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Unfortunately I've seen this conversation play out too many times to think that opinions can change on Hamilton. He's learned that he can't please everyone and his fans (myself included) need to move on and accept that other people simply can't warm to him.
He's a total cliche of child talent that's had to focus 100% of his youth on becoming the best in difficult circumstances and then has tried to find space to develop his personality later in life. Some of his life choices have been totally cringeworthy but he goes for it regardless of what other people or team/press management say (McLaren). To me he's an exciting and exceptional driver that hasn't been tested enough in recent years but has continued to mature and develop his personality off the track. More recently I think Verstappen in the same car would likely get the better of him but that's because of the youth and determination MV has on his side.
By comparison no matter how boring I find Vettel to watch race, how many mistakes he makes or how much whining he does I still like him as there's an interesting funny personality there. Listening to him in past interviews it's clear he grew up in a much more rounded environment and appears much more comfortable when discussing out of motorsport topics.
I'm hoping Hamilton's legacy will remember how he helped change the face of a sport that needed (imo) to change. I'm not sure how many drivers before him can claim to have had much of an impact on F1's out dated culture.
jono84-
And here's some evidence that a Hamilton fan can write a few paragraphs about Hamilton that even a Ferrari fan can't disagree with.
I do hope we can him in some proper title fights, I can't see it happening before 2022 and I imagine he'll be past his peak then (though wouldn't be surprised if he was still scooping up championships). Definitely seems like the field has enough promising talent for a 2010-style season with Verstappen, Leclerc, Sainz, Norris & Russell on the grid. Not to mention the raft of talent coming in from F2/F3.
mmccarthy
I’d be interested to know what you consider compelling If you can’t appreciate that back story, and you can’t ignore his ethnic back ground in all that too, especially given his recent comments about the racism that he and his father experience during that period. To come through all that and be a 6 time world champion (and counting)
I’m not sure what your trying to prove by list off a bunch of mistakes that Lewis made in his early f1 days, that he’s human perhaps.
My point was that he hasn’t deliberately driven his car into another drivers car or tried to have a fight with them in the pit lane when things haven’t gone his way.
Look at the way Lewis handled the crash with Albon last season, admitted he was wrong and apologised. If that had been Schumacher he’d been off down the pit lane for a fight.
We could go through a list of Vettels recent mistakes but we’d be going for months. crashing out of the German race from the lead after couple of drops of rain is one of my personal favourites.
Is it really a surprising that the British media focus on a British driver who is in all likelihood going to break all records in the sport and become the most successful driver in the history of the sport ?
In any case you can’t hold Hamilton responsible for how sky talk about him, he doesn’t have any control over that. Perhaps you need an Italian sky sports subscription, I bet there totally impartial.
Yes people also hate that he has interests outside of motor racing. The year that he spent the week before the US race launching His collection with TH everybody was desperate for it all to go wrong at the race to push the he’s lost his focus narrative, but no he turned up and won.