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The 2020 F1 Season

Roger Adams said:
Looking at it, there appears to have been just two winners of colour this century so I guess he's done well being one of those.
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In the last 20 years there have been 4 winners of colour, your words. Farah, Hamilton, Holmes and Lennox Lewis.
 
bob said:
Hamilton has been in the top three of Sports Personality Awards 5 times and won in 2014, I think that suggests he is accepted and much admired by the British public.
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But he isn’t. There’s a lot people out there who just don’t like him for no reason and that includes a lot of F1 fans. It’s bizarre!
 
There will be a lot of people who don't like Max or Seb or any other driver. Loads of football fans hated Beckham, why was that? Some people hate seeing others succeed.
 
windhoek said:
There's also personality. Sure Murray might not have the charisma of Federer. But when he's on the court, he shares his emotions for better and worse and takes you on an emotional ride along with him. Admittedly, those sorts of rides are probably a thing of the past now, but some of them were one helluva ride!

I like Hamilton's personality and character myself. But he and Murray stimulate the audience if completely different ways and so I don't think skin colour is the simple answer as to popularity.
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Hamilton is well known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, but it's difficult to show emotion in an F1 car hurtling round a track as opposed to stopping every time you score or lose a point as on a tennis court. Mansell, Hill, Hunt .... all were massively popular... so your argument is not holding water with me. As said this is potentially the greatest driver of all time we have here not someone who like so many others has won a few races.... or a few grand slams to keep the comparison running. Anyway I'll leave it there and just get on with looking forward to the new season... hopefully we will get a good 3,4 or 5 way battle for the title and may the best man win.
 
What Lewis has achieved and continues to achieve is simply stunning. For anyone who hasn't, just take a look at his record through all the motor racing he has ever been involved in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Hamilton

He is, by any reasonable measure, exceptional and we are very lucky to have seen him. As someone who spent years waiting to see a British driver win consistently in F1, never mind dominate it, I can't for the life of me understand the haters. All I can say is their loss.
 
Hair style. Both Beckham and Hamilton have mucked about with their hair and some still think that is not the Done Thing. You're perceived as being a pretentious git who is not a Real Man who drinks and shags tarts like James Hunt did for Britain. Murray has left his well alone, his Mum would never allow it :)

Don't forget that with the press you're talking about what the Prince of Darkness Murdock :mad: likes. I really do hate that guy.
 
SteveS1 said:
What Lewis has achieved and continues to achieve is simply stunning. For anyone who hasn't, just take a look at his record through all the motor racing he has ever been involved in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Hamilton

He is, by any reasonable measure, exceptional and we are very lucky to have seen him. As someone who spent years waiting to see a British driver win consistenty in F1, never mind dominate it, I can't for the life of me understand the haters. All I can say is their loss.
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In general Brits detested Senna until after he died. I wasn’t a fan until I was lucky enough to see him at Donington, 1993.

Perhaps by about 2040 Lewis will be viewed only through dewy eyes.
 
bob said:
In the last 20 years there have been 4 winners of colour, your words. Farah, Hamilton, Holmes and Lennox Lewis.
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Apologies Bob. I wasn't counting 1999 as it was the last century. I'd forgotten about Holmes. I have to say, it does seem a remarkably low level given the number of men and women of colour who seem to have represented us on so many stages over that period.

A British F1 team hasn't won it since 1962! Neither Mclaren or Williams ever got the honour despite their periods of remarkable dominance.

I do find it sad that Hamilton gets less recognition as a role model more than anything else. His story is remarkably uplifting and encouraging to a social group who, let us be honest, face many challenges in life that most of us will never understand.

And if the Gipsy wins this year, the clothing issue will have to go out the door once and for all :)
 
tiggers said:
Hamilton is well known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, but it's difficult to show emotion in an F1 car hurtling round a track as opposed to stopping every time you score or lose a point as on a tennis court. Mansell, Hill, Hunt .... all were massively popular... so your argument is not holding water with me. As said this is potentially the greatest driver of all time we have here not someone who like so many others has won a few races.... or a few grand slams to keep the comparison running. Anyway I'll leave it there and just get on with looking forward to the new season... hopefully we will get a good 3,4 or 5 way battle for the title and may the best man win.
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Yeah, that's what I was alluding to: Murray's personality is extremely visible when he's on the court whereas Hamilton's can only really be seen through his driving, which sin't something that appeals to that many nowadays - at least not since F1 went primarily down the PPV route. Still, Hamilton is popular in this thread if nowhere else :)
 
More recognition? By who?
The media? The royals? Other drivers? The Women’s Institute?

I don’t get this. His future is very bright indeed. He calls the shots, and appears to be taking his time.

Most of us here ridicule the whole knighthood etc schemes anyway. After all, a drug-taking rock star can get one.

It’s pointless. He’s recognised. He’s rich beyond our dreams. He has more to come.
 
