Lewis Hamilton has at times in his F1 career appeared to be close to the edge, and may be yet again. In an interview with Red Bull’s Servus TV, Niki Lauda now reveals Hamilton destroyed his motorhome room having lost pole to team mate Nico Rosberg in Azerbaijan.
Veteran Swiss F1 writer, Roger Benoit asked Lauda for his recollection of events following the Saturday afternoon session in Baku.
Lewis Hamilton was so furious about losing pole position to Nico Rosberg at the European Grand Prix that he “destroyed” his private room at the Mercedes offices, team chief Niki Lauda has revealed.
“He [Hamilton] told me not to come in because he was going to destroy everything. This is how it was,” revealed the Mercedes boss.
Lauda said Mercedes have decided there will be consequences for Lewis’ behaviour. “He’ll have to pay for that [the destroyed room]. You can count on that”.
Lewis has presented as a troubled soul during certain periods of his Formula One career, though quitting the ‘on-off’ relationship with long term girlfriend, Nicole Shirtzinger, appeared to bring a new sense of stability to Hamilton’s life. His smiling media image is now the norm during F1 racing weekends – whether Lewis is winning or not.
Yet behind the scenes clearly the ‘old’ Lewis is still there and the image is a “lie” says Niki Lauda.
Following the race in Baku, Lewis did an interview with a British Sunday newspaper, where he claimed the relationship between him and Nico Rosberg was better than ever.
“It’s actually really good with Nico at the moment,” Hamilton told the Mail on Sunday. “Really, really good. Surprisingly.
Yet Lauda confirms this is untrue.
“Lewis lied about that, it’s as simple as that,” explained Lauda. “He just said something in order to regain his peace of mind for last weekend”.
Two years ago Hamilton retorted curtly to a question from Sky Sports in Monaco, “We are not friends… “We are colleagues.” Flip flopping over ‘friends’ – ‘not friends’, merely gives ammunition to those who believe Hamilton is emotionally unstable.
Niki Lauda is in no way condemnatory of Hamilton’s untruths and believes it is part of his make up to deal with situations. “He does what he can. The fight gets hotter the longer Nico is in front.”
It just seems that for Lewis Hamilton, the next emotional implosion is a matter of when – and not if.
Wow…just wow, why not keep things like that in house? Everyone has a tough day and prob goes home to vent steam,you don’t expect a knife in the back from your inner circle. Merc need to muzzle their attack dog as my respect for Niki has folded. As for Lewis..is the pressure forcing a harder driving style and that message in Austria over choice of tyres is painting a very negative image of team harmony and if team orders are imposed then does the champ leader take priority?. I wonder what the odds are for Nico taking the number 1 slot?😱
with bosses like these, who really needs enemies?…..
Niki fails to understand how much weight his words carry when he speaks about either driver. This does nothing more than ammunition to those who are out to continue taking shots at Hamilton. Don’t air your dirty laundry in public. For all Toto’s shortcomings, i can’t for the life of me see him doing something like this, fact i don’t think any team boss would do that. I’m sure every other driver on the grid has a few skeleton’s in their closet’s and has probably done the same, but it was dealt with in house as opposed to this.
“Lewis lied about that, simple as that,” explained Lauda. “He just said something. He wanted to be the softener in order to have his peace last weekend.
Oh don’t…I now have a picture in my head of Massa in a tutu in the garage😎 yep, Toto does come across as the more professional member of the outfit
The articles on this site are going downhill. Shame, this site always had the best and most informative inside information. Lately it’s filled with speculative and opinionated trash.
What an idiot. Ham has form with these sorts of things. Entitled, spoilt behaviour. What’s odd, to my mind, is that the lie is unnecessary. At least Lauda has the balls to call Ham out for his behaviour instead of enabling. Leopards and spots…
Anyone trying to understand the psychology at play here (and you can interpret that any way you wish…) needs to read the following:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder
Interesting observation, Prof. A few patterns do stand out over the seasons.
Is that for Lauda or Rosberg?
You can say what you want about Lewis, but he does have empathy and seems way too insecure at times to be a narcissist.
