong and complacent of Lewis not to be involved."
But the GPDA has not backed Stewart's stance and has made it clear that Hamilton is free to do what he wants to do - especially as non-members are still able to help out on safety matters.
GPDA chairman Pedro de la Rosa told autosport.com: "Speaking as chairman of the GPDA, I can say that the GPDA respects Lewis Hamilton and the three other F1 race drivers who aren't members of the GPDA - Kimi Raikkonen, Anthony Davidson and Adrian Sutil.
"Clearly, we look forward to Lewis becoming a GPDA member at some time in the future, and the other three too. But it isn't mandatory to join and it isn't our intention to put pressure on Lewis, as he has always been extremely helpful with any safety issue we have engaged in in the past."
The GPDA meets on the Friday of every grand prix weekend and, although it has dialogue with the FIA, drivers who are not members are also able to speak directly to the sport's governing body about safety matters if it concerns them.
Hamilton has said he does not want to join the GPDA because he feels he does not have enough time to be able to make a positive contribution."
There, so a criticism from Jackie Stewart (who usually praises Hamilton to the hilt) get spread around the media, adding to the haters' reasons for hating Hamilton. There are 3 other drivers who are not members, one of them the current World Champion, one of them another Brit, and yet Hamilton gets it in the neck. I wonder how much this story will be printed in other media organs, or will they ignore this positive story as it doesn't fit in with the "Hamilton as an arrogant bastard" stance. We are really manipulated by the media and by lies disseminated in forums and blogs you know. De la Rosa even said Hamilton is extremely helpful in all issues of safety. Poor f-ing bloke - he can't do any right can he? None of the other non-members are criticised - why just Hamilton? None of the other drivers' reasons for not joining are quoted ad infinitum for the media to jump on. Why just Hamilton? I know this is partly the price of fame, but I think it is disgracefully unfair, and I will shout it from the rooftops as much as I am able.
Going back to your original blog, Hamilton's been criticised for "running away from Britain". Why haven't all the other F1 drivers been criticised for this? Why is Paula Radcliffe not criticised for this? Why is it only Lewis who has been hounded for this? I saw an article in the Times in March 2007 where he said he was going to move abroad for tax reasons, yes, in March 2007. So he never lied about his reasons, just added the privacy reason to it. And I don't blame him especially seeing all the hatred flying his way in his homeland. Norfolk Bloggr, please respond to this too.
Round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-Pit... and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-and-round...
not my thing really.
NorfolkBlogger, I do think there is an element of race prejudice in the reaction against Hamilton. Other drivers behave in very similar ways without facing similar levels of criticism. The fact that some of the critics are themselves black does not necessarily mean that they are not prejudiced; one of the pernicious ways in which racist social structures reproduce themselves is through internalised prejudice. It's difficult to "answer the point" because I think the perception that there is a point to answer is itself a product of such prejudice, taken in the context of the behaviour of other drivers.
What a load of shit!
He is the best talent around, arrogant, calculated, focused.
Perfect for his job and why not.
Do you think he cares? dont think so. At last we have a driver who can match the greats and guess what? slag him off.
If I had his talent and money I would piss off abroad.
Get real.
I just wrote about what people told me. I tend to always support the British competitor in anything, so am pleased to see him win. however, i found his argument of "press intrusion" laughable as an excuse to move out of the UK when he was also launching his own autobiography. If you don't want scrutiny of your life, why write about yourself. Several months later he admitted that he had not been telling us the whole story about his move and it was down to tax reasons.
So why tell us it was about the press ? Why make it it was the fault of the Britihs people for being interested in a British star ?
nobody likes paying tax and nobody can blame him for being a tax exile, but don;t try and blame me for making you leave Lewis.
I am not in the camp who do not like him, but I reaied a point about what others were telling me. they can answer for themselves privately, as for me, I've made my point.
The problem is that 10 years of Labour doing down the English has made Britains more racist than ever so it is no suprise to me. Labour has made me feel more anti Scottish and Welch than i ever was because of the way Labour has treated the English. I can give you the list if you want but I dont want to type for ever.
Just leave him alone. He should be able to live where he wishes. Why do we always knock success and tryers, Labour supporters I suppose.
The problem with Hamilton is the Holier Than Thou attitude thanks to the sports-success starved english media who were on the look out for a poster boy and Hamilton bought it completely (England out of football, non-existant in tennis and athletics and not so great time at cricket and what else do they play?... hmmmm). he hogged the lime light et al which champions get. But i am not sure if he ever looked back at how he landed in F1 circuits?
He has been the most trained driver (I would call him a manufactured driver than a learned driver) and no other rookie in the history of this sport has landed directly into the cockpit of champinship winning car.
Who cares?
He will win, many failed drivers will be annoyed by the ease with which he has done it when they have not. People wont like his arrogance, but is it arrogant if you actually achieve it?
People wont like him living the lifestyle that they all do.
If you don’t want winners like him, get rid of F1. It is the only alternative.
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