I’d expected him to look older. I suppose its only natural with someone you’d been reading about for years, but he’d been such a constant part of the motorsport landscape for such a long time that I’d imagined he’d already be the finished article. He’d been a mini-megastar in England since his karting days. Even as a child I remember seeing his face on TV, on the news, on ITV’s karting show with DJ David ‘Kid’ Jensen, Blue Peter, through the pages of Autosport and Motoring News. He was a future world champion. That’s what we’d always been told. That’s what we’d always believed. And here he was, this future F1 superstar. I’d expected him to be taller. I’d expected him to be broader… I’d expected him to look older.
But there he stood on the pitwall in his ASM F3 overalls, a black fleece three sizes too large wrapped around him, his curly mini-afro blowing in the wind. He walked back towards the garage, hunched over to hide from the cold Mistral wind. An acknowledgement of someone new, a hand outstretched, a warm shake, friendly smile, brief introduction, a nice to meet you, and he was off into the engineering room at the back of the impeccable facilities.
I first met Lewis Hamilton at a cold, wintery Circuit Paul Ricard shortly after his 21st birthday, on his testing debut for inaugural GP2 champions ART Grand Prix. The F3 Euro Series champion would be taking over the chassis which had taken Nico Rosberg to GP2’s first drivers’ title and already there was a buzz surrounding his arrival in the paddock. To anyone who followed junior series racing, there was a universal belief that the McLaren junior was going to be very special.
To be a member of an F1 team’s youth programme really meant something a decade ago. It wasn’t just about getting to wear a team shirt or getting to put the logo on your overalls, train in the team’s gym or jump on the simulator for a few laps every six months (decent sims were in their infancy back then)… if you were a McLaren junior, in the RDD, Honda Young Driver scheme, a Red Bull junior or in that Mercedes stable it meant you were going places. You had people behind you who believed in you and who would back you. And, most importantly, you had a real shot at making it into a Formula 1 seat. The young drivers on F1 programmes really were the chosen few. I think back to the Renault programme and the drivers it spawned: Kovalainen, Lopez, di Grassi, Maldonado, Kubica, van der Garde, Duval, d’Ambrosio, Grosjean… it was an astonishing pool of talent.
McLaren’s list was small by comparison. Hamilton was the team’s great, and only, hope. And yet there was no arrogance, no sense of self-importance to the man… the boy. He arrived at every test and race with his father Anthony, step-Mum Linda and little brother Nicholas. They were a tight family unit, not too dissimilar from how I imagine they were during the karting years. To them, it seemed, there was no need to change. This was how they’d always done things.
He was impressive from the off, although hot headed at times too. He was disqualified in Imola on his second weekend in the championship for overtaking the safety car, something he would go on to repeat four years later in F1 at the European Grand Prix in Valencia. But my God, he was fast. His racecraft was so beautiful that at times it seemed choreographed… pre-ordained.
His two races at Silverstone were outstanding. Passing both Piquet and Piccione at Maggotts remains one of the greatest overtaking moves in the history of GP2. But then his fight through the field on Sunday to take the win announced him to the British faithful. Passing the leading Campos of Felix Porteiro was the only time I ever heard 26 V8 GP2 engines drowned out by cheering. All weekend he’d been impossible to find in the paddock. As I later discovered, he’d been standing at the fence at the back of the GP2 enclosure signing autographs for everyone who passed. He hadn’t been asked to. He’d just wanted to.
For me, the Istanbul GP2 weekend will always be where Lewis Hamilton truly arrived to those in the F1 paddock who hadn’t yet figured out how brilliant he was. I remember it so vividly. The Turkey weekend came off the back of the Briton’s worst event of the whole season. His championship rival Nelson Piquet Jr had thrown down the first perfect weekend in GP2 history in Budapest, taking pole position, both race wins and both fastest laps. Istanbul was the penultimate race weekend of the championship. Hamilton had to take the initiative back. But it was Piquet who again took pole and again took the race win and fastest lap… by half a second.
