Formula 1 Qualifying F1

Hamilton = You can't buy popularity or respect, you earn it . But he does n't realise this. People see him for what he is . A total tw4t .

conaero said:

Bet Hamilton is not too happy this morning? Things might not go all his own way next season with a new team mate.

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If, and I believe he will, Lewis signs a contract and returns to F1 in 2021, it will be alongside Bottas and not Russell.

As for who his teammate will be in 2022, I expect it will be Russell.

For a man who has reached the pinnacle of F1, I believe that Lewis will be focussing on his legacy within and beyond the sport. He may wish to be seen to hand over that baton to a successor, and so may wish to race alongside Russell.

Lewis may be happier to see someone with a world view closer to his own be the next great thing rather than Verstappen whose views/comments may privately irk Lewis.

I think Lewis' ambitions are greater than F1 and the contract negotiations will be very different to what normal drivers consider.

Whether he leaves Mercedes for a final fling with another team may be determined by whether he feels Mercedes is the right vehicle for him to achieve that, e.g. can he achieve more in his quest for greater racial equality by remaining a Mercedes brand ambassador or having a role within the team like Lauda did, or free of Mercedes' shackles (which was of course a big reason why he left Dennis and McLaren although I never felt he did not respect Dennis or was not grateful for his support).

No other brand in F1 offers him that platform in my view, with the possible exception of Red Bull.

He may feel he can only achieve those aspirations outside of F1 completely.

He may feel that F1 can demonstrate that a true meritocracy is only achieved with diversity.

The sad reality is that in the most visible positions, i.e. drivers, TPs, race engineers , F1 in 2021 will be less diverse than it was at the start of 2020.

Perez will be out, or at best have replaced Albon (and remember hispanics are a prejudiced minority in the US), Nikita Mazepin is in, Claire Williams is out and I think Monisha Kaltenborn was an acceptably capable TP, and Tsunoda does not look like he will get a 2021 drive but should be well placed for 2022.

And the reality is that whatever happens, Lewis is in the last 4-5 years of driving and possibly less. Look at the absence of non-white rich kids in the lower formulae currently and there is no one to replace him. F1 becomes a predominantly white sport again.

For all his faults, and his antiquated views, Bernie's prejudices usually faded away if enough money and/or talent was thrown at the problem.

Liberty would be more than happy to have more diversity on the grid, but how is that achieved?

Lewis may well want to take on this mantle, maybe even start his own team or 'acquire' the Mercedes team to try and embed that culture change.

Do I like Lewis? Not particularly, I rooted for Nico to beat him. I cringe at the gushing thanking of the fans and the team at the end of races.

Do I respect him? Yes. He has got stronger over the years, being free of the disruptive influence of Nico defintely has helped. Lewis needs a centred environment to achieve his best, not necessarily an environment centred around him. He needs a family around him, whether actual in terms of his father and Scherzinger in the early days or professional in terms of Wolff and Lauda in his autumn years.

Is he subject of criticism simply because he is at the top of the pile? Yes, in the same way that Mansell was berated or Damon Hill and Jenson Button's single WDC achievements were chipped away at by some over the years.

But is some of that criticism borne out of racial prejudice as well? Certainly in some quarters.

It never helps that Jackie Stewart does not revere Lewis as a driver in the same way he does Jim Clark or Jochen Rindt. Is it prejudice or simply because Lewis did not race in the same era as Stewart's lost friends? I don't know the man well enough to know that answer.

But there will be some racist people who will see Stewart's failure to acknowledge Lewis as deserving of his respect as to justify their own prejudices. And certain UK printed press will feed those trolls too.

Oneball said:

I don’t think it’s PR I think it’s the press and the whole industry. It’s the middle aged white establishment, it’s us lot and I genuinely believe whether it’s conscious or not the **** he gets is racist and it’s not warranted.

The thing is that the press makes out he’s unpopular, people here say he’s unpopular and don’t like him but go find an 18 year old and they all think he’s amazing, he’s not unpopular but the press pick on him, we pick on him, the sport picks on him. Search for articles about him being 7 time world champion and almost all of them are about why he’s not that good.

