Italian F1 journalist, Leo Turini, recently observed, its better not to belittle the quality of your opponents, because it diminishes your own achievements when you beat them. This was following comments from Lewis Hamilton questioning how good Sebastian Vettel really is – given the measure of the quality of his F1 team mates this far.
Having been ticked off by the Godfather of Italian F1 journalism. Lewis Hamilton then set about explaining his sudden domination by Nico Rosberg over the last 6 Formula One weekends of the year. Hamilton blamed the car and implied the direction the team had developed it didn’t suit him.
Now former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve questions the sense of making these comments, because again he believes it lessens the greatness of Hamilton’s achievements again.
“If that is the case, then perhaps Lewis was not as superior as he appeared to be this year. He just had a better setup. That’s why he should be careful when he says things like that,” Villeneuve observed.
By way of contrast in the BBC’s season review when asked about Lewis’ qualifying domination over the first 13 races, Rosberg simply said, “he was quicker than me – that’s it”.
The debate about which F1 drivers wring the best out of anything they are given to drive has raged over the year across many F1 fans websites. Broadly speaking, the names of Hamilton and Alonso are usually cited as the masters of this discipline, whist Vettel is credited with having superior cars for his titles.
So does Villeneuve have a point? By blaming the car development, Lewis is again diminishing his own reputation – and abdicating responsibility for his own relative poor performance when compared to Rosberg. Is Hamilton ‘the great’ really just Hamilton ‘the slightly better than his team mate’? And is Lewis really a driver who can get the best [better than anyone else] out of any car he is given?
The Canadian F1 champion also believes much of what Toto Wolff had to say about ‘disruptive drivers’ was aimed at Hamilton. “After [Rosberg] lost the championship, it looks like something changed in him. I don’t know for sure but he became a killer. Lewis, however, reacted pretty badly and showed a very negative side of his character,” Villeneuve told Motorsport-Magazin.
“He showed that he cannot be humble. He has secured three world championships but could not rejoice and behaved like a spoilt child whose toys had been taken away from him. He has not acted like a great champion.”
Sky’s Martin Brundle remarked that Hamilton has increasingly distanced himself from other drivers towards the end of the 2015, and whilst a siege mentality may work well for some sportsmen and women, it is questionable whether this is right approach for Hamilton.
Mercedes boss, Paddy Lowe has worked with Lewis Hamilton for most of his career, “I think Lewis has been given a bit of a wake-up call in the last three races with Nico absolutely on top form,” observed the Brackley technical chief. “That’s given Lewis a bit of an uncomfortable winter”.
Hamilton has appeared to have been mentally on the edge at times during his F1 career, though much of that was influenced by his troubled relationship with his former fiancé. However, Lewis has demonstrated time and again he can come back and compete at the highest level, though this task may require more focus than ever from Lewis in 2016. In Rosberg, Lewis now has a team mate who believes Lewis can be consistently beaten and the hunger of Ferrari may see more than just one rival each weekend for Hamilton – to stand on the coveted top step.
Am awaiting anxiously the charge of Fortis and the Fanboys……. c’mon, any minute now……
Fortis is far away from home at present but I know he will have something to say soon. But I agree with @tj13 on this topic – don’t demean one’s competitors. Lewis just completed a dominant defense of his championship and needs to blow off steam and rest.
Looking forward to the new season.
…………..what “dominance”? Mercedes are over half a second a lap faster than their nearest competitors………only 2 drivers had the possibility to win the drivers chumpionship and thats because they are in the fastest car! The only dominant factor here is the car, not the drivers. #:)
I went straight to the comments for that too haha!
Those were my thoughts as I read this.
Should be entertaining as usual. 😉
I didn’t t notice the Fortis comments already, but as I was reading this, I could just imagine him fuming 🙂 Will leave this page open for a while so I don’t forget to read all the comments. Maybe Fortis is Daniel ‘Spinz’ Forrest
“Villeneuve has a point. By blaming the car development, Lewis is again diminishing his own reputation – and abdicating responsibility for his own relative poor performance when compared to Rosberg.”
Might be wrong, but didnt Rosberg did the same over the whole season? One time it was a bad set of tyres, then it was the missing rhythm, then it was his pit crew not telling him how fast to do his outlap, then it was a ghust of wind, then it was a wrong wing adjustment, then it was a wrong tyre pressure, then it was a wrong button, then it was a bad track and I could go on….
yes but the article is about lh, stating that the common feeling is that nr and the others are not the alchemists drivers lh or lh groupies claim for him to be… are you in this group? nah kidding
I’m not. However I’m asthonished that based on things Hamilton says people are drawing conclusions, but don’t do that when other drivers (namely Rosberg) are doing the same. For instance he also complained several time this season that he is in reality faster than Hamilton in the race, but has no chance to convert that into victories due to the dirty air issue. Nobody critizised Rosberg for devalueing his opponents race or published multiple articles about that.