Hamilton, for a moment, seemed lost. His emotions had got the better of him in Hungary, something which can still blight his momentum today, and in Turkey all those years ago it looked set to derail his championship charge.
He knew he had to do something and so, overnight, he asked ART to trim all the wing off the car they could and put it basically into Monza spec. The team thought he was crazy, warning him he’d spin without the downforce. And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened at the start of Sunday’s sprint race, sending Hamilton out of the top 20 and leaving his championship hopes severely dented. What followed, however, was mesmerizing. I stood, alongside my girlfriend in the Super Aguri garage, watching in awe. One by one every engineer, every mechanic stopped what they were doing and stared at the screen agog. They applauded every lap that followed. It was a scene replicated up and down the F1 pitlane.
In spinning so early, Hamilton had learned where the limit of adhesion lay. It was a mark he would not overstep again. With substantially less downforce than his rivals, he blasted past them on the straights, and somehow held it all together through the corners. Time and again through the multi-apex Turn 8 he’d start to lose the rear but would emerge on opposite lock, almost drifting the ART through the corner. He made up every position bar the top step of the podium. In a 23-lap contest in a spec championship, without pitstops, he had overtaken almost the entire field. His fastest lap was set on the final lap and was 0.854 faster than any other driver had managed that day.
Many put that drive down to Lewis Hamilton’s guts. Most, put it down to his superior driving feel… that natural ability that had always set him out as a special and unique talent. But very few put it down his intelligence, first in going against the team in choosing the low downforce option and second in adapting his driving-style within a lap to suit a set-up he had not tested.
A lot has always been made of Hamilton’s “natural” gift and ability, and it is something that has stuck with him and formed the basis of his reputation throughout his career. But as a result of that, there’s a preconceived idea that he is a seat-of-the-pants racer who can wring the neck of a racing car like few other men on earth but who lacks any real ability to use his brain. It is a reputation that could not be further from the truth.
Early in his GP2 career, Lewis contacted me (via MySpace as I recall) and asked how I had learned to speak French. I told him it was a combination of living in Switzerland and watching Cartoon Network in French, and listening to the Michel Thomas educational CDs. He asked for a favour, and so I packed them up and sent them to him. Why? Because he felt it was important to learn the language in which his team and engineers spoke.
This, at the age of 21, was not a request born of someone without the mental capacity to deal with more than he was being given credit for. Yes, I had been in awe of the multi-lingual Nico Rosberg, but for someone of Hamilton’s age to want to learn a new language from scratch in the midst of what was to be one of the most intense seasons of competition of his life, I found a desperately impressive measure of the man.
Perhaps the “natural ability” angle is one Hamilton himself is perfectly fine with accepting. A huge Ayrton Senna fan, he revels in the comparisons to his hero. But deep down, I think there’s an underlying sub-plot in doing so. For to propagate the myth, to give it credence, only serves to draw attention away from the fact that his natural gift behind the wheel is just one of the weapons in his armory. To make people think he isn’t as smart as his rivals is to hide perhaps his greatest strength.
Hamilton Vs Rosberg has been billed as Senna Vs Prost II. But it’s not. These two drivers are completely unique and should take their own billing. Yes, there are shared similarities in personality and perceived strengths, but it isn’t as simple as all that. And yet, in simplifying it so much, the general opinion has been formed that Rosberg, as the Prost character, was always the more likely to prosper under the 2014 regulations. His superior intellect, so everyone had been led to believe, would carry him. His incredible mind would allow him to work with the complex cars, use the brakes, the energy harvesting, look after the tyres and moderate his fuel usage.
In The Usual Suspects, Kevin Spacey’s character Verbal Kint comes out with the immortal line: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” I think of this line every time I hear somebody tell me that Hamilton isn’t as intelligent as Rosberg, or doesn’t have the capability to understand the cars.
Because, for me, the greatest trick that Lewis Hamilton ever pulled, was convincing the world that he wasn’t smart.