I think it's quite simple, most Brits love the underdog, the plucky loser, especially where sport is concerned. They may moan that we never producer a born winner but secretly they revel in supporting an affable no-hoper rather than cheering on a consistent winner with a confident outlook on their own talent/ability.

It's just an extension of not liking a cocky, confident know-it-all.

Then there is the closet racism.
 
Whatever we think of SPOTY or the honours list, the lack of Hamilton's appearance/recognition considering the inspiration he provides, his success and his scandal free lifestyle, speaks volumes about the establishment and sends the wrong message to millions of vulnerable British citizens.

He is the epitome of a man who has risen from being a no hoper - a single black man in a sport totally dominated by wealthy White kids. I have never heard him be anything less than polite and respectful to either his opponents, the media or the public.
 
A few points from an insider.

1. As Frank has put it before in the Williams documentary, Mansell is 3 people in 1, a very fast racing driver, a family man and an arsehole. I saw 1 of those aspects of him when he was at McLaren F1...
2. Maybe if Lewis had stronger competitors in his sister car (Alonso very strong, Button very good but only had one championship in him, but Rosberg and Bottas are nowhere near the same level), he may have become even more respected (more widely even).
3. Lewis, according to some on PFM, made a very bad move joining Merc when he did, but Ross had convinced of what was to come, and was right. So joining McLaren and then Merc has given him some of the best cars on the grid to drive, would he have looked so good in a Williams etc?
4. I am amazed that he hasn't won SPOTY more often, just as I am amazed that the Brawn did not win the team SPOTY award in 2009.
 
Ian, do you think that what Hamilton did to Alonso, both on the track and inside his head, in his rookie season was one of the most impressive debut seasons of modern racing?

I can't think of an operation that, since Mclaren, has employed two equally matched top drivers. Did it ultimately cost Mclaren the championship that year or is it a financial decision? Who do you think would run Hamilton close or win a mental battle with him in the Mercedes out of interest? Out of his generation over a whole season?

It seems that Ferrari are at risk of repeating the scenario and even last year there was that friction ( for spectators at any rate).

I was never given that close a look, but Mansell introduced some utterly vile people to the sport IME - the atmosphere at the British GP was unbearable all of a sudden. Hamilton did seem a lot better in qualifying than Button at Mclaren. Do you think that Hamilton's race craft has improved in the last 7-8 years?

Finally (and again from a clueless outside POV), Schumacher had no better team mates and Rosberg seemed to have the measure of him in his ageing stage just before retirement. Was that the case?

PS. You can no doubt tell I'm totally and unashamedly biased :)
 
bob said:
There will be a lot of people who don't like Max or Seb or any other driver. Loads of football fans hated Beckham, why was that? Some people hate seeing others succeed.
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I admire teams or individuals who excel and separate themselves from their competition over time. In football,as this time, that would be Lionel Messi and, to a lesser degree, Christiano Ronaldo. I'm not a football fan. I don't follow enough sports these days to list those that have that quality. Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis in sprinting Coe and Ovett ( I always saw the former as a natural and the latter as an incredibly focussed hard worker.),

There are athletes who, over the time, have continued to raise the bar again and again - without competition from others. In F1, I never "hated" another winning. I admired Senna's natural talent which did not prevent me from also admiring the sheer intelligence and application of Alain Prost. I hugely admired Niki Lauda for coming back as he did and winning a Championship. Truly inspirational.

Simone Biles is a wonderful example of this excellence at this time. Gareth Sobers and Ken Barrington from before my time, whose batting averages showed just how consistently brilliant they were regardless of opposition. It matters not who they played for.

These are all people who excelled in their generation of athletes regardless of whether I liked them or the operation they worked for or represented. I couldn't care about their nationality or their religion. I care about their application and their making the most of (of exceeding) their God given talent and opportunities. That inspires me.

Right now, as I say, I don't watch much sport as it has become so commercial. Hamilton however fits my brief for greatness.
 
IanW said:
Maybe if Lewis had stronger competitors in his sister car (Alonso very strong, Button very good but only had one championship in him, but Rosberg and Bottas are nowhere near the same level), he may have become even more respected (more widely even).
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Have to say I find this notion that Rosberg was nowhere near the same level as rather fanciful. Rosberg (IMO FWIW) was a lot better driver than many gave him credit for. He kept Schumacher honest and much of the time was very close to Hamilton. Sure he was not quite at the same overall level, but he was still extremely quick .... I know everyone points to the 2016 Malaysia GP and Hamilton's engine blowing as the reason Rosberg won his championship, but that's racing and if you look at 2014 had Hamilton's car gone wrong in he last GP the way Rosberg's did Rosberg would be a 2 time WC. Not taking anything away from Hamilton, but I just hope Rosberg is remembered as a driver that gave Hamilton a serious run for his money and a worthy WC as IMO that is what he is.
 
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