Hamilton deserves more respect

Funny you should mention that. I remember reading a story about a time when Massa was with Schumacher and Schumacher was refusing to sign autographs, including those to a few kids. Massa had to yell at him to at least sign for the kids.

I also spoke to a gentleman at Lime Rock who came into contact with both Massa and Raikkonen. Raikkonen completely ignored him and Massa stopped to chat with him for five minutes and sign his Ferrari cap, which he was wearing when I spoke to him.

 

Had to spend a couple of hours with JPM at an event. Man…..there is a range of drivers who are good guys to people who are unbearably arrogant. You can guess which group he belongs in.

 

I don't know enough about him, but based on what I have read, I'm going to assume he falls into the latter category.

 

Same applies to all humans.

 

To be honest, Prost and Balestre have always had a confrontational relationship.
Balestre wanted to lead autocratically and because of that wanted to subdue the strong characters.
Senna was one of them.

 

This is simply not true; for reasons that I have already exposed here a few years back, and that have me almost banned fo touching "P and R", nobody, and I mean nobody, in France wanted to be associated even remotedly with Balestre.
The "special relationship" beteween Prost and Balestre only existed in Senna's tortured mind, supposedly because they were both French, so they MUST have a common interest against him.
No-one here in France wanted to be associated with that man; many even refused to shake hands with him, or being associated in any way with him.

Rgds

 

Yes, I think Senna was a dirty racer as well as Schumacher too. I thought it was Schumacher when he was at Renault / Benetton but it emerged later at Ferrari with the move at Monaco during qualifying.

Senna was just as dangerous. ... Prost however never did that and won more Championships -but was less spectacular and less idolized which I don't understand. To me and perhaps this is snobby, but Prost is a F-1 aficionado's driver, vs Senna who is a casual observer's driver. Clark, Stewart, Lauda, Prost - are all true drivers - solid, calm, and professional. Villeneuve, Senna, Schumacher and dare I say it most of the current drivers are more emotional - and dangerous. I think Leclerc is a bit like Prost... but not sure yet. certainly, he's less aggressive/showy off track. I think a lot of people saw Senna the movie and think that is 100% how it was.. .which it was not. I've seen almost all the great drivers in person - driving, and Stewart and Lauda still to me are by far the best. followed by Prost. These guys rarely made mistakes... Senna Hamilton etc.. make tons all the time.

All that being said I think Sunday it was a racing accident - I'm not blaming Hamilton. BUT his behavior after - I do blame him. very poor sportsmanship - across the board from him and Mercedes.

 

I think the reality is they have not seen or been around a major accident ... and they think they can do pretty much anything racing wize - which is wrong, and send the wrong message to others. regardless of what they think they ARE role models for younger racers - and it shows. even in regional karting I see a lot of dangerous moves - for nothing because they think that is how you race.

 

Don't ever compare Hamilton's on track behavior to Schumacher's. Even Verstappen is waaaaaaaay less borderline than Schumi. And were're talking about Max here.

 

Senna did think that Balestre was behind Prost. During that time Balestre was very dictatorial, and Ecclestone and Mosley were always trying to undermine Balestre who wanted to keep the sport more amateurish. Balestre was not so much French vs. traditional, and Ecclestone and most of the teams wanted more money - sponsorship and TV = Professional... that is how it actually broke down. Balestre was part of the CIS and the AOC/ FISA - who were the original circuit promoters, manufacturers ( Ferrari, Renault, Alfa, etc... ) who wanted to control cost and the sport....

At that time there were a lot of French in the sport - drivers, teams and manufacturers...and sponsors, who had a lot of pull... Balestre was looking after their investment vs. drivers and teams... that is what was really going on. It would be impossible to say that there was not some nationalistic ferver with Prost etc... but that was not all. It was $$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

I know what you are reffering too. It still remains that JM Balestre was president of the French karting federation, then was elected to the presidency of the Federation Francaise de l'Auto mobile, so he must have enjoyed a fair degree of popularity in his country. The French tend to have selective memory, and Balestre delivered the renewal of motor racing in his country, which was in a terrible state in the early 60s, as I remember. He was also editor of l'Auto Journal that supported racing in France.
When he became president of FISA before it became the FIA, Balestre promoted French teams and drivers in F1 as much as he could. Several French drivers benefitted from his help to get a drive in foreign teams. Balestre was a terrific wheeler-dealer, that's no secret.

