The irony of those words during an interview with Lewis Hamilton published in The Independent the day before F1’s live promo at the capital.
Liberty media gave us a taster of their strategy for promoting Formula One around a race weekend with the London Live event at Trafalgar square yesterday and by all accounts it seems to have been a hit.
McLaren boss Zak Brown was just one of those that tweeted his thoughts during the event.
We are so proud to have 2 drivers @alo_oficial @svandoorne who understand the importance of going the extra mile for the fans. 😏 pic.twitter.com/Vyib332K5Y
— Zak Brown (@ZBrownCEO) July 12, 2017
Thousands of Formula One fans, many of which it would be fair to say were Hamilton followers, mingled with tourists and the general public during the event. All drivers apart from Lewis, were paraded in front of the crowds with cars doing doughnuts up and down the street creating a spectacle unlike anything seen in the capital before.
It was requested that all drivers attend the event despite the fact that never before have the drivers been contracted to the sport for promotional work. But events such as London Live will become more and more common as Liberty’s strategy to include fans and grow the sport becomes established.
Where does that leave Lewis Hamilton? The UK’s number one driver and championship contender would surely attend an event just days prior to the British Grand Prix? Au contraire, the Mercedes driver tweeted prior to the event that he was going on a holiday.
https://twitter.com/LewisHamilton/status/884763193712705537
Gutting for the fans who found out the week prior that he’d be attending after reading articles such as the one published in the Daily Mail;
“Lewis Hamilton to drive through the streets of London as part of Formula One parade in the capital ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone”
The cost of staying in the capital at short notice is somewhat eye watering but no doubt plenty of dedicated fans would’ve planned and booked hotels last minute in order to see their hero.
Lewis will be quizzed by the media later today during the build up to the Silverstone weekend and will no doubt give his reasons for not attending but it is unlikely he’ll mention a very likely financial motivation.
It has been argued before that Lewis is supporting Lewis, so it should not come as a surprise when the outrage by many Brits (other than the Hamfosi) when this tax exile drapes himself in Union Jack on the podium. Particularly when considering Hamilton not showing at the London Live event could be his 90 day non residence tax free allowance period had already been allocated. Although just speculation, it appears to be a very real possibility – why else the British driver wouldn’t attend if he’s so frustrated wishes ‘there was more time to see the fans’?
‘I wish there was more time to see the fans,’ Hamilton said in an interview with David Tremayne which was ironically published in the Independent yesterday. ‘You see them at such a distance, it sucks.
‘The crowd-surfing (when he won Silverstone for the fourth time in 2016) was the greatest thing for me because it was the first time I really got to engage with them in a different way
‘Hopefully when I’m on the podium and I carry the flag, people will start to see my patriotism. Being British is something I’m very proud of and maybe that’s just going to take time to show.’
-It’s actually quite hard to believe just how self-defeating Lewis can be sometimes. Take a two-day holiday at the expense of the subsequent four days of self-inflicted pressure and media attention, the loss of repect of the entire paddock and the alienation of your boss and team – and all before your home GP. Quite simply stunning work, Lewis.
The problem with being a hypocrite and a diva is that you are too involved with yourself to see when you are about to shoot yourself in the foot. Still, I guess being the only driver on the grid who feels under such pressure this season that they have to ‘focus’ on their racing by having a two-day party abroad could not be seen as a weakness, let alone contradictory, so I’m sure he’ll continue to self-destruct his 2017 season, as he always does when he’s under pressure.
https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsHow could any of us ever really know the real story. Suffice to know that Lewis Hamilton is a fantastic driver…..which I believe is what everyone who is interested in f1 wants. He is a real nice ‘bloke’ . I would think that most of us would do need a chance to sort out what has been happening to him the lady few races, rather like last year when he had snd still has more than his fair share of bad luck. If you don’t like the man, that’s one thing but don’t just be nasty just for the chance to be. RUTH Lewis
I think Lewis shot himself in the foot with this one. Obviously we don’t know why he chose not to attend, but my interpretation of it is that he needed some time away to get his head together for the upcoming GP (which to me implies he in feeling the strain, not only of Vettel leading the championship, but Bottas breathing down his neck as well.) No doubt he will have a lot of support at Silverstone and perhaps many of the people who attended the event in London weren’t Hamilton fans (the fans either lived out of London, couldn’t get time off work, were preparing for Silverstone etc), but I think he’s may have lost a lot of respect both within and without the F1 community by not showing up in London yesterday.
