Video: Lewis Hamilton looks forward to the season

The headline pretty much says it all.

While Ed's winging his way Down Under, here's a snappy interview with the boy wonder.

Video courtesy of Vodafone Teamcast

Comments

[B Cave]

So good to see Lewis with a decent, nice teammate for a change, one who is competitive, but not a spoilt, unreasonable prima donna.

[CHIUNDA]

Hekki thinks Lewis is the best team mate he could have at the moment - interesting comment - i am curious to see how that relationship develops - although most likely Alonso is an exception rather than the norm and all should b well come end of the season.

[xeron]

I think they will get along with each other, in any case if Lewis keeps the first position I'm sure there will be absolutly no problem between them.
Interesting comment from kovalainen: aparently he's going to try beat Lewis.

[Elba]

These two guys are the perfect team!

[Felipe]

I wonder how many extra laps will Hamilton steal of Heikki this year, and then we'll see how happy he is. But then Heikki's contribution is not comparable to Alonso's, therefore he will expect less. It's a simple rule of how much you get versus how much you give. Hamilton was very happy last year because he gave little but took lots!!!!

[Anon]

Quick technical question for Mr. Gorman:

Is this newspaper TimesOnline owned in any way by Rupert Murdoch? I would really like to know, please.

[Anon]

Noting better than a little propaganda movie.

Seems like Heikki only cares about beating Lewis. It also seems like Dennis is going to stay at McClaren.

Bring on the soap opera.

Meanwhile Nelson Piquet says he will not try to beat Alonso because he does not want to commit suicide (his words). Now there's a good rookie. Learn, than apply.

[Chu yen]

Too much HAmilton centered this blog MR Ed. If Hamilton (some one who didn't win anything) wouldn't exist, what would you do? Too much noise for no one (until now), would say Shakespeare although in other words.
Anyway too much pages and letters for nothing. Good luck, Raiko: at the end they will confess you are the best.

[Gary]

Welcome to sunny Australia anyway Ed, hope the fosters is cold enough for you?

CHU YEN, you do realise this is an English newspaper do you not? and that Hamilton is English? Just checking.

I have got a good feeling about this season, I think Hamilton is in a wonderful position to prove all the doubters wrong and win the championship in fine style. I have not looked forward to a new season as much as this for quite a few years.

[Jean]

It is funny to read comments from F1 fans that do not know anything about this sports at all. Well, it is no surprise, if we consider that the F1 specialist journalist (Mr Gorman) is a complete ignorant when talking about F1

[IDR]

CHU YEN,

This is a blog managed by a journalist who is one of the bigger fans of L Hamilton. Yes, I know, that in some ocassions is a litle boring to hear so much about L Hamilton, but I think he writes much more about L Hamilton in the newspaper than here.

In fact, this is the first thread dedicated to L Hamilton and I think has not been published by him, but by someone else.

GARY

Sorry man, this is not an English newspaper, this is a blog, published in the “world wide web” and then directed to everybody in the world.

Anyhow I envy you are there, and I am just in the antipodal, having to wake up very early to watch the race!

[B Cave]

I'm sick of the anti-Hamilton comments on here. Ed has so far done more interviews and articles on Raikkonen, but nobody criticises that. Yet just put a short video up about Lewis, and the nastiness starts. And all the predictions are vicious too, saying that once Kovy starts beating Lewis, Lewis will throw strops. I think that is one thing Lewis won't do, as I get the impression he likes competition in order to drive him further. Both Lewis and Heikki are decent guys, unlike some in F1. I read in another blog that someone would like to like Raikkonen to "wipe the smile off Lewis's face". That is what he has to face all the time - no other driver faces such hatred (and we all know why, don't we Chiunda?). I really hope Lewis blows away the competition this year, and not because he's English and I'm Engish, but because he really deserves it!

I think the only way to keep the Lewis haters happy would be to ignore him totally, Ed, pretend he’s not there. Then if he wins a race, say it’s because he a. cheated, b. the car has Ferrari parts so it’s not really valid, c. he blocked another driver and should be disqualified, or d. the FIA fixed it for him; or any combination of the above. Then I think some of the posters on here will be satisfied.

[Gary]

IDR,

Sorry man, this may be a blog on the WWW, but it is hosted and paid for in London, England by the Times Newspaper.