Lauda needs to learn a bit of diplomacy and tact. Hamilton got upset after a bad day at the office–so? Who hasn’t? Didn’t Rosberg lie through the skin of his teeth at Spa 2014? Firstly claimed the collision was all Hamilton’s fault and initially denied deliberate intent—-only to back track and later admit he did it intentionally to prove a point. They call all sell half truths when it fits. Rosberg included,
Well, lauda never was subtle. But that being said he does always tell the truth/what he thinks. And that is what hurts the most to our fanboi(s). I always liked such qualities in people. And if there is someone who is more entitled to an opinion on f1 matter than us, keyboard warriors, its lauda.
There is a difference here, as a member of a team you don’t break rank to spill a story(sorry,I am old school), I am damn sure many drivers throw a strop. I admire Lauda as a businessman and a driver but tact isn’t his field,the harm it can cause in terms of image for a team. His thinking reminded me of Ferrari of old rather than a Mercedes robot
You can’t employ someone to give 100% in their efforts to win, against a teammate who is expected to do the same, in one of the most highly charged sporting arenas of modern times, where such importance is placed on the cult of the individual, and realistically expect them to maintain complete control over their emotions at all times.
In the luxurious position of (again) having both of their drivers competing, virtually unchallenged, for the title for the 3rd year in a row, Mercedes don’t seriously think that these two are going to conduct themselves as if they were a couple of faceless executives at a Daimler-Benz shareholder meeting, do they?
These corporate entities want to shower themselves in the associated glory of this modern day Coliseum, yet expect the participants to tone down any elements of that conflict that may run contrary to their bland corporate mission statements, rather than see that maybe using two young, fast-driving, late-braking men in overpowered vehicles battling with each other at 3 times the speed limit in their efforts to shift more vehiclws throws up more contradictions than a top-end sportsman occasionally venting their frustration within the (supposed) privacy of their changing room.
(vehicles)
–Mercedes don’t seriously think that these two are going to conduct themselves as if they were a couple of faceless executives at a Daimler-Benz shareholder meeting, do they?
I thought they were!!
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/apr/07/wurst-buffet-bust-up-mars-daimler-agm-shareholder-row
Haha!
I take it all back!
Thanks for the link. : )
This should make the old time F1 traditionalists smile, what with Hamilton behaving similarly to other whiny F1 greats such as Senna, Schumacher, Alonso, Vettel, Mansell, etc.
I’m always amused at how dramatic champions can be. Of course they can get away with it because they deliver.
I must say it is interesting how much of the F1 world seems obsessed with Lewis and holds him to a different standard. We often hear moaning about how F1 is too clean and lacks characters like the old days and yet when Lewis is like that…
Is gossipping withing Lauda’s job description? Come to think of it, what the hell do Mercedes need from him? As for the rest, nothing new. Lewis this, Lewis that. It must pain some people to see Lewis win. I bet they lose their sleep. Carry on…
I think Niki was more upset that team personnel had to clean up after Ham. He probably felt bad for them and was angry when he spoke to the press. You have to treat the team well or they aren’t going to have your back. It isn’t a coincidence that Ham has been having reliability problems, and his relationship with personnel has been frosty at best.
You have a good point…and a great tin foil hat 😉 a leader always needs to represent a unshakeable front and not p#+s off their workforce otherwise it’s better to refuse an offered coffee.
Hey judge, Lewis only has a few more years left in the sport, but until then, every win for him must feel like a kick in the nuts for you.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
so wot Nico lies about EVERYTHING!
Actually, I admire Lewis for smashing his motor home because it shows the high standards he sets himself and the passion he ve not smashed something or thrown fas for what is doing.
who of us honestly when we are seriously peed off have not smashed something or thrown furniture around when we are upset and as for the CLOWN professorskridlov who claims Lewis is a narcissist. – You don’t know what the hell you are talking about FOOL!!! Go and read books on the subject and psychopaths and you will see that Lewis may have an ego but he has no personality disorder….maybe you do.
IMO I think Lauda is unprofessional for airing this private matter in public . If Lewis leave Mercedes watch what will happen to them , They will go down hill like Maclaren