I really don't understand why Lewis is not overwhelmingly liked by the British, let alone having so many haters in his own country. Since I'm not British, I never had any reason to cheer for him, in fact he had fought against drivers that I cheered for before and during F1, so I would be one to really "hate" him. I'm also not a fan of hip hop, tattoos, etc., so I'm not a big fan of his personal style either. However, I recognize that he can easily be considered one of the all-time greats of F1, together with Senna and Schumacher. I would love to see him driving for the Scuderia before retiring too. Because I don't follow British celebrities and gossip, I have no clue why he is not put on a pedestal in the UK like Senna and Schumacher were in their respective countries. Yes, he might be a primadonna sometimes, but thanks to him the UK became again the country with the most F1 championships after being overtaken by Brazil in the 90's and by Germany in the 2000's. So what are the reasons for that? It's a sincere question, I apologize if it should be obvious.
That's about it. Anyone with half a brain sees right through his charade. It's not about Tattoos or funny outfits, living as an tax exile or spending his money. It's his general attitude. There are plenty of drivers with visible tattoos, extravagant lifestyles and so on. They all live as tax exiles anyways so that excuse can be removed immediately. Button was loved by just about everyone. Still is. It's the attitude. Always has been, always will be.
I contend that it's the people with half a brain that can't comprehend Hamilton's accomplishments. And yes, I'm the one who started the "butt hurt . . " thread.
Maybe we need some "Indian pipe smoking" in order to comprehend the full magnitude of Elton's achievements..or qe could simply get drunk!
Remember Arthur Ashe when he reached top tennis ? Not really welcomed there. Remember Tiger Wood breaking out in top competition golf ? It was an outcry. It's the same for Lewis Hamilton. He is the first black driver to reach the top in F1, and that's intolerable for many. Of course he comes from a different culture, has different Outlook, different interests, different demanour, different attitude than previous champions; he is different. Instead of looking at him as a top driver, his detractors can only pick bones to discredit his personality, etc ... It would be the same if he had been the first black Governor of the Bank of England, or the first British Prime Minister; he would have suffered from prejudice. Hamilton is the best F1 driver coming out of Britain, but he is from a different mould, and some people just cannot overcome that.
I see what you're trying to point out. However, when it comes to Tiger Woods and golf, Woods is GOD on the PGA Tour and has been for over twenty years. There might be a few that don't like him, but tournament promoters, TV sports networks, golf equipment manufacturers and golf fans out on the course love him. Even long time fans of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer admit they have never seen anyone like Tiger.
Nonsense. I don't accept that the world is inherently racist, it is merely that small populations of racists are immensely problematic. I think it boils down to his attitude on the radio and in interview. He expresses mistrust over his team's strategy calls over the radio, complains over the radio when he doesn't get preferential treatment over his teammate, blames poor results on the car/tire/team, and during many triumphs over the years: #blessed. I must admit, he has improved slightly (since Rosberg retired) and has been making an effort to appear more gracious, but there are still many years behind him that leave a poor taste in people's mouths. The British like people who are gracious winners and humble losers - Hamilton struggles with both attributes. I think you do a disservice to people's integrity when all you can see is his skin color as a reason for someone not to be a fan. All the best, Andrew.
No shocker that william doesn't know what he's talking about. Tiger is universally loved in the USA and is a big part of golf's spike in popularity here. The crowds around him at tournaments are a testament to this.
William this is silly. It is HIS PERSONALITY that irritates people. Remember the most recent nonsense from him in Germany after he crashed and then asks the team why it’s gone wrong?!?! Hello! It’s all there in plain sight. It’s not hidden unless one choses to hide it from themselves.
The only place Lewis is loved is Fchatt, here you will find the most Hamilton info. I come here to get updates and latest info on him. How many Hamilton threads are there now, over 50?
You are perfectly entitled to your opinion. I cannot confirm it, but I read that Hamilton has a HUGE following on social media, maybe contradicting the title of this thread. I don't do social media myself, but at least 2 of my grand-children I questioned on the subject, tell me the same. His audience goes well beyond F1 followers, I am told, and mostly among Under-25. So it is quite possible that Hamilton isn't liked among British F1 followers, but popular outside that circle.
The majority of morons who follow him on social media aren’t F1 fans! They are fans of his celebrity. Most aren’t supporters of the sport. They are typical sycophants of social media.
In the UK we have a strange social dynamics when it comes to successful people. The challenge Lewis has is that he is a successful sportsman, a dominant sportsman in a sport which in all honesty is traditionally an arena for the wealthier classes. Similar to when Tiger Woods dominated golf or the Williams sisters absolutely ran the women’s tennis game. There is still a large contingent of people out there with unconscious bias against people of colour with a certain “attitude”. In other words if they are confident, bold and unapologetic they are dusted off as “arrogant’ spoiled etc... people prefer Lewis to be “humble” and a grateful little sheep. Think of Anthony Joshua who is almost painfully apologetic about his success, the British media and public adore him. Lewis doesn’t care he lives his life, in the UK that just doesn’t wash for a person of his background. Another sportsman who’s suffered similar treatment is Raheem Sterling and to a certain extent Mo Farah. Of course people will disagree and bat me off, but in reality I think we all know this is one of the reasons he is not liked (by a certain faction). The paradox of all this is that the British GP has attracted record crowds during Lewis's championship years and the hardcore racing fans generally love Lewis in the UK. He’s still a hero to many.
It's up to you to scorn people following social media by calling them morons or sycophants, but don't forget there is a big wide world outside F1. Celebrity cult is a by-product of the modern age. It has been discussed before, but Mercedes may quite like the new audience Hamilton brings to their brand too.
Big fan of Tiger. And his achievements are 100% down to his personal performance, not a dominant set of clubs pre-determined by 2014 rules.
What a load of crap some people spout. His colour has NEVER come into why people like or hate him. He has the personality of a wet lettuce, and has never ever proved himself in a bad car, in fact, when his car isn’t up to it, he frequently fails just as badly as anyone else. the main reasons he is so vehemently opposed here on Fchat is twofold, the main one, surprise surprise, is that he is the main enemy to Ferrari, much like Vettel at red bull. The second is his fans, who spend inordinate amounts of bandwidth trying to convince everyone that they must ignore their own opinions and become fans of Elton, and acknowledge the lie they believe, that he is some great of all time, which he most certainly is not. Stats tell A story, but not the whole one. If you had senna, schumi and Elton all in their prime - only senna and schumi would be sought by the team that wants to win. Both could turn a dog into a world beater. Elton can’t, and until he proves he can, he will never be universally accepted. Simple as that Forza Ferrari..... the only racing team and car marque that matters. Italia forever It’s easier to apologise than it is to ask permission