So please nobody complain if it seems a little biased towards Lewis Hamilton.

[Jean]

B Cave, the truth is that almost nobody in boxes can stand Lewis. He has little to do with the rest of the drivers. And the fact that almost no driver can bear him is just Lewis' fault. As you said,no other driver faces such hatred, and that must be because of himself (it's not always the other's fault).

I hope Lewis will someday win a title, so then he will be able to behave as he does now. Now he talks as a F1 winner who has won nothing (funny enough!)

[JoseBelgica]

Ed,
Why don't you change the "F1 Blog" title to "Lewis Hamilton Blog" ?

[CHIUNDA]

B Cave you couldn't be more right.

There seems to be four major groups of fans on this blog - (i) Pro Alonso, who are very vocal and nationalistic; (ii)Pro Kimi - who just want Kimi to win another title whichever way he can; (iii) Pro Schumacher fans - who can't move on and (iv)Anti-Hamilton fans who are most vocal, bitter and almost professional tantrum throwers.

The rest of us are not even allowed to get a word in sideways - and i just discovered the owner of the blog has been bundled along with the rest of us.

Nonetheless, i note with much tribulation Ed's observation elsewhere that machine-wise, Ferrari look like they will blow McLaren away - well, right there lies the opportunity for Lewis to prove that he can deliver in inferior (albeit only slightly) machinery. Has he learnt anything from 2007? Has he matured since Brazil? Will he go for WDC rather than glory? Is his skill really something special as some of believe it is? - the answers are now just a few days away.

For me, my mental sound effects are rising to a fever pitch.

[B Cave]

Jean, Lewis went on week's holiday with Nico Rosberg after the Malaysian Grand Prix and they had a great time according to Nico, and there are loads of pictures of him with other drivers in GP2 and Formula 3 - including Heikki, Robert Kubica and Adrian Sutil. I don’t know why you said he has little to do with the other drivers – don’t you mean some of them have little to do with him? I think the hatred (what a strong horrid word) is based on another reason than his obviously pleasant personality. Someone said on here that people don't hate LH, but I've now read at least 2 posters who say they do, which proves me right on that point. Actually, Lewis won 4 F1 GPs last year plus was champion of all the F1 feeder categories, so he has won quite a lot, so you're wrong there too. Don't you know anything about racing? I've had the privilege of meeting LH and he was such a warm lovely guy and spent time with all his fans.

I've yet to see pictures of the other F1 drivers all partying together while Lewis puts his nose up in a corner. You must be living in a fantasy world.

[Ptm]

Wow I'm amazed how some many of the people that comment on this blog have inside information about what’s going on in the boxes and know every driver/team personally and so intimately. Maybe, as they know them that well, they should focus on their positive comments and opinions as they are starting to make them sound a bit malicious.

[D]

^

In all that's been written everywhere about how Lewis will be "suffering the disadvantage of inexperience at setting up a Formula One car" it should not be forgotten that Heikki spent the whole of 2006 testing and setting up the Renault - and very quick he was in it, too; often as quick as Fernando.

It would have been nice to see Pedro de la Rosa in the clip, as well.

[Victor]

I do not mind at all if a LH video is placed right now, before the season starts.It is normal since he was last years championship best rookie&news along with FA.

And please, this is a British newspaper, it is NORMAL that is so focused on LH.

I´m spanish, I read spanish media, and they are so focused on FA.

That´s the way it works!.

And yes!, this season is gonna be really really exciting!!!.

[xeron]

Victor's got the point.
About vicious predictions...somebody said Lewis deserve to win, well, he is one of my favourites, but you have to prove it.I mean, you deserve it at the end of the season, not before. Am I wrong?

[PF from Valencia]

Interesting comment from Kovalainen: says Hamilton is "a great guy" and "easy to get on with".

One wonders why Alonso found it so hard to get along with Hamilton...

[Jean]

B Cave, do you really know LH? I don't mean just as a fan, when he plays his best role, but as a driver, as a guy, as someone you see almost everyday. I do. And I know how's the other drivers' relationship with him (and his manager-father). As I said, ALMOST no driver can bear him, though he tries to act humble and be nice with everyone when a camera is near.