Furthermore everyone seems to overlook that Hamilton has repeatetly praised Vettel and this one time where he “questioned” him, he praised him in the very same interview, he just questioned whether you can compare drivers nowadays, especially if they never had a true measure. That the media just quoted the half interview made it looking like a critisism, but it wasnt. He has also praised Rosberg frequently for being a strong team mate. I really cant see where the point is.
I agree that Hamilton is sometimes not acting wise. But why oh why is it just a issue when he is doing that?
I criticise everyone! Even vettel If I have to. Don’t generalise. 😂
“For instance [Rosberg] also complained several time this season that he is in reality faster than Hamilton in the race, but has no chance to convert that into victories due to the dirty air issue. Nobody critizised Rosberg for devalueing his opponents race or published multiple articles about that.”
Are you KIDDING??! Everyone was making fun of Rosberg after China. People think that Hamilton was toying with him in Canada, but they would also say that Hamilton didn’t have a chance to overtake Rosberg in Brazil, not that Rosberg was toying with him.
hamilton is flaky. we’ve seen it before.when everything clicks he is good but when he is challenged he looks for excuses. his questionable move on rosberg at COTA was a prime example of what he will do when desperate. he cannot face up the fact that he is not so great when put to the test. hopefully we will see more of this next season when ferrari come back at them and maybe even some of the others will be able to test him from time to time. ricciardo was able to take it to him at COTA when the damp track had equalised the cars and put a great pass on him. he is well and truly beatable. he knows that and that is why he is looking for a scapegoat.
“Not so great when put to the test”, what was the 2014 season if not a test?
Enjoy Kenneth..😜😜😜… Back to the vacationing.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=USPumoHNrbU
How do you know the cars were “equalized” at damp COTA? For all you know Red Bull was indeed faster.
Judge, you’re gonna stir up a hornet’s nest again! Haha!
Over the years, Lewis has tended not to realise the implicit contradictions hidden within the logic of many of his statements. This year has been no different. In addition to the above article, there are a few other noteworthy examples during this year alone; though they’ve all been covered here, so I won’t repeat them.
I agree with Curmudgeon above… there’s little to be gained demeaning one’s rivals. It simply and elegantly blows back on you in the winds of karma.
And as Earl knows….karma is a bitch!
Awww, look at you guys – soooo sweet! We all know you all are the REAL Hamfosi. Every time anything is written about “Your Lewis” you come out of the woodwork to stridently comment. It’s “obv” you guys do a little daily “Heart LH” jig at your cut-and-paste Interwebs shrines 😀
Judge! Baphomet!!!
We’ve been found out! We’re undone!
*The horrifying screams of thousands of souls can be heard all around as Dwil’s “new n’ improved” approach releases them from the clutch of the Judge’s torment.*
But seriously, I did giggle at the new approach. It will go a long way to ameliorate conditions between Hamfosi and non-Hamfosi. Humour is always better – in these contexts – than righteous indignation peppered with thinly-veiled R-card innuendo.
May I use “cut-and-paste interwebs shrines”? That was funny. You come up with some brilliant gems. I still chuckle at your eloquent dissection of the “Nico finished high school therefore is a genius” theory. Hahaha. Your dismemberment of that theory was so elegant in its simplicity that the stupidity of the original notion is glaringly obvious now. But, isn’t that always the way with such things?
Anyway… at least we can play now given this new approach of yours. It’s much more fun. See you on the field, mate. 🙂
Come Australia it will be business as usual, for whatever reasons after winning this years championship, Lewis seems to have lost his Mojo. But once there are stakes to play for he will come good. He has Rosbergs number, when push comes to shove Rosberg bottles it, and even though Lewis is sometimes guilty of the same he has Rosberg under manners. The Judge is not neutral on this matter, like many when it comes to Hamilton. He rubs many the wrong way with his antics but as a racer only Vettel and Alonso have shown the same levels of speed and aggression. All IMO, obviously. But one day years from now I feel many of Lewis’s detractors will be singing a different tune 🙂
It seems to have been open season for Lewis bashing with the world and his dog queuing up to take a pop including his own management. Surely in this season of ‘peace and goodwill to all men’ it is time let ‘bygones be bygones’ and call a truce. I’m not a fan of Hamilton but the criticism of the last two weeks has got out of hand!
man, Fortis is not going to like this! 🙂
I totally agree with this article but think Da HAM is a bit too immature to handle all this at once, jet-setting, models, drinking, winning F1 titles, and being nice to everyone, something’s gotta give and I’m sure his entourage is not helping his ego.
Where is he? Has anyone checked his ‘safe space’? I see about 20 comments coming soon, some which will be replies to his own replies. Maybe all the ‘hate’ set his computer afire?
