I for one, will throw 10K Ferrari's way when they release a Hamilton spec car. Ill spring for an Amalgam. And of course I want a metal poster and other various merch. Ferrari is going to print money with this move. If Hamilton wins a race? Elkann may have made the move of the century.
It looks like some people here look at F1 in business terms. I consider that true F1 enthusiasts should only be interested in what happens on the track.
Top teams have always pursued sponsorship and and championships. It's possible do both. Ferrari hiring Sir Lewis Hamilton does not mean, the only goal is business. Ferrari has never done this. I don't understand why some think Ferrari has changed the curse of history to only have one goal. You can still have two goals at once. Ferrari hiring Sir Lewis Hamilton says the goal is business AND championships.
I think you are totally wrong on that account !! For years, Ferrari took Philip Morris money and let them dictate how the Scuderia should be run: it became a marketing outlet making $millions but bringing poor results in performance terms and becoming a boiling cauldron with high turnover of staff. That's why Ferrari hasn't been winning a championship since ...2008, because making money has become more important to them than track success which requires passion and lots of effort. The attitude of the owners (Exxor) is quite revealing: they want to among the most exclusive luxury brands, first and foremost, and, as long as they are still a top team and in the photo finish in F1 for advertising purpose, they are contented.
Good lord. He (Toto) has been paying A LOT of people (not just George and Lewis) for the last 3 years and not getting much in return. Since the start of the 2022 season, is M-B lack of results George/Lewis' fault or the M-B designers/aero experts/etc? Certainly we're seeing now that George and especially Lewis are VERY capable of fighting for wins. Did George suddenly get faster? Did Lewis get his "mojo" back? The answer to both is NO. The freakin' car got a lot better. How do you not KNOW that...seriously? The generally accepted standard in 2024 in Formula One is that it's 90% car and 10% driver...got a bad car, you're not accomplishing ANYTHING, no matter how great you are as a driver.
If we're not going to talk about Lewis in this thread than why post here. And if we are going to talk about Lewis "deserving more respect," I would hope that after 3 years and 17 weeks, the thread would now be exhausted and there is nothing more to say about the matter. For those who feel Lewis somehow deserves more than he already has, why don't each of you send him money?
He has, unfortunately ; believe me, I have already raised the point. To me, it destroys his credibilty, makes him just a worshipper with zero "esprit critique"; why not shine his shoes, or else? Rgds
Max looking not much like Superman of late hitting the kerbs as the car was weak in that regime. Car much more than driver now. Its been that way for years in F1!
I've always said he was waaaay overrated- as proven you put him in dirty air with cars around him and he freaks out and cries like a baby- Pathetic
Excellent!!!! Some of us have been saying for years that it wasn’t all Lewis and that it was mostly the car. Having to constantly hear his fan club say it was all 100% his God like skills and had little to do with the car was insufferable. I’m glad to see at least one Hamilton fan admits all of his success is due to 90% his car and only 10% of his ability. Lol, or did you throw that “2024” in there just to CYA?
Well, I have been steadfast in my view of ANY driver’s success in F1. Anyone that thinks Max was THAT much better than the field last year is an idiot. The RB was THAT much better. PS. I have never thought it was “all Lewis”. For years, the M-B was clearly the best car, and Lewis deserves credit for HIS consistancy. But make no mistake…in modern F1, no car, no title! That said, it takes a lot of things beyond the best car to win (see McLaren!!)
Actually I can't remember the last time before this that I did visit it. I did this time out of curiosity to see if there was something new. When I saw that there wasn't anything new being discussed, I had to wonder why people keeping the thread alive.
I dont know man. I think Max looked pretty incredible at Spa. Demolishes everyone in qualifying. Was 1.5 seconds faster than everyone in his opening wet flying lap. The Red Bull setup was definitely better for a wet track than dry, but Max goes from 11th to 5th on a day where nobody can pass and finishes 9 seconds off the lead. Lewis had much fresher tires, looked to be in top form, and couldn't even make a lunge on George. Oscar was fastest guy on track by 7 tenths a lap and couldn't do anything in dirty air. Perez goes from 2nd to 8th, 34 seconds behind Max. If he started on pole, he quite possibly wins that race despite being in the 3rd best car in his own hands.
I appreciate that. You are however one of the very few to admit that very basic fact. For years now the majority of his fans have been saying the car had absolutely nothing to do with his wins/legacy. It was all just the GOAT. If anyone dare question that fact they were relentlessly blasted and labeled a "hater" or "racist". Till this day on social media it remains primarily a rabid hoard of fanatics claiming it's all Lewis and zero car. I think it's that very attitude that has caused such controversy and such hate/division on Lewis in general. In my over 30 years of being an F1 fan they are IMO the most insufferable group of fanatics beyond reasoning with. Even Senna fans don't come as close and they can at times be just as nutty.
The real race in F1 occurs back at the factory. Then every 2-3 weeks they get together to see who is making forward progress faster. The Race in F1 has little to do with the race track itself.
You have to understand that for many, Hamilton is more than a sportsman, more than a successful driver, or a world champion, but, because of his origins a role model. Many came to watch F1 because of Hamilton, the first successful mixed-race driver. He broke all records. He drew the crowds, increased the TV audience and put bums on seat in many places. He has a lot of followers. He also attracted a lot of detractors because of who he is. His activism wasn't well received, his lifestyle criticised, etc ... Hamilton didn't fit in the mould of F1 drivers.He didn't respect traditions; he spoke his mind. His success was questionned. This is a world where everybody is supposed to have an opinion on everything, right ?
Hamilton's views and activism only started to come in the mid to late 2010's before that he was playing the political/corporate game nicely (not saying that in a good or a bad way) but aside his girlfriends he was fairly quiet. It is true that a lot of celebrities once they gain a level of success gain some social and environmental conscience, maybe what happened to him
See it all the time. People hit a certain level of success/stardom and start to believe their own hype thereby inflating their own self importance. They then are surrounded by sycophants who never disagree or question them so they believe they are always right.