It's easy to see only one side of a man's story, but allow me to smile at the notion that nobody wanted to shake hand with him. After being punted by Senna at Suzuka, Prost rushed to the clerk of the course to have Senna who was still running, excluded. Balestre was contacted and agreed. That's the story, but maybe it wasn't related in the French press?

 

Balestre's Vichy Past came back to haunt him - through the other Nazi - Mosley. .... so it was all about control. and who got to Spend the $$$$.

in the end - yes, Balestre was not popular in France.. or anywhere... but in the 60's and 70's he and Lagardere were major wheeler dealers in getting Winfield set up , and getting Matra, Bonnet, and Renault into Racing. Elf, Total, Marchal. etc... all were part of the French assault on F-1 and LeMans. It worked pretty well too. Formula One has a lot to owe to Balestre and France for making F-1 what it is today. at one point in the early 80's France was the dominant nationality in the drivers. Laffite, Jabouille, Arnoux, Tambay, Pironi, Prost, Hensault, Alliot, Dalmas,Depallier, and a few more.. that I cant remember. the point is that very late 70's and early to mid 80's was a very French time in F-1.

 

N

Not much wrong with Hamilton driving on Sunday, but poor PR after the race.

He could have at least pretended he was concerned, to satisfy his detractors.

I agree with you about Clark, Stewart, Lauda and Prost.

 

You know in France the fact of being elected within a corporation is often disconnected from your own popularity. Corporatism and nepotism are the two main decision factors. This was also true for Balestre.

 

What was related about Balestre in the French press simply could not be related here; I smile everytime I here people alluding to max Mosley's "private activities" considering what Balestre actually did. He nejoyed trmendous support thanks to his wartime contacts, and especially the very influential Robert Hersant. Nothing to do with popularity, but a lot with "P & R", as defined on this forum.
Where people are wrong is when they think there was an actual "common intent" between Prost and Balestre; it doesn't mean than Balestre wouldn't occasionally make a favour to Prost, but that was not part of a plot, which only existed in Senna's paranoïd mind.

Most people on this forum who are not French tend to think that Prost was very popular here in France, but that is simply not true: he never was very popular after he "left" Renault (read: actually, was fired by Renault).
Alain seemed simply to be too much of a thinker, something that the French do not like; remember that Anquetil, who won the "Tour de France" five times, always was less popular than Raymond Poulidor, who never won it.
Senna was actually more popular even here than Alain ever was.

Rgds

 

...and Robert Hersant's money, but then we would be smack into "P&R"...

Rgds

 

Personally, I think it showed that he did/does feel responsible why else avoid it? I think he drove a good race - could have been great except for the accident. - clearly he would have had a better spot to chase Verstappen down... Horner is correct ... its one of the fastest corners ... no readh to risk it all there. Remember its the person passing who is responsible .... always has been - is today.

The British fans - find is so hard to critique one of their own is what I find really hard to understand. In the USA we have Sky race coverage... it was so blatent nationalistic... I just have to say really? is it that bad? they cant care for another competitor?

 

True
Prost was hated by a large part of the French and the very beginning started from the Grand Prix de France 1982 where Renault was unable to enforce the race instructions between Arnoux and Prost.
Prost suddenly became the villain because he publicly criticized the lack of firmness from Renault.
He was right, the lost points that day would have been very valuable for the championship in the end.
I believe in a few decades my compatriots will realize how much this pilot was immense.

 

I think there is a say in France that goes like this:

"Quand on veut noyer son chien, on dit qu'il a la rage."

It's very appropriate regarding Balestre. France immensely benefited from a man, who was repudiated in his old days.

 

Prost was very much in the British mould when it came to racing, that's why he became successful at McLaren and Williams.
He was very methodical, restrained and patient, never doing more than necessary.
There was no flamboyance in him, probably why he wasn't appreciated at home.

 

It proves my point: most French people preferred Senna over Prost. There never was any "French conspiracy" to have Prost win at all costs.

Rgds