Think about it. His fuel usage has regularly been better than almost anyone in the field. Man to man versus Rosberg, I can’t recall a single race this year where in the same machinery Hamilton’s fuel usage has been higher. He has made his tyres last. He has had to fight from the back of the field time and again (think Germany, think Hungary) and yet he hasn’t overworked his tyres, he hasn’t used too much fuel. He has learned how to drive these new cars, and to extract the most from them using the least.
After the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he had made up the seven seconds he lost in his pre-pitstop slide, he commented to us on US television that he was proud of a race like the one he’d pulled in Interlagos, because it had shown, once again, that despite the prevailing conception, he could preserve his tyres, he could look after his fuel, and still be faster than his team-mate. Far from the unintelligent chancer many paint Hamilton to be, he is proving to be the intellectual match of his team-mate, and the better racer to boot.
Perceived wisdom stated that Lewis Hamilton, more than any other driver in Formula 1, would be asked the greatest questions by the new rules. His answer, has thus been an emphatic exclamation mark.
Very often this season, Hamilton has spoken about his desire for the title. He has stated time and again that for him 2014 feels like his first run in for a championship, so different a person is he to the driver who took the plaudits in 2008. And in so many aspects I can see why. The Lewis Hamilton of 2014 is so different to the man who ran in for his first title in 2007 and took the crown in 2008. In public, he is every bit the megastar. He has his own private jet, lives in Monaco and LA with his popstar girlfriend. He can call Will Smith when he’s in town to have dinner with the Fresh Prince.
We laughed about this earlier in the year. About the insanity of life, where the sport had taken him and what lay before him in his career and his ultimate destiny. It wasn’t real. He knew that. And because of it, he wanted to make the most of it all. Because beyond everything that you see, beyond the big pimpin, diamante encrusted bling wearing magazine cover star lies that very same kid I first met at a cold and windy Ricard, surrounded by his family. When I sat down to interview him last in a one-on-one situation in Hockenheim, his first question was not for me, my crew, what we were filming or why… it was for Sophie, my daughter; how she was doing, how old she was now, how school was going and his own desire for a family one day.
That’s the man he is. Thoughtful. Sincere. Genuine.
Those who choose to paint a picture of an artificial or conceited character do not see this side of Lewis Hamilton. They don’t see him out the front of the garage on pitlane walkabout, talking and actually listening to his fans. When he turned up in New York for a two minute appearance on the Today Show, he arrived two hours early and spent every spare moment engaged with his fans. Just as he had done that GP2 weekend at Silverstone.
Earlier in the season, in Monaco, we’d spent a morning driving around town filming an interview for NBC. We looked back to the GP2 days, a simpler time before money and fame. We spoke of when McLaren dropped him and he almost signed for BMW. We spoke of family, of friends, of fear and of pressure. Such overwhelming pressure.
This is a driver who has never had the opportunity to fail. He has never been able to be anything but the best. Imagine the pressure placed upon a child who at 11 years of age plucks up the courage to ask Ron Dennis for his patronage and is then tasked with fulfilling an almost impossible destiny each and every year. As I mentioned, and as Lewis and I discussed earlier this year, McLaren did actually drop Hamilton at the tail end of 2004. Lewis was on the verge of signing for BMW, but only Hamilton’s own result at the Bahrain Superprix subsequently renewed Dennis’ interest enough to bring him back onboard at McLaren.
The pressure, therefore, has rested on Hamilton’s shoulders since his first lap in an F1 car. He has been the poster boy and at the same time the dartboard for the British media ever since that day. A hero at his best, a villain at his worst, he has lived his entire Formula 1 career in the glare of the brightest spotlight.
It is probably worth remembering that Hamilton has done what few F1 drivers have achieved in their careers… if, and I’m not going to pretend that I know off hand how many, any have: he has won at least one race in every season of his F1 career.
But he has had to live and evolve in that spotlight. And his period of growth has been far from smooth.
The years following his title were ones of tremendous turmoil. He wrestled with the sport, with his team, but most of all with himself. He ditched his family, he brought in new management, he bounced from blissful happiness with his girlfriend to absolute solitary singledom. None of it made him happy. None of it gave the satisfaction he craved.