You hit the nail on the head. Several times.
His advisers or Lewis either way a big mistake mainly the flack he is getting from the media. Just made the pressure higher. I did see he went to a hospital for a charity visit but very over shaddowed or almost invisible.
That happened last week in a hospital in London.
I am not turning into a Lewis fan but could this have something to do with Tax? I know you are allowed so many days in the UK but the London gig was dropped on the drivers and with the hospital visit will this send him over the days? Even so..a few extra £ paid to HMC would have been worth it
That is mentioned in the article 😉
Doh!!! That didn’t register in the old mind. Nice to see an invite for the young driver Billy Monger.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the holy Lewis, Amen.
Bless you sweet Angel, we love you too Lewis.
Meantime in Maranello ” Ha ha ha ha ha, mama Mia che stupido !!”
The thing with Hamilton is that he will come up with some terrible excuse for not going. If he keeps it that it was something planned and special with his family, or just private he can deflect most questions.
If he stays away from such a media event, he would have got a good reason. But the media smells a good story and drama. If it was Raikonnen that did not go, you know his answers to questions regarding it.
T
Can someone explain more about the tax rules? Could it be that these two days would’ve cost him an outrageous amount of money?
Why Do I Have The Feeling That The LEWIS NoShow Is Way More Important To **Some People** Than The Event Itself ?
Unfortunately, Those **Same People** Can Not Develop A Warm Feeling Down There Without Constantly Being What They Are Best – A Bunch Of Pathetic Hypocrites.
GO, 44 !
I’m surprised this is such a huge issue. So he didn’t attend this one event. Marketing companies are not the standard to measure yourself against by their standards. Not everyone is constantly doing promotions. Attendance wasn’t mandatory. Lewis does quite a lot of promotion like many other drivers, save perhaps Kimi and Sebastien who, for example, have no social media presence at the moment. That’s their prerogative. We’re in modern times and we need to recognize diversity, even in marketing. Some drivers won’t do all the events. Some will. Some will participate in social media, some won’t. This uproar is absolute nonsense. If we can recognize the concerns of the marketers we should be able to recognize the concerns of the drivers and others.
Then you just don’t get it. It’s pretty obvious.
You are right, not all the drivers will do all the events.
But it is weird to skip such an event in your own country. Also get the feeling that this event was to ment to get more interest in the British GP (sponsor wise). The Silverstone contract will end after 2019 and a solution has to be found if there will be a British GP after that. For racing in Britain it would have been better if he was there.
I read Lewis wanted to prepare himself and apparently posted pictures of some party.
I can relate to that.
If my “working mind” is switched on, I don’t rest well. I’m intense in my work and dedicated to it. For that, I need my rest. The current world in which people expect 24/7 access and availability of co workers or celebrities hinders switching off.
So these two days of Lewis being where he really wants to be, with his “working mind”
Switched off – I’m cool with that.
As with Schumacher, fans have no entitlement to anything other than watch their idol race cars. Liberty is trying to make everybody look the other way but it is all about the content. And the content is not in a good shape, certainly not in this day and age.
Lewis needs to man up.
It sure is quiet here now… Is the matter over or has his win reminded people or what he actually does and is paid to do?
Do Not Poke The **Discrimination** Ones.
If He Wins The WDC, The GILLETTE Stocks In The Grocery Stores Will Plummet.
GO, 44 !