Lewis Hamilton is facing opposition before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a former Formula 1 team manager and companion of Michael Schumacher is sharply critical of the seven-time world champion who describes the Mercedes F1 driver as being nothing more than a ‘spoilt child’ who is also a ‘nagger’.
Lewis Hamilton is clearly unhappy with the car Mercedes has designed for his 2023 Formula 1 challenge. Since the car’s unveiling, Hamilton has been persistently moaning, even hitting out at the FIA for not keeping its promises. It seems nobody is safe from the seven time F1 champions mire.
“I think it’s [following] still a little bit better than the previous generation of cars, but it hasn’t delivered everything they [the FIA] said it would.” says Hamilton who had been complaining about how painful the new cars are to drive.
Hamilton complains at the Mercedes team
Lewis Hamilton had also claimed Mercedes “did not listen” to him over the development of their underperforming Formula One car.
“Last year, there were things I told them. I said the issues that are with the car,” Hamilton told the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast.
“I’ve driven so many cars in my life. I know what a car needs. I know what a car doesn’t need.
“I think it’s really about accountability,” the 38-year-old added. “It’s about owning up and saying, ‘Yeah, you know what? We didn’t listen to you. It’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work’”.
“We’ve got to look into the balance through the corners, look at all the weak points and just huddle up as a team. That’s what we do,” Hamilton added. “We’re still [multiple] world champions … just haven’t got it right this time. Didn’t get it right last year. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get it right moving forwards.”
Hamilton’s issue with the car
It certainly appears that Hamilton is struggling to adapt driving style required for these new ground effect cars, which appears to be an issue for the veteran driver.
Compared to the previous generation, the neutral position for the centre of pressure on the Ground Effect F1 cars is further forward. This can make the car feel unstable when braking.
It may be that Lewis, who has been in F1 for 15 years before the introduction of the new ground effect cars, will find it more difficult to adapt his driving style than his less experienced team-mate.
“The way he drives, he’s quite aggressive on the throttle, quite aggressive on the brake and he does everything through the steering wheel, so he really needs to feel what’s happening through the rear of the car through his arms,” said Jenson Button for Sky Sports F1, a team mate of Hamilton from the McLaren days.
“And he’s not getting that so he doesn’t have that confidence to push the car and these cars are tricky anyway, especially in qualifying, and if he doesn’t have that confidence, he’s not able to get the maximum out of it,” concludes Button.
Hamilton: “We still lack top speed”
“They were just quicker than us, the Ferraris are quicker than us. We’re the fourth-fastest team!” said Hamilton after the first race of the year in Bahrain.
Indeed team boss Toto Wolff declared Mercedes had “one of their worst days” after Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fifth and seventh at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Although the team has improved since that first race, it is clear to all the gulf between Mercedes and the Championship leaders Red Bull.
READ MORE: Insider reveals LeClerc Mercedes’ “talks”
🚨🏎️ Checo is a fan of Baku. Where will he finish this year? pic.twitter.com/s0OhDQoGTm
— The Sporting Base – Formula One (@sportingbase_f1) April 23, 2023
Former Schumacher boss slams Hamilton
Joan Villadelprat, former team manager of the Benetton racing team, where he celebrated two world championship titles together with Michael Schumacher, does not understand the British driver’s negative comments.
“Hamilton is fed up. When he doesn’t win, he behaves like a little spoilt child. Either he wins or he destroys the toys,” Villadelprat rumbled in an interview with the Spanish online newspaper El Confidencial.
Hamilton is “a nagger“, the 68-year-old added, as in someone who ‘nags’ and ‘moans’.
“Sometimes it’s the tyres, sometimes it’s the strategy. He questions everything. He’s messed it up.”
Praise for Hamilton’s F1 rivals
In the three Formula One races of the season so far, Hamilton has only finished on the podium once. At the Australian Grand Prix, the 38-year-old finished second, just behind world champion Max Verstappen. He finished the first two races of the season in fifth place. In Saudi Arabia, Mercedes teammate George Russell was better placed than the superstar, finishing fourth.
“When you lose to your teammate, you should keep calm and keep working,” Villadelprat said, referring to the relationship between Hamilton and Russell.
For the 25-year-old, Villadelprat had words of praise: “I’m always surprised by Russell because he’s a great driver.”
The former Formula 1 official also praised a compatriot:
“I’m not saying that now just because he is Spanish. However, I see Fernando Alonso’s performance as very strong. His overtaking manoeuvres and instructions to his constructors are really good. His skills surprise me.”
MORE F1 NEWS: Marko believes LeClerc “a worry” for Ferrari
Told you so … 🙂
Joan Villadelprat. Not seen in f1 for 22 years. Been up in court for dodgy dealings. Wants to sell his opnion to newspapers. Might as well have asked dave down the pub for a story it would be more entertaining
Hamilton spoiled and a what no it’s an A
Joan Villadelprat – a man who’s opinion can clearly be trusted. A man who has never cheated anyone by having traction control illegally on a car and had ever been in court for anything. A fine character who’s opinion can be trusted 😂😂😂
A few years back this when this “little tinker” was in F1 he somehow gained a reputation as a bit of a joker who on occasion could be a tad deceitful. A little unfair I suppose as it was only because he was (and has since continued to be) always the one who copped the blame when involving himself in the frequent and frankly expected “high jinks and light hearted mischief” with which 99.9% of the F1 circus busy themselves.
This poor luck earned him a certain notoriety that even adversely effected some other fine upstanding chaps involved with Benetton Racing. It resulted in many of the more misguided and gullible people involved or interested in the F1 spectacle, actually believing that (to ruthlessly win at all costs, under certain circumstances) there were individuals there (at Benetton 🤔?) that could maybe be tempted to, as is sometimes said *”push the envelope” (*see alternative and more accurate phase below) a little too energetically.
Personally, I just can’t bring myself to believe such a person has ever, or could ever gain access to a sport as transparent as F1. It’s craziness to think of F1 being played out by anything but only the very finest, honest and upstanding citizens alive.
Although that said, as far as Sir Lewis is concerned, he is as accurate as he and a few of his colleagues are bent.
*cheat like f**k.
Oh, and you have to love the description “nagger.”
Does he mean LH is perhaps similar to lAndy Capp’s long suffering wife Flo? 🤔
No? Ah right. My mistake. 🥴
Who cares if he voices his opinion to his team? His input turned Mercedes into the team they are. Lewis was robbed of 8th title. I’d be bitching and complaining too!
You lot still do. I expect you’ll still be at it in 10 years time.