The tone had been set in the latter half of that 2006 season, as soon as it become clear that his future lay with McLaren in Formula 1 in 2007. Gone went the curly hair, replaced by a shaved head. It was a small thing at the time, but an outward signal of the beginning of a strict regime which would stifle Lewis Hamilton’s personality and ultimately lead to him needing to flee the team which had been responsible for taking him to the very top.
For me, 2011 was his lowest point. I remember seeing him in Korea. He cut a lonely figure. No team of family and friends around him like Jenson. Nobody to fall back to. Nobody to talk to. Nobody with whom to even take dinner. He’d never seemed more alone. Never seemed more lost. Bizarrely enough, that weekend I’d got into an email exchange with one of my own childhood heroes, the wrestler The Ultimate Warrior. A fairly controversial figure, in later life he had become a motivational speaker and artist and had sent me over some of his perceived words of wisdom, some self-penned, others taken from historical figures. I have one framed at home. One, however, I printed out and handed to Lewis that Saturday afternoon. I figured if anyone could use it, then it was him.
It was the only non Red Bull pole position of the entire season. He walked out the back of the FIA garage, glanced up and caught my eye. He smiled for the briefest moment and gave a relieved thumbs up. We agreed we’d go for dinner later in the season. We never did, as life and work overtook us both.
Something changed in Lewis going into 2012, as the realisation dawned that if he was ever to emerge from his internal turmoil, he needed a change of environment. He needed to move away from a relationship which had gone toxic, and in 2013 his new home at Mercedes allowed Lewis the freedom to be the driver he had always wanted to be. Some say he has matured hugely over the past two seasons. I’d say that the freedom afforded to him by Mercedes has allowed him to get back to being who he truly is. In either case, what is undeniable is that the change in him is so marked that when he says this feels like the run in for his first world championship I truly believe him.
And yet, the misconceptions from his early years remain as true today as they ever were. Perhaps because he’s allowed them to fester. Perhaps because many don’t see the true man that exists behind the visor.
Lewis Hamilton is one of the most naturally gifted drivers of his generation. But he’s also one of the most intelligent, considered and thoughtful. A ruthless, aggressive, instinctive operator wheel-to-wheel, but mature, measured and mindful too, Lewis Hamilton is reaching the level of becoming the complete driver.
He has dropped his flashy management and surrounded himself once again with his family. His father attends races once more, his step-Mum Linda never far away. When he can drag himself away from his own racing exploits, Nic comes along too.
For all the trappings of fame, Lewis never looks anything but awkward posing in front of his jet, wearing the big gold chains or hanging with celeb friends. Its in family photos that he looks happiest and most content. Or shopping at Waitrose with his missus. Or relaxing at home with Roscoe.
Because deep down, he’s still that awkward kid from Stevenage, with a MySpace page and a profile photo with a fro-comb in his hair.
Like his one time karting team-mate and now F1 championship rival, Lewis Hamilton has changed so much over the past decade. But really, he hasn’t changed at all.
What a great article.
Imagine if Merc said Alonso was signing for next season to drive alongside Lewis…LH would shite himself! Face it the staggeringly amazing Merc has made Nico look so much better than he is and Lewis has only jut manged to beat Nico in a season long fight….Nico comes out of this looking like he now has the minerals to keep a former WDC honest…. as much as the brits want to blow smoke up LH’s arse…he shoudl of won this championship at the start as Nico is paid 6mil to LH’s 20mil, that makes Nico a number 2 driver but actually turns out he is ALMOST as good as Lewis….. Get Lewis in the Red Bull this year and Daniel would of spanked all over him!!! That Merc car is just basically in a different class….. but of course it must all be down to Lewis’s driving…..muppets.
I guess you didn’t actually read will’ s article properly or you wouldn’t have made such inane comments…or maybe you would as obviously in the hammy haters camp…hey ho it takes all sorts…fortunately will has written 2 brilliant balanced pieces on both contenders….shame this one got trolled……
This long post deserves areply that suits it to atee: GFY, dipchit!!!
Thanks Will, two great articles. I had a link to the Nico one and found this also. Great stuff, I shall endeavour to read you far more often.