I'm not saying that this way of behaving is good or bad (I could care less about it), but this is the way he is and some people like it and some other don't (most people don't),

[B Cave]

Jean, you haven't convinced me about what you know. You just sound like a frothing-at-the-mouth Lewis-hater. Good luck wallowing in your loathing - I shall just be enjoying the F1 season, cheering on the lovely fellow and looking forward to meeting him again at Brooklands this year.

[Jean]

Wow!!! B Cave, you really sound so much in love with him...so nice! Anyway, I wasn't trying to convince you about anything, that's not my job. I'm a correspondent, that's why I know the ins and outs about F1 in depth. Sometimes I like writing here to give a different point of view about what is going on, as sometimes Ed's comments and articles are too biased or too poor (other times I agree with him).

[CHIUNDA]

Jean

You state categorically that you know Lewis very well on a day to day basis - in that role can you stand Lewis? If not, why - give details? When you say other drivers don't like Lewis, can you give details and reasons? Why don't they like Lewis? Is he rude, foul-mouth, abusive, a drunk, a bully - what is it really that makes them hate him?

Give us these details then we can try and validate them - otherwise, as of now, you just sound like any other Lewis-hater who has no reason for hating him other than that his name is Lewis.

I remember last year in the interviews just before the Brazilian grand prix a French lady journalist lambasting Lewis for apologizing all the time - what at a paradox - you'd think most rational people would consider politeness a virtue - not that French journalist.

[CHIUNDA]

Jean

Interesting - you are a correspondent - when i posted earlier i was not aware of that fact - as a matter of fact you had not posted your reply to BC. Nonetheless, your job places you in a stronger position to give us the dirty details about Lewis, don't you think? So, let's have it.

[A Parker]

Chiunda
I think Lewis has a little forked tail and horns hidden under his Vodafone McLaren hat. He and his evil father probably torture small furry animals for fun. And he grins whenever the camera is on him, but he instinctively knows when it's not so he can resume his evil ways. What a shocker!

[Dean Rodrigues]

When a link to "Video: Lewis Hamilton looks forward to the season" came up on my Google Reader, I immediately predicted that:

- the first few posts will comment on the video, and objectively on Lewis (thereby presenting him, in general, in a positive light).
- this will be followed by some ridiculous posts that simply slag off Lewis either for no good reason, or based on thinly-veiled Pro-Alonso thinking.
- the above will be mixed with comments criticising this blog or Ed for either favouring LH, or posting too much about LH - something to this effect.
- within a few more posts, it will have degenerated into a Lewis vs. Anti-Lewis slagging match with nationalist undertones.

Strange how predictable these comments are getting...

[Jean]

Chiunda, I'm not here to gossip about anyone. What it is clear is that Lewis (his father and his protector Ron) is not very esteemed by anyone (pilots, engineers, press...). I don't know the other's reasons, but personally (and that's the common feeling among the french journalists here - I'm french by the way) I think he's a good driver (yet to demonstrate what he can do in F1) but his tricks are not too fair (denouncing his own team-mate - remember Monaco, going against his team's interests for not doing the things the way he wants - remember Monaco & Hungary...if we don't talk about his father's "mysterious movements"). And that hostility is perceived everywhere in the box (just take a look at all the drivers when they meet for a picture or go on the parade...who's talking to Lewis? Just the same one or two...)

[B Cave]

Jean
You and your cronies sound like nasty, jealous, bitter pieces of work, which only confirms what a great guy Lewis is if he is disliked by such as you. You pick out examples to beat Lewis over the head with a stick, but ignore everything else the others do. And to cast aspersions on his marvellous, dedicated, hard-working, decent father - words fail me!

[CHIUNDA]

I appreciate the desire to not want to gossip but all the things you mention about Lewis i have seen worse from Schumacher for example, yet MS doesn't seem to suffer so much bad publicity from non-German journalists as Lewis does from non-British journalists.

Remember when MS shoved Barichello aside in Monaco when they had agreed before hand - i didn't see much demonizing press about that as i am hearing about Lewis. Interestingly, MS never even bothered to be nice to RB later. You could say MS was a 7 time WDC and deserved some respect - but look how the press is being nice to Rookie Piquet today, or how it was supportive of Vettel in Japan in 2007. Why wasn't this support given to Lewis in 2007? Instead Lewis got lambasted for Vettel crashing Webber - how good could it get for rookie Vettel?