What would F1 do without Lewis Hamilton, he has the ability to fill the column inches like no other. All he has to do it say a few words and the in depth analysis can easily fill the news for a week. How dull the off season would be without him 😀
He is petulant and arrogant. He simply has no class.
Ahh. But ‘No Class’ is an excellent wee tune from destroyers of lawns, Motorhead.
For those unfamiliar with this song I recommend playing it at high volume, preferably in a residential area.
The way I figure you can tell the difference between a driver and a setup is to look at where the other driver in the team came. Mercedes “One, Two” seems to point to great setup.
LH has class – unfortunately it’s all low.
😂😂😂😂 you’re all missing me, aww that’s so sweet, I’m starting to blush ☺️☺️. But if you’re all waiting to hear what I’ve got to say, it’s the off season and I’m too busy enjoying my time in the Big Apple.
But it’s nice reading the comments from the very classy, none flaky, none petulant and upstanding people of this world….😏😏
Enjoy man!
The bottom line is you’re all talking about Hamilton, yet again.
The man is a 3 times world champion, has spanked the living shit of his team mate and everyone else for the last two consecutive years and even when he’s doing nothing you’re all salivating over him yet again.
As far as I can tell, as a brand, he’s untouchable.
He’s pretty much untouchable on track and there’s nothing to compare for F1 column inches. He has whipped the media, whipped his teammate and whipped the rest of the donkey wallopers in the paddock to the point of embarrassment. History will show that in 2014 and 2015 Lewis Hamilton, came, saw, conquered, did a little jig and curled one out on every one else.
He’ll probably do the same thing in 2016 too. Easily.
In the same way Vettel did between 2010-2013 albeit with greater competition.
There’s no denying that Lewis could use a dose of humility. I try to like him, I really do, but ultimately Lewis and Rosberg are both unlikable. Lewis is just lucky that Rosberg, no matter how hard he tries, is more unlikable… Combine that with Mercedes being generally unlikable and Toto being unlikable x1,000 and we have the single most annoying team in F1 history.
“…we have the single most annoying team in F1 history.”
Oh, come on, even more annoying than Red Bull?!!! Give over
Another non-article that ponderously labours over numerous quotes from Hamilton’s critics. What’s the point?
…and yet he sometimes comes up with remarks that show humility and looking at the glass half-full.
http://planetf1.com/news/hamilton-i-took-things-easy-after-securing-title/
I always like how Jacques Villeneuve feels the need to comment on everything. Of course, in a dignified manner, like al world champions… not! All he seems to be able to do is critise…
First up, Leo Turrini is an Ferrari affiliate, so its just logical of him to be dissing a 3x wdc, it was he who claimed that kimi had signed to RBR back in 2014, so credibility zero in my books. So what’s the big deal that Hamilton lost the last few races, we all know that Toto and his Teutonic possy wanted Rosberg to finish 2nd to keep the Germans happy, why try and read something else that’s just not there, in a vain attempt to disguise the fact that Hamilton wiped the floor with him in 2015. Leave him alone, like you left vettel alone when he tortured us with that finger, sometimes you journalist are worse than scribes and Pharisees.
Everyone tries to stay current while they’re a ‘has-been’ (Villeneuve), everyone tries to sell papers or site traffic (journalists), so what’s the best way? Pick on the ‘jackpot’ athlete of the time, if he’s marmite, even better, and above all, take his/her quotes out of context for maximum impact!
Yeah! Fuck the Pharisees!
Sadducees all the way! Goooooo SAD – DU – CEES! SAD – DU – CEES! SAD – DU – CEES!
*Crushes empty beer can on skull*
Yes, yes… I know what you’re thinking. “What an elitist!”
Correct?
But it’s not that. I despise the “establishment” as much as anyone! Boo! Boo!
The issue is, why reject Ancient Greek culture in toto? Seems so wasteful.
—-
Brian: Please, please, please listen! I’ve got one or two things to say.
The Crowd: Tell us! Tell us both of them!
Brian: Look, you’ve got it all wrong! You don’t NEED to follow ME, You don’t NEED to follow ANYBODY! You’ve got to think for your selves! You’re ALL individuals!
The Crowd: Yes! We’re all individuals!
Brian: You’re all different!
The Crowd: Yes, we ARE all different!
Man in crowd: I’m not…
LOL! “I’m not…” – brilliant
What about the Lilly?
Well, you first had people like Will Smith popularising the breakdown of the barrier between actor and singer, you even had legends like Christopher Lee going into symphonic metal. Now, looks like Hamilton is trying to transcend that barrier between creative arts and sport. Not fun of his chosen music genre, but kudos.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-ot-hear-lewis-hamiltons-first-songs/