Thanks for publishing such an awesome piece on Lewis.
Both excellent and insightful articles and as usual a pleasure to read. Thanks for taking the time to share them with us Will.
Fantastic piece.
Finally! A journalist that actually understands Lewis Hamilton….and Nico.
What an article. Impressive.
What a cracking read. I don’t agree with everything you write Will but this and yesterdays post are absolute grade A.
Great pieces on both Nico and Lewis Will, thanks for the insight!
Great writing and sublime insight. Top drawer!
Great article. Pleasure to read
Fantastic article and insight. Great read.
Fantastic article Will, as a non-insider but someone that always followed his career closely, the picture you paint is the same exact one I’ve noticed, which as you mention is quite different from what is painted by the general media and tabloids.
I was looking forward to your take after the insightful Nico article yesterday, and it is good to see I’m pretty bang on with how I view him.
May the best man win on Sunday.
Thanks, very honest article.
Such a well measured and considered piece of journalism… we are fed up of the biased Benson, Brundle, Dan Johnson and the list is endless, who only ever bash instead of supporting or at least being objective toward such a high achieving Brit like Lewis.
Wow. What a beautifully written balanced article.
Thanks for using your inside knowledge to give us an insight into the real characters of these two drivers, rather than the simplistic caricatures we are usually presented with and which most media outlets seem to want..
I’ve met Lewis, quite a few times, and agree with your perspective fully. However you haven’t mentioned some of the negatives such as his insecurity and subsequent overcompensation and his childishness in some aspects. But yes, he is very intelligent at the same time and one of the most genuine drivers in the paddock.
What childishness are you referring to?
I’ve been genuinely puzzled about this for ages: I’ve attended the Singapore GP regularly for years, and a relatively small and dedicated group of fans (largely from the Asian region, dotted with plenty of European representation) often wait for drivers at the paddock entrance nightly. Since 2009, I’ve seen Lewis generally (not always, but usually – he has been marvellous to some of the travelling British contingent) avoid interaction with the waiting fans upon exit, as well as at PR events without signing sessions, while Nico has almost always without fail stopped for every request. Why is he so keen to engage with his fans in, say, New York, but not in Singapore? He has a massive fanbase in Asia, and I often feel for the dedicated locals who wait for him outside the paddock or at PR events to no avail.
Thanks Will, these two articles have been terrific. I’ve only just discovered this site, but I’m a fan already: you taught me something new about both drivers.
This is what journalism reads like. No bull, no trying to feed the trolls, just writing from the heart. Both of these articles were great to read and shows that Will Buxton is in a class of 1. You have put some so called reporters to shame. I would love to read about Button and Alonso as well. How about it, Will, is that possible?
Keep the good work up.
Great article Will, your personal insight is fascinating. Do you feel Hamilton could ever return to McLaren, a place that, as you put it, became a toxic part of his life?
Thanks for the insight into both Lewis and Nico. I thoroughly enjoyed reading pieces that weren’t geared toward fluff. Yesterday’s article gave me a greater insight into Nico and today’s confirmed what I’ve always suspected about Lewis and explains the changes I’ve seen in him since he moved to Mercedes. I’m no insider, just a fan, so it was nice getting your insider take on both men.
Thanks – great read Will.
Wonderful article! You should be a journo with writing like that 😉
Fantastic article its good to hear someone relate what most of US fans think about Lewis told so eloquently by your good self. Super read
Telling friends of becoming obsessed w/ F1, their response “really, why?” But actually the obsession started watching Lewis Hamilton race. Then grew with glimpsing the human being you see when he is not racing. I will always cheer for him, how could you not. Thank u Will for writing about him in a heartfelt way. And a great read no matter how one thinks about the subject.
Great piece again Will.
So, if he had to leave McLaren to get out of a relationship which had “gone toxic”, how do you think Alonso is going to fit in there next year (if his employment at Woking is ever announced), especially given 2007’s traumas?
Really nice piece Will, great read!
