I think it was pretty serious. Remember that even at Monaco there where rumous he wouldn't race, him getting into a fight in a Cannes nightclub etc... On top of that, when Brundle attempted to ask him about it (''can you now confirm if you wanted to leave the team after the Spanish GP?'') Hamilton said ''that's in the past and it's private''. Anyone knows that's a confirmation. If it wasn't true (or if he didn't want people to know) he would've said ''It's not true''.
I don't hold a grudge, I just think he is a juvenile twit that just happens to pilot the best(by far)car on the grid and thinks HE is responsible for his championships. This makes him #2 in a field of 2. I'd love to see the tantrums this self important baby boy would be having in second tier car. Congrats to Nico, I hope he's loving it.
I'm pretty sure he said something to that effect for the reasons you mention. I just wonder if it was a childish remark in passing/arguing, or if he made it and went home for a few days and let Merc sweat. The latter is a lot more unprofessional than the former. I guess we'll have to wait for the book ; P
But in my opinion this is not poor sportsmanship but only poor self-reflection. He might share this view with his followers but it does not paint the entire picture. If he thinks that he did nothing wrong at all and that it is only down to technical issues then this can be only good for Nico. You can only solve problems when you see them and if Lewis is not aware how many points he lost due to collisions or bad starts, or how many points he gained by pure luck (Monaco, Spa with the red flag) he does not learn anything from that. The first mistake was letting Nico easily win the last races in 2015 instead of crushing him for once and forever. He does not see that, good for Nico... "Pride comes before a fall" and pride seems to be Lewis weakness.
Bucket of truth here. I like the bit about not finishing Nico off last year in particular...now he's created a monster.
+6 put lewis in a mid-marker car and see what he can do (and how much crying he'd do). put him in the mclaren, put him in the force india, see what he does then. vettel, verstappen, kimi, alonso, bottas - they'd all be top 2 in the mercedes!!
The whole thing is a storm in a tea cup...media hysteria ...Daily Mail ? Must be true guv etc etc . Lewis has nothing on Schumi ,Senna,Prost and our Nigel in the poorest loser stakes..ohh i forgot Alonso who has also been known to be a tad sulky/petulant. These guys all really really HATE to lose.it's in their DNA.They are racing drivers racing to WIN, not trundling around to make up the numbers. Lewis did what any other F1 driver would have done in the same circumstances.It is not illegal,in fact virtually everyone in the paddock probably expected it.No it is not 'sporting' but that behaviour went out of the window several decades ago. I was not surprised at the speed Seb caught up with everyone,but was surprised that he did not have a serious go at passing Nicole.Maybe he is angling at a Merc seat in the future? Straight swap Seb for Lewis anyone ? They both seem to be a bit cheesed off right now. Ohh and that Autosport poll thingy on the best driver in 2016 ..must be rubbish of course,lol
There were many good losers in the paddock. Michael, Mika, Kimi..to name a few. You never find any news, or complaining in the press. Back in the 2000s, Mika was always the first to congratulate Michael, and in 1998, Michael actually waiting at Parc Ferme to congratulate him on the title. Mika returned the favour in 2000. That was pure class. The mechanical gremlins Kimi had in 2005...never once he threw the team under the bus. Hamilton is extremely overrated, IMO. He had a 'normal' car with Jense a few years ago, and could not beat him. He did nothing spectacular IMO.
Yep, you can't teach class, Elton will always be a poor relation to the above true gentlemen. He also wouldn't have seen which way any of them went in their prime, 'fast but dim' is his monicker
I totally agree, although Senna and Schumacher made not have shown some dirty play at times, they were not crybabies like Lewis. Lewis always has teammate problems. If things are not going his way he blames the team, or someone else. I wish he was the one who retired. Although, maybe Ferrari can get back to form this next season and leave him sitting in the back.
I like Hamilton, he is ultra competitive and believes he is the best-- just the way a race car driver should be. I believe he is the better driver. It is not a team sport and he was going for his own championship. Nico wasnt even pressuring him. If you are better, faster than take the pole or pass him. If he is slowing in the non-pass areas and going fast in the passing areas then at least pressure him. I dont watch racing nor would I pick my drivers based on who was a better gentleman. The clock doesnt lie.
I dont watch racing to see gentleman, I watch racing to see the best racers, racers who are willing to put it all on the line. Nico was a great driver, a smart driver, a safe driver. I like the guys that lay it all out, pole winners. Max V is great to watch.
Anyone out there on the track racing is putting it on the line. Good luck letting them know you dont think so LOL.
In all honesty I do believe that Alonso is the best option for Mercedes. They can't risk underestimating Red Bull, with a fantastic driver line up, great technical team and an engine that'll be much closer to Merc power than previous years. Red Bull was 50bhp down on Mercedes. That's HUGE. And look how close they got... If their car is a little faster than Red Bull, they quite simply won't win the WCC with Wehrlein. Ocon is too inexperienced I reckon. If their car is as equally fast as Red Bull, RBR's line up is stronger than Hamilton + Bottas. Ric and VES are both great at judging overtaking and VES is insanely strong and ruthless defending as well. Then it starts to become a bigger risk for Mercedes already...Inserting Alonso will minimize their risk somewhat. If RBR has a stronger car, they most definitely need an incredibly strong driver lineup. Only Alonso can fill that gap IMO. The downside of Alonso at Mercedes (for Mercedes) is that Hamilton will not like it. I expect Alonso to be on the pace of Hamilton from the start and be quicker early on in the season. Hamilton won't like it one bit. Hamilton already left Mercedes at Barcelona this year, with Alonso ahead he'll throw the fit of all fits. And for F1, Alonso has to be at Mercedes. If we go by the assumption that Mercedes is once again incredibly dominant, a dedicated #2 teammate for Hamilton will mean a pathetic season to watch for us. It won't do ticket sales ANY good, viewership will decline massively (2014 was kept interesting because of the Hamilton - Rosberg battle, '15 some people tuned in to see Verstappen and Vettel at Ferrari, and '16 HAM + ROS battle and Verstappen's fight at the front). One man show up front, once again a Mercedes and Hamilton? Forget it. A battle has to be had.
One can hope Mercedes will take the more difficult path in gaining FA vs Wehrlost. They need a strong team as you state. We need to see that battle. Thats why we watch as Ian always posted!