He is one of only 3 world champions who have genuinely bypassed the usual level of partisanship that exists among fans but again the press doesn’t reflect that.

I think he dresses like a tit but then I think most people under 40 dress like tits. But Schumacher wore some terrible clothes and the media didn’t comment on it.

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I didn’t believe this until this year but since he started talking about racism it’s actually become obvious he’s right. The TV and press was full of F1 establishment saying he shouldn’t be saying it. Either he was wrong and there was no racism (they’re all white) or that F1 wasn’t the place for it (many of them campaigned for issues during their time as drivers).

The big thing I think we all should take from the Black Lives Matter movement is that instead of immediately denying that something has a racist element we should actually think about it first.

Watch the Willy T Ribbs documentary. It was 1991 when he became the first black guy to compete in the Indy 500. We’re not talking about 1950s or 1960s America. As Fifty said it’s an amazing story that brings all manner of emotions and makes you think.

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Except that you are assuming that the personality shift from Hamilton only began with his support of BLM. It didn't, it started long before. I agree that racism exists and absolutely must be continually challenged. I think it began when he got himself caught out for avoiding tax on his private jet and has spiralled since then. Talking about the climate when his team's main sponsor is an oil and gas company (he even appears in the petronas virtue signalling adverts), calling for everyone to become vegan because "it hurts the environment", his nonsense "still he rises" tag line which is so out of touch for many etc etc etc.

As I said, he may well be the nicest guy on Earth but he doesn't come across that way. And that's a PR issue.

outrun said:

Except that you are assuming that the personality shift from Hamilton only began with his support of BLM. It didn't, it started long before. I agree that racism exists and absolutely must be continually challenged. I think it began when he got himself caught out for avoiding tax on his private jet and has spiralled since then. Talking about the climate when his team's main sponsor is an oil and gas company (he even appears in the petronas virtue signalling adverts), calling for everyone to become vegan because "it hurts the environment", his nonsense "still he rises" tag line which is so out of touch for many etc etc etc.

As I said, he may well be the nicest guy on Earth but he doesn't come across that way. And that's a PR issue.

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Im not assuming that. I’m assuming it’s existed all along. All those sort of things happen to others but he’s the one who is always singled out and the only difference I can find between him and others is the colour of his skin.

Black people have the right to be self obsessed tw4ts as well as any one else you know .

there's an air of arrogance with lewis which i really don't like and yes the race card always seems to be pulled out when convenient and to blinker the real reasons why disliked by some

Spartacus said:

Hamilton = You can't buy popularity or respect, you earn it . But he does n't realise this. People see him for what he is . A total tw4t .

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But admit that he is a good, clean racer. I dare you.

This is going to be my last comment as I’m not one for getting into an argument.

I felt I had to say something yesterday because the comments in here and in the world in general about Lewis’s replacement by George seemed a culmination of something I realised earlier in the year, you’ll have to read all the way through this post to see what I’m talking about.

I’m a middle class, possibly middle aged (43) white bloke. I am significantly less well off than some here but compared with the rest of the population I’m well to do.

I grew up in a time when racism was acceptable. I may have lived and gone to school in the most multicultural part of the UK at the time. But you didn’t go to Handsworth as “that’s where the blacks are”, you didn’t got to the Stratford Road as “its full of Indians” and Leicester was a no go as “it’s just wall to wall Pakistanis” (you’ll have to use your imagination for the words that were actually used.

A couple of years after I left school I was sitting in the pub and a couple of guys who were 2 years below me came up and said “you were a racist **** at school”. And you know what, I was. I got bullied for being skinny, so I bullied others for being Arab or Indian or Black.

We all have to change.

Back to Lewis and what has really upset me over the last year is that when Lewis first said something about racism, the great and the good of F1 came out and said there’s no such thing. Stewart, Fittipaldi and others said, “there’s no racism in F1, there was no racism in F1 in my day, I’ve never seen any evidence of racism in F1”.