Thanks once again for these thought-provoking, well written and intelligent articles (Nico & Lewis). I love F1 more, and learn more, from reading your blog entries.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Will. So interesting to see these facets of Nico’s and Lewis’ personalities – they both come across so differently (usually) in the media. It makes me rethink my views on them both for sure!
Two great pieces.
Thanks for a great couple of articles, roll on the weekend.
Reblogged this on leepattison's Blog.
Your artcle is superb.
Will,
I agree that Lewis is much smarter than he lets on. And he’s very adaptable. In 2010 you wrote about the fact that Lewis drove the tires (or is it tyres) off his cars (http://goo.gl/DI4GEQ). Yet, here today, nobody would disagree with you that he’s learned to manage his tires better than most. Plus he’s learned to drive these new 2014 cars (fuel, torque, ERS, brake by wire, etc.) quite well, thank you very much. Point being, one might account to these characteristics as being just a seat of the pants driver. But with these complex cars, it takes that AND a healthy dose of brains.
Again, very nicely done pieces on the contenders!
Great article Will. I really enjoyed reading it.
Hey just wanted to say this is an excellent piece of writing, really great job man.
Informative, easy to read and very well thought out piece.
Keep up the good work dude!
As usual, well written and truly insightful. I really enjoyed both pieces. Keep up the great work!
Beautifully written piece Will. A great insight and confirms what we always thought about Lewis. Great driver and a kind, thoughtful person who will never truly be comfortable with fame.
Zip up your pants now.
Reblogged this on the Goat Rodeo blog and commented:
For my fellow F1 followers, the following (and no, I won’t be reblogging anything about Rosberg):
Excellent article, interesting subject. Reblogged on The Goat Rodeo Blog.
Good stuff. Both on Nico and Lewis.
Excellent piece Will. It’s great to read something that isn’t hyped up for the sake of tv drama.
Damn you Buxton, you’ve turned me in to a Hamilton fan.
Another great article, Will. I couldn’t stand Lewis in 2007 and wasn’t happy in 2008… But once he moved to Mercedes he changed. I started following him on twitter and fb and he seams a cool regular guy. Then I met him in New York and saw a young, nice, true person, not a superstar. He spent an hour talking with the fans, signing autographs and taking selfies with fans on their phones. Laughing and just enjoying time with fans. To me, he’s the coolest guy and such a talented, smart driver. It is funny how people can think he is not smart. He’s super smart. You can see it in his eyes. Go Lewis. It’s hammer time! Win this!
Brilliant writing on two of the best ever!
These 2 articles on ROS and HAM hearken to the days of Harry Potter. So well written and captivating.
Lewis is in fact the only driver in F1 history to get a pole and win every year he has been in F1. Only one even close is vettel who didn’t win his first year or this one.
Fantastic article Will, very well written, one of the best i’ve read in A long time wih all the craze of copy/paste F1 websites around. Congrats!
Brilliant article Will, great read!!
Funny how Nico makes childish errors on track, and people think he is the smart one. When Lewis makes calculated overtaking moves to get him from last to P3. And he questions his team strategy, when they are later seen to be wrong. I have met Lewis briefly and he is far greater in person that the press want him to be.
Both articles tremendous, Will! Great depth, and more surprisng, a lot of new material. Thank you.
Thanks Mr. Buxton for the insightful articles on Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. I am a huge fan of Lewis Hamilton and today, thanks to you, I have got a feel of what he’s like outside the car.I was waiting for an opportunity to learn about Lewis Hamilton the man and you provided that to me. Thanks!!
Bravo Buxton! Bravo!
Goddamn! Great writing!
I don’t say this jokingly – grab an editor, harvest the best entries from your blog, write a few more long-form pieces, liberally sprinkle in the best of your friend’s photos and publish it in hardback and I’d actually scrape up the $$ to buy that book!
Amazing article will.. I enjoyed it so much that i read both the articles twice.. Great insights..
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing people he’s still that “awkward kid” instead of the pimpin’ blingin’ rappin’ bro whose expressed interest in life is “becoming a superstar”…
Will, in that article alone you completely changed my perception of Lewis Hamilton. I had always seen him as somewhat spoiled, