I thought that everyone on here that will NOT like Hamilton until he signs for Ferrari, would like to see this. Lewis Hamilton landed at Heathrow on Monday afternoon, final destination still unknown. His father, and manager, Anthony is contemplating moving his son away from McLaren after the teams role in the liargate controversy which dominated the build-up to Sundays Malaysian Grand Prix. Hamilton Snr is still fuming at how the world champion came to deliberately mislead the stewards over his actions in the closing laps of the Australian race a week earlier. Lewis, along with McLaren sporting director Dave Ryan, who has been suspended and is expected to be paid off for his silence, lied about how Jarno Trulli of Toyota came to pass him under the safety car in Melbourne. Was Lewis merely following orders from McLaren to fabricate? Hamilton Snr maintains that he was. Could Lewis have stuck to his own moral code and defied the instruction? Hamilton Snr maintains that contractual obligations prohibited such defiance. Whatever conclusions you draw, the Hamiltons remain furious, and Lewiss future - if not immediately, then at the end of the season - is on a knife-edge, not least because his current McLaren car is desperately slow. Lewis, who will hold meetings at McLarens Woking HQ on Tuesday, is chastened by the experiences of last week, even if many believe that the emotional apology he issued on Friday owed more to being rumbled than to genuine remorse. Hamilton Snr is understood to be pondering whether to turn his back on McLaren, the team who supported Lewis through the ranks at an estimated cost of £5million, and switch to rivals less prone to shooting themselves in the foot. He has spoken to Max Mosley, the FIA president, more than once in the last few days to discuss the possibility even of Lewis quitting the sport or, at the very least, leaving McLaren. But their talks reflect sentiments which are hardly new to the Hamiltons - and, it should be noted, have previously led nowhere. The biggest stumbling block to engineering an escape route concerns where to place Lewis. Ferrari are favourites, if he can wriggle out of his five-year contract worth £75m, but they are currently as slow as McLaren. He is into his second year of the deal but various get-out clauses could cut his stay short. The same applies with Martin Whitmarsh, Hamiltons team boss. His fate will be discussed by the board of McLarens biggest shareholders, Mercedes, this week. Further punishment is also anticipated from the FIA, who are angry at the teams deceit. Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-1168117/The-exit-sign-Hamiltons-future-McLaren-knife-edge.html
They are looking for an excuse to shop elsewhere. This after prematurely signing a long term contract for less than what it should have been. My advice ? Give the Dad honorary big shot status and let a real manager handle Lewis's career. Saving 10% management fees over a double salary is false economy.
Jeezers - can these two please just stop TALKING in public? "I am not a liar, but I was forced to lie against my own will by CONTRACTURAL RULES???"
Lewis didn't say that - His dad did. However, I bet there are numerous clauses in his contract about what he can and can't say - It won't say "you will lie if we tell you to" but I bet there's "you will tow the company line" clauses. OTOH, Mclaren certainly bought him (LH) into "disrepute", and that can often nullify the contract - He could get out of it if he *really* wanted to. Cheers, Ian
Ian, I hear what you are saying. I too feel that we are seeing the tragedy of the best new talent in Formula One going right down the drain by the hands of an overactive "stage mom" and a morally bankrupt team. For the first time, I am thinking that Lewis needs to be out of MCL for the good of his future career.
Let LH quit F1 and go to NASCAR like JPM. JPM is the happiest man on earth now! Maybe now is the time of LH in NASCAR.
He'd better get rid of him as a manager. And if he ever leaves MCL, PLEASE not to Ferrari.... only if his team mate was Vettel. I think those two in equal cars might provide for interesting races. Thinking about it, it would be funny as hell if the everlasting Alonso rumours were true and we'd see them both in the same team again
First Alonso, now Hamilton. McLaren has become a very special place. As far as LH going to Ferrari, they'd be better off with Vettel IMHO.
I'm actually surprised he hasn't at least added a "real" manager - "Hey, dad, you're welcome at the races, but I've got to have a professional manager for obvious reasons".
I'd love to see LH driving the ferrari, BUT Mclaren have been so good to them, despite the recent turn of events. They made lewis hamilton rich and famous, not to mention the youngest world champion. They even turned their back on an arguably and much higher paid driver (alonso) to support lewis. All this should have earned them more than a few flaps in directing lewis' career. I'm sorry if I were him I wouldn't *****, I'd try to help the team in every way possible.
+1 They *made* him! Doesn't loyalty count for anything? [I guess you could make the argument that's why he "lied".....] Cheers, Ian
I think the second part of your post is the key. Caught up in the moment, his natural response was to follow the team's interpretation. Given time to stand back and reassess, I can see how he would start to question the integrity and leadership of a team so quick to offer up a deception to the stewards. Especially when it throws him under the microscope as well. I don't think it's one of those situations where "It's wrong because we got caught". Despite what I posted a few days ago, I can begin to see Hammy's reasons for viewing his team differently.
The impression I've gotten is that Hamilton Sr. is not particularly smart, way over his head and stupidly trying to ride his son's coattails. Lewis should leave all his career management to professionals and not some incompetent hack even if that hack happens to be his father.
I have wondered for a time now if Lewis has even awakened himself to the realization that his father has more than once gotten him into embarrasments? Or is he still deluding himself that it is him and his dad against all the rest of world?
Yes, it sounds like Anthony Hamilton is only Lewis's manger so that he can also live the 'life' because of Lewis. And at his expense.
Anthony Hamilton should STFU. I'm willing to believe the lie was a spur of the moment thing (since even a cursory review would expose the big holes in the story - namely that Lewis had already given a different account to the press), but to suggest that Lewis was harangued or forced into this by McLaren? Sorry Anthony, you doth protest too much. Your kid F-ed up just like McLaren F-ed up. Trying to adjust the blame equation from 50/50 to 80/20 after the fact just makes you look like a tool. He probably smells blood in the water and wants to get another pound of flesh out of McLaren. I agree that a professional manager would be better than your dad... I am not sure a family member can genuinely seperate themselves from the conflict of interest inherent in representing your own child.
On the other hand without his fathers support from the very beginning he might be working at a McDonald's now. He wouldn't be in an F1 car. That is a fact. His dad should do the honorable thing now and go out and find the oldest wisest rep out there.
