Dr911

Not much of a spectator here, but I'm not entirely sure where the Hate Hamilton club originated. He seems a bit socially clueless but...why the vitriol?

LuigiVampa

Because people love to complain.

How exciting would it be if every driver had Roseberg's personality, which is to say, no personality.

I want to go back to the old F1 driver rock star era. Less corporate control - more speaking their minds.

F the haters.

Glen

Haven't you noticed, success breeds contempt...

Hamilton has made the most of his opportunities and been more thank willing to take unpopular positions/risks with the most recent being the move to Mercedes .
Kudos and hats off to him!

Nizer

Guessing LH would disagree on this point...

gbuff

No hate here.....he's a GREAT driver and he's young and enjoying life.

If anything, I'm jealous (at least regarding the first two )

Gary

ProCoach

No hate, really. Drivers are complex creatures, motivated and guided by a wide variety of factors. He is a sublime talent, which is what it takes to win three WDC's.

What I don't care for is lapses in racing ethics, like pushing your teammate (or anyone) off the circuit on Turn 1/Lap 1 (Vettel got penalized for exactly the same thing at Hockenheim a few years ago doing that to Button) and not even recognizing it as a questionable act. Also, when things aren't absolutely right, he doesn't do well. His questioning of the team and demands to alter strategy are troubling...

Of course, there are many other drivers who do and have done the same thing (and some multiple WDC's were pretty chronic with the argy-bargy, Senna/Schuey/Vettel against his teammate), but it's disappointing nonetheless. Nico is no angel, but he has had the upper hand in qualifying for the last six and racing in the last three.

Far from hate, though. Just observations...

enduro911

In light of the fact that this thread was started shortly after I posted the article about Hamilton describing Rosberg as a complainer, I feel compelled to respond. I don't care for Hamilton's personality but that says about his ability in the car. I think he's the most naturally talented driver of this generation. His car control, overtaking ability, and ability to manipulate the car on the brakes are ridiculous. I also give him a lot of credit for jumping ship to Mercedes and leaving Mclaren in the Bermuda Triangle.

My criticism of Lewis isn't unique either. I don't care for Fernando's past behavior at Mclaren, I didn't like when Vettel tried to pinch Webber out of being competitive in the paddock through positioning himself within the team, and I don't like Hamilton's "rock star" persona which I find tedious. I also think he's a hot head, like his idol, which is a personality trait that is very much a turnoff for me. Being "passionate" does not excuse idiocy. I do appreciate his not being a corporate robot but you can do so without being full of yourself. I've heard him complain a ton and I think it's hilarious that he makes that comment about Nico, accurate or not.

SeanR

So, who do you like?

ProCoach

He likes WEC cars, judging by his avatar!

LuigiVampa

Question/statement - Isn't there a big difference between what is acceptable on the club racing level versus pro-racing? And do you think Hamilton is over that line?

While "racin' is rubbin'" might be NASCAR slang, aggressive driving does permeate most forms of professional racing, and it is up to the stewards to determine if it is a racing incident or something which should be penalized. Look at Kimi and Bottas knocking wheels several times late in the season. That is what happens when you get two guys who say "I'm not going to back off".

My brain is wired the same way but I'm not willing to wad up my car, nor am I willing to win by dive bombing another guy, because this is club racing. We need to be completely clean and drive like "gentlemen drivers". However, many passes in professional races would be considered dive bombing in club racing.

My point, which maybe I am making somewhat in-artfully, is Lewis Hamilton over the line in terms of his aggressiveness? He hasn't taken anyone out of a race on purpose like Senna or Schumacher. I don't think he has ever squeezed anyone into the pit wall on the front straight like Schumacher. And let's not forget last year when Rosberg ran wide in the final lap of qualifying to prevent Hamilton from getting in his hot lap (forget which GP that was.)

In short, I think Lewis is aggressive, but still a clean driver. His swagger is part of his self confidence.

ProCoach

I think you can swagger and back it up without being a total dick. I see many club and pro racers do that every weekend, and you can quickly pick the ones that don't (or can't) out of the crowd, quickly. I don't think LH is too far gone if someone he respects can counsel him and he is open to it. Left to his own devices, it WILL get worse and more frequent.

You raise good points, but in pro racing, "exceeding the limits" is often a subjective valuation made by a rotating group of stewards with varying levels of experience (and timeliness, with regard to their own competitive experience), resulting in alarming inconsistency. (Hmmm, just realized that's probably true in many pro and non-pro series! )

I like how Emmanuele Pirro cleaned up (or did a lion's share) the out-of-control European F3 series mid-season last year. He treated the drivers like adults, sat people down and explained, rather than berated. He stated clearly his expectations for on-track behavior as well as the penalties for missing those expectations. They listened and they did. Even Lance Stroll!

I spend a lot of time looking at, over many years and often decades, HOW drivers develop their "ethics" of decision-making, for lack of a better word. LH has been an interesting study. The goal, as Brian Redman so succinctly puts it, is "controlled aggression," be it club racing or top level racing, IMO.

Unfortunately, sometimes the immediate goal has shifted from hard, clean and fair racing to simply gauging "what you can get away with." Don't think for a minute LH was not hard at work "sewing the seeds of doubt" into NR's mind with his startline shenanigans at COTA, then Mexico.

At COTA, NR was ahead at turn-in and a little after, they had MASSIVE overlap for an extended period of time and LH drove him RIGHT OFF the outside giving NR NO choice but to run off to survive. That's not clean. It's just chicken%h!t.

It's not just LH, but that IS a good example. Like I said, Vettel lost finishing position places for doing the same thing to Button at Hockenheim a few years ago. Of course, nothing happened to Schuey after he damn near ran Barichello into the wall...

These guys, particularly the best ones, WILL drive over their MOTHER to get to the checkered flag first!

Coochas

Excellent driver but he broke up with that hot Spice Girl. WTF?

LuigiVampa

She was a Pussycat Doll not a Spice Girl. Pussycat Dolls were more like singing strippers.

But I agree with your general point on the breakup - wtf!

Gary R.

I'm a Vettel fanboy myself....

multi21

You have to have followed F1 from his rookie year and understand where he came from to gain perspective. I completely respect Peter's opinions and responses to this question as a professional race coach and person who has worked with high level drivers and his answers are more geared toward the on track issues where Hamilton has blurred the lines what is fair vs. necessary.

Personally, aside from one year where Hamilton and Massa had issues with crashing into each other every other race like idiots, I think that Hamilon's driving on track has been very quick with decisive overtaking moves that are brilliant. I could care less if he looks like 50 cent with Mr. T gold chains when he's away from the track as long as he's working 100% and bringing home the results on race weekends.

That being said, I also think he is a world class dick both in the cockpit and out of it. He's not a professional in any sense of the word. He whines and complains when he doesn't get his way or when his car isn't right and this is going back to the McLaren days. Aside from 1 year at McLaren, his cars have been extremely competitive to the point where his luck of having such cars is amazing considering how things change so fast in F1 (see RBR as en example).

This year Mercedes F1 won 86% of the total available points -- a new F1 record!!!! He is better than his current teammate for sure, no doubt, but he's not competing with Alonso or Vettel or some of the other good young drivers in the same equipment. So in essence he has to just beat one guy and that's a guy that isn't on his level - Let's face it, if you were in a club race and there were only 2 of you in the class and the other guy wasn't as good, there's not much to brag about when you win. But that's not Hamilton because he has NO CLUE or ability to step away from the situation and see it like that. Nope. He won because of his "natural abilities". Never mind that the driver's don't develop the car like they once did, nevermind tha the car came from the factory going 1 second faster than it's nearest competitors and 5 seconds faster than the backmarkers. Nevermind that the engine regs are essecially "frozen" with the exception of "tokens" for all competitors for 4 years and MB will have the same results.... *PS: I don't blame MB for making a better motor than everyone else, just own it that the car is that good".

Finally, you're a 3 time WDC and throwing other drivers under the bus to say you're better. Take about internal insecurity. You're 30 years old, act like a professional (for my atty friend that says to party like a rock star and it's never too late to have fun, you missed the point completely. No one said not to have fun because I guarantee you don't act like Hamilton does at your office because "professionalism" is expected from you, no?)

Great driver, .02 cent head...