Lewis Hamilton: The champion it is mathematically impossible to like Lewis Hamilton: The champion it is mathematically impossible to like - Telegraph Lewis Hamilton is arguably Britain's most successful sportsman, so why is the three-time Formula One champion so disliked? Lewis Hamilton ensured he will take his place amongst the greats of Formula 1 with his third driver championship victory on Sunday night. The triumph means he now joins an elite band of drivers to have won Formula One's top prize on three separate occasions - joining other luminaries such as Ayrton Senna, Michael Schummacher. The Brit is hailed by many as the greatest driver of his generation, but to many ordinary sports fans the Mercedes driver's achievements on four wheels are marred by his less than endearing personality traits. The 30-year-old's playboy lifestyle has meant the British sporting public has never truly taken Hamilton to their hearts. Even as Hamilton revelled in the glory of yesterday's championship win, he managed to taint the feat of the achievement with the ill-advised decision to throwing a podium cap at Nico Rosberg in a playful-cum-provocative piece of mischief. Will we ever truly be able to one-day call Hamilton a national treasure, or will he forever be far too annoying to endear himself to the British public? Here's a watertight assessment of Lewis Hamilton, starting with his more admirable qualities. His charity work A clear +1 in the pros column. After finishing a grueling race in 90 per cent humidity, Hamilton would have been forgiven for insisting on boarding his champagne-laden private plane as quick as humanly possible. However - despite no contractual obligations to do so - the then McLaren driver stayed on in India to volunteer his time and effort to visit deprived children in the country's slums on behalf of Unicef. "I'm staying here for a couple of days to do some work with Unicef in India," Hamilton said. "I'm taking a flight tomorrow to an outskirts area to raise awareness of some of the hospitals out here and the malnutrition of some of the kids. His generosity Hamilton's philanthropy is a part of his life that is often under-played - not by him of course. Hamilton has used his considerable F1 earnings to financailly support no less than four charities: including Great Ormond Street hospital, Unicef, The Honeypot Chidlren's Chairty and Children of Africa. "I want to do more, helping charities, helping young kids," Hamilton said on his philanthropic ambitions. "I went to a Samuel L Jackson Foundation event the other day, and then a cancer charity event. It takes nothing out of our lives to help bring attention to these things." Another plus. Two points for Lewis! His unarguable greatness British sporting champions are few and far between at the moment. Our national teams have fallen hopelessly short across recent World Cups in cricket, rugby and football. His third world championship victory means he now joins the great Jackie Stewart as the only British driver to hold three drivers championships. Add another love point! Three in total, then. But... Here's a run-down of the more objectionable aspects of his character... His tax-avoiding dwellings Hamilton resides in the tax haven of Monte Carlo having previously lived in Switzerland, which has a similarly relaxed attitude towards what rich people must do with their money. While it's not uncommon for Formula One drivers in particular to take up residence in Monaco, Hamilton has been accused of forgetting his roots altogether. When describing his hometown of Stevenage, called the Hertfordshire suburb "a not-so-great place". There's a nagging feeling that Hamilton doesn't care a great deal for where he came from. That's a clear minus in many people's eyes. His irritatingly glamorous life Hamilton has gone from humble go-karting prodigy to a bleach-blonde-haired fashionista. His Instagram page reads like a infinite timeline of boastful name-dropping. Frim William Smith of Fresh Prince of Belair fame... To Nicki Minaj To Kanye of West... To disgraced hotel caretaker Jack Nicholson, Hamilton's list of showbiz pals are as galling as they are impressive. A combination of distaste for overt bragging and outright jealousy means British sports fans prefer their heroes humble. Only David Beckham is able to enjoy an overtly high-end lifestyle while still receiving universal adoration. But it's still 3-2 in Lewis's favour. His questionable musical aspirations If there's one thing that does not scream grounded, it's tipping yourself for stardom in the world of hip-hop. Earlier this year Hamilton was reported to be in talks with rap-mogul Jay-Z over the potential for a future record deal. Now, we're not suggesting there's anything wrong with Hamilton's musical ambitions, but we've had sportsmen switching codes to music before, and it didn't end well for anybody: His apparent lack of grace This is the big one. During his Formula One career Hamilton has fallen out with team-mates and rivals alike. His relationship with fellow Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg is so fraught that the pair barely speak to each other, choosing instead to trade in petulant catty remarks. And hat-throws: The former McLaren driver seems to find it impossible to win - or lose - with any morsel of grace. Even when things go swimmingly for the 30-year-old, he somehow manages to turn victory into scandal with his over-exuberant behaviour: almost spraying a podium hostess to death with champagne after his Chinese Grand Prix triumph in April. A final look at the trait tally makes it 4-3 on the side of "NO, LEWIS". Therefore, it's still fine and correct to dislike Hamilton, despite his relentless winning. The science behind this character assessment may be questionable, but what is definite is that Hamilton will continue to divide opinion, no matter how many world titles he adds to his Monte Carlo cabinet.
the biggest problem I have with Hamilton is he doesn't drive for ferrari if he did I wouldn't care if he ate babies for breakfast
I am not a big Hamilton fan (as some might know ) but even I have to admit that this article is dump...Most likely the guy who wrote this article never exchanged a single word with Hamilton but still he thinks to know what he is talking about... A question to the British forum members: what sort of newspaper is the Telegraph? What are their normal readers? I remember same stuff with Schumacher back then in Germany. The "intellectual" magazine tried to talk him down as he was no Goethe or Mozart, the magazines for the people on the streets praised him...
He will drive for then if vettel doesn't win in the next two to three years. Congrats lewis. You deserve it
No no no not at Ferrari, his irritating bs would destroy any balance in the team. I'd think it much more fun for Ferrari to develop the best car and watch the Elton self destruction show when he isn't winning and resorts back to type and starts bumper cars with the mid-pack
+1 His negative points are mostly out of pure jealousy, like the tax residence. Residing in a place like Monaco when you travel as much as an F1 driver just makes so much sense. Not only financially, but also privacy wise. If he still lived in the UK there would be buses full of reporters and fans waiting outside his door, or anywhere he went in public people would be asking for autographs. Being famous would get old quick, I reckon. +1 Vettel is a perfect fit IMO. And I think he's here to stay, especially if things keep moving in the right direction, I can see him being on board for the next 6 years, if not more.
It's a shame that Hamilton will not be driving for Ferrari alongside Vettel, as it would settle once and for all who is better. Can only be done when they're in the same car.