As for the Alonso-Lewis fiasco, it would appear the problem was occasioned by Ron's problems with Alonso rather than Alonso having an issue with Lewis (as evidenced in the undertones to the question he was asked yesterday in the press conference). Ron would appear to have used Lewis to humiliate Alonso - did you expect Lewis to stick it up to his mentor of 10 years? Unlikely.

Give the poor kid a break. He was between a rock and a hard place so he chose where his bread is buttered.

[D]

^

Merçi, Jean. Mais il me semble que Felipe a un bon rapport avec Lewis, oui?

If one's looking for reasons why people hate Lewis, I'd reckon that one or more of these are at the heart of it:

1) He's quicker than they are.

2) He makes less mistakes than they do.

3) He (now) gets paid more than they do.

4) He hit the ground running in his first season in Formula One and upset the established pecking order by beating people's idols - in some cases humiliatingly.

5) Like all the great ones he also makes what others find hard to do look easy. He's shown up the deficiencies of a lot of people who thought they had it made and no longer look so good.

6) He is regarded as having shown insufficient deference and respect to his double-world champion team-mate. (Do I hear echoes of Senna and Prost?)

7) What he achieved caused chaos to the carefully-plotted and expensively-funded plans of sponsors other than his own - and, indeed, to some of his own sponsors that had also invested heavily in Fernando Alonso.

8) He couldn't be tarred with involvement in the so-called "spying scandal".

9) He hasn't done anything else he can be tarred with, either - very frustrating for some.

10 - to bigots only) He is not white.

11 - to bigots only) He is not Spanish.

12 - to bigots only) He is British.

Perhaps. above all, because he's going to win world championships and they aren't.

Certainly there's jealousy at him having had McLaren pick up all the bills over the last ten years that they had to bust a gut and sell their souls to pay. But McLaren did so because Ron Dennis knew he was better than they were.

So you'd better add to this::

13) Because he made Ron Dennis look smart for having found and invested in him.

In summary, then, it's probably 85% jealousy, 14% frustration and 1% bigotry.

The press-room hated Nigel Mansell, too, and did all they could too blacken his image. Even now, Mansell is given scandalously little respect for his tremendous performances behind the wheel.

They hated Jenson Button when he achieved early success but everyone loves him now that he’s been seen to be struggling for so long with cars that are dogs.

(Sorry all that’s about English drivers; I advance it because Lewis is an English driver, so it’s easier to make the comparisons.)

The one cloud on Lewis's horizon is that when you start at the top there's only one way, sooner or later, to go - and it isn't up. And, boy will they savage him when he starts to slide and they can get their teeth into him. What packs do to deposed Alpha Males is not kind nor pretty to watch.

It shouldn't be forgotten that people didn't begrudge Michael Schumacher his magnificent Ferrari and his seven world championships because even those who didn't like him recognised that he'd put in all the hard work to earn them - he was seen as entitled to his reward when it came.

Me, I wish Lewis Hamilton well and I hope he soon becomes a top cat. He may have bent the Armco a little at Ste-Devote but the way he could dance that McLaren through the swimming pool complex at full-bore in Monaco last year promises remarkable things to come.

But I never met Lewis personally and most who encounter Heikki like him as much as I do.

[B Cave]

Brilliant comment, D. Says it all!

[IDR]

D,

I love reading your comments because are extraordinarily well written. But in this case, I’m afraid that you have used a lot of lines just to explain something obvious for everybody, (well, almost everybody):

If somebody hates a person who never met with, is just… (D please, put here the adjective you choose, I relay on your criteria for doing this.)

Said this, I don’t like L Hamilton despite he is an excellent driver, and I don’t like it basically because the circumstances in which he has been involved last year.

Maybe I’m wrong, who knows, but is equally difficult for me to explain why I loved seeing Nigel Mansell at the track (The Lion’s heart!), or why I never liked Alain Prost.

But I’m not pretending the rest of the world agrees with me on this. Who cares? It’s just my “personal and no transferable” opinion about that. But I hope nobody telling me what should I like, and what don’t.

For bigots only:

a) I’m not Black

b) I’m not English

c) I’m Spanish

d) I love the wine, the ham, the pit babes, the MACs, the BMW, and the old Austin Healy “The Pig” (I’m still trying to convince my wife to buy one, but she always find another priority for expending our savings!)

For the rest:

Thank you for showing an extraordinary patient with my poor English.

[D]

^
B Cave >

Thank you for your gracious compliment.

There is, you know, one particular note in Jean’s informed posting which does ring an alarm bell that it would perhaps be wise for you to consider.

You leapt to the defence of Anthony Hamilton but have you ever actually met him? If not, what do you actually know about him apart from what television has presented to you?

The Hamilton phenomenon arrived shortly after I was involved in Formula One sufficiently to meet him directly; I’ve only watched him drive (trackside).

What I do know - from direct experience - is that the Formula One media spends a great deal of time studying and discussing everything that moves, trying to assess what’s going on so that they don’t make fools of themselves on television or in print!

So, when one of them reinforces my own perceived hunch that there is perhaps something not wonderfully healthy about Anthony Hamilton’s current role in the whole scenario, now it’s reached Formula One, my instinct is to listen.

You should know me well enough by now to realise that this has nothing to do with his race or colour - issues which I know concern you deeply.

It is about the change that takes place in every family as the cherished and lovingly nurtured offspring achieves maturity, shakes itself down, spreads its wings and builds a life of its own. The role of the parent, anxious to cling on, after all it has invested, becomes awkward and potentially problematical.

Perhaps the greatest thing that happened to Lewis Hamilton last year is that he graduated from being a protected child to a high-achieving man. How Lewis and his father deal with that change is up to them, but they are doing it in the glare of one of the most powerful spotlights in the world.

Gifted with an outstanding talent, Lewis Hamilton has to build an independent life of his own and shake off, as gently and as sensitively as possible, the paternal authority which was lovingly applied to him, for his own protection, for two decades but is now an encumbrance.

That’s a transition that was hard enough for all of us to make in our own quiet lives; can you imagine how hard it must be with the whole world watching you?

(N’est ce pas Jean?)

All I ask is that you think about that before you take issue with those who are observing it first hand, at close quarters, and can form a more insightful opinion than those who are not directly present, themselves. (Like you and I).

Perhaps the departure of Ron Dennis, when it happens, will result in the role of Anthony Hamilton in and around McLaren being tactfully redefined.

Re-reading what I wrote before, I notice that I omitted to mention the divided view of the international press over Damon Hill, who suffered the same tribulations. Ironic, really, because I used to give Graham Hill’s dad (a stockbroker, a very nice man and a true gentleman) a lift to the British Grand Prix every year. We’d part in the paddock and go off and do our own respective things during the day before meeting up in the evening and stopping off for a pint or two in a country pub on the way home! He didn’t hang around in the BRM or (in later years) the Lotus pit, interfering in everything. He’d toddle off to the Dog House Club (run by Bette Hill) and keep out of everybody’s way as he proudly watched his son dice for the lead. He was a different type of man.

^
IDR >

Thank you also for your kind comment.

The word(s) you asked me to supply is/are “blind prejudice”.

I think it’s important to separate the issues involved. I liked Damon Hill personally (for reasons indicated above; I knew his dad and his grandad!) but my heart rode with Michael Schumacher because he (like Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell but not Alain Prost) could do that extra special thing with a racing car that we discussed in another thread.

Your wife is wise about the Austin Healey, trust her! They’re rust-prone money-pits and (with no power-steering) serious hard work to drive. Have you thought about a Lotus Elan? (Fibre-glass and infinitely more fun to drive - one of Colin Chapman’s masterpieces; how’s that for a Formula One connection?!)

^
Ed >

Sorry this is long - I’m using it to keep me awake for the qually (of COURSE I’m going to watch it live; how could I not???!)

Do, please, ask Sir JYS his view on Heikki at the honoured breakfast, tomorrow. Also about Robert, Nico and Renault/Fernando? Thank you for your indulgence.

Any thoughts about Pedro de la Rosa’s appointment to the GPDA? (A charming and honourable Spaniard whom I, personally, admire greatly.)

Lewis Hamilton is doing himself no favours by snubbing the GPDA (and his colleague Pedro), whatever spin he puts on that decision for the media. Some might see it as snubbing all of them.

I’m sure Jean would agree.

(Kimi, of course, just can’t be bothered.)

Well, looks like the moment to log on to Live Timing has now finally arrived... Can't wait to see it! And then to read your comment on it!