And this is the crux of why I think racism is such an issue even now. When a black man (Lewis) stands up and says racism is an issue and he’s experienced it, a bunch of rich, white blokes say no it isn’t and no you’ve not. It’s like saying to a rape victim “you weren’t raped it was just sex”.

I can happily agree to disagree with many of you liking Lewis or not but when the words “playing the race card” are used it’s the same thing as denying racism exists.

I really don't understand the animosity towards Hamiton. OK you don't like his personality, but at least admit that he's a bl00dy good driver and deserves his World Championships.

I don't particularly like Marc Marquez, I think he's bland, too much of a Dorna product, will not say boo to a goose etc. Sometimes his racing has been questionable, if he gets rattled he'll bump and barge his way to the front and has been in front of Race Control a few times.

But what he can do on a motorcycle is simply sublime, he basically taught the world that if you lose the front, you can pick the bike up on your knee and elbow. Other racers have 'saved' the front on the odd occasion, maybe once in their lifetime and revell at the glory of saving it but he does it every single race. He is special.

This is just a mere snippet of why

Certainly interesting reading this but in my first two years back here in Europe I have worked with two black guys both ex Formula 1.
I won't mention names but one through racism had to leave and ended up in Prison not once but twice.
The racism didn't happen in F1.
The second guy was Lewis Hamilton's mentor for awhile only leaving for personal family reasons the travel is a killer.
Both totally good blokes and a pleasure to work with and certainly Toyota Europe have decent policies and probably the best organisation I have ever worked for.

I am actually going to say something else, wasn’t there a bit in another thread about having the last word

You might not think the words “playing the race card” are racist. But phrases do have meanings behind the words’ dictionary definition.

Would you use the phrase “work sets you free”?

Oneball said:

I am actually going to say something else, wasn’t there a bit in another thread about having the last word

You might not think the words “playing the race card” are racist. But phrases do have meanings behind the words’ dictionary definition.

Would you use the phrase “work sets you free”?

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I am ostensibly white, British and 52 years old with enough money to run several cars so in "the category". I am coming to understand that racism does exist most places and will take some time to unwind.
The fact that black children are sat down as teenagers and "given the talk" , was revelation to me. As a teenager I would have gone totally off the rails at being given that appraisal of life ahead.
The only reason I commented was after seeing the phrase "Playing the race card". Only heard it from the mouth of white people denying or diminishing the oppression that someone dares to voice.
Really enjoyed the F1 race and hope more are that good.

Oneball said:

This is going to be my last comment as I’m not one for getting into an argument.

I felt I had to say something yesterday because the comments in here and in the world in general about Lewis’s replacement by George seemed a culmination of something I realised earlier in the year, you’ll have to read all the way through this post to see what I’m talking about.

I’m a middle class, possibly middle aged (43) white bloke. I am significantly less well off than some here but compared with the rest of the population I’m well to do.

I grew up in a time when racism was acceptable. I may have lived and gone to school in the most multicultural part of the UK at the time. But you didn’t go to Handsworth as “that’s where the blacks are”, you didn’t got to the Stratford Road as “its full of Indians” and Leicester was a no go as “it’s just wall to wall Pakistanis” (you’ll have to use your imagination for the words that were actually used.

A couple of years after I left school I was sitting in the pub and a couple of guys who were 2 years below me came up and said “you were a racist **** at school”. And you know what, I was. I got bullied for being skinny, so I bullied others for being Arab or Indian or Black.

We all have to change.

Back to Lewis and what has really upset me over the last year is that when Lewis first said something about racism, the great and the good of F1 came out and said there’s no such thing. Stewart, Fittipaldi and others said, “there’s no racism in F1, there was no racism in F1 in my day, I’ve never seen any evidence of racism in F1”.

And this is the crux of why I think racism is such an issue even now. When a black man (Lewis) stands up and says racism is an issue and he’s experienced it, a bunch of rich, white blokes say no it isn’t and no you’ve not. It’s like saying to a rape victim “you weren’t raped it was just sex”.

I can happily agree to disagree with many of you liking Lewis or not but when the words “playing the race card” are used it’s the same thing as denying racism exists.

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If racism was that rampant in F1 Hamilton wouldn’t have got where he is today; nobody would have given him a job. When I was in the RAF one of the laziest people I knew was of Caribbean/English parents, he did no work because he knew he would never get chopped. He then went for a Virgin interview having done no research or prep, knowing he would get the job because there was so few black pilots around. He did. Playing the race card tends to p!ss people off and Hamilton plays it all the time. FWIW, I couldn’t stand Schumacher when he was in F1 and not because was German. He was a dirty, devious, cheating sh!tbag who stole a Championship off Damon Hill and tried the same thing again with Villeneuve, but the second time it didn’t work out and his season’s points were expunged from the record books. I don’t like Hamilton because he bangs on about environmentalism, veganism, racism and every other ‘ism’ that’s popular in society. He doesn’t pay UK tax but would happily accept a knighthood. The guy is, IMO, a complete and utter c*nt and the colour of his wrapping makes absolutely no difference.

BennyD said:

If racism was that rampant in F1 Hamilton wouldn’t have got where he is today; nobody would have given him a job. When I was in the RAF one of the laziest people I knew was of Caribbean/English parents, he did no work because he knew he would never get chopped. He then went for a Virgin interview having done no research or prep, knowing he would get the job because there was so few black pilots around. He did. Playing the race card tends to p!ss people off and Hamilton plays it all the time. FWIW, I couldn’t stand Schumacher when he was in F1 and not because was German. He was a dirty, devious, cheating sh!tbag who stole a Championship off Damon Hill and tried the same thing again with Villeneuve, but the second time it didn’t work out and his season’s points were expunged from the record books. I don’t like Hamilton because he bangs on about environmentalism, veganism, racism and every other ‘ism’ that’s popular in society. He doesn’t pay UK tax but would happily accept a knighthood. The guy is, IMO, a complete and utter c*nt and the colour of his wrapping makes absolutely no difference.

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People here make excuses for you; “oh it’s just Benny, he’s offensive but it’s a joke”, “he doesnt really mean it”, “ he’s just abrupt”, “that was a bit rude but we can all have a laugh”, “get a thicker skin”, “he’s the joker in the room”.

Well that’s all a load of bollox, you’re offensive, you’re racist, not just on this thread but in many others, and I’m just going to block you.

I sincerely hope that one day you have a bit of consideration for others and how what you post may make them feel but I doubt that will ever happen.

I bet Lewis pays more tax than the average MP.

Oneball said:

People here make excuses for you; “oh it’s just Benny, he’s offensive but it’s a joke”, “he doesnt really mean it”, “ he’s just abrupt”, “that was a bit rude but we can all have a laugh”, “get a thicker skin”, “he’s the joker in the room”.

Well that’s all a load of bollox, you’re offensive, you’re racist, not just on this thread but in many others, and I’m just going to block you.

I sincerely hope that one day you have a bit of consideration for others and how what you post may make them feel but I doubt that will ever happen.

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Block away, like I give a sh!t. Just because my opinion doesn’t suit your racist agenda you have a childlike tantrum and run away. I’m used to idiots like you calling me racist ever since I voted Brexit, and it no longer bothers me even though it is wide of the mark. If Hamilton was like James Hunt I’m pretty sure I would like him just as much. I think you are a cnt and I have no idea what colour you are but IT DOESN’T MATTER. A cnt is a c*nt whatever colour you are. Block that.

fecking ell, there seems to be more mr angries lately, whats going on

lifes2short said:

fecking ell, there seems to be more mr angries lately, whats going on

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Halfwit W4nkers calling everybody with a different point of view, racist; these days it’s the default last resort of a cornered gobshite.

BennyD said:

Halfwit W4nkers calling everybody with a different point of view, racist; these days it’s the default last resort of a cornered gobshite.

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with you on the racist card thing, like you, i've not got a single racist bone in my body but some folk do take the p1ss with it and it's so obvious and you should be able to challenge it without being accused of being a racist, that's just a load bollox, got to say you do crack me with some of your posts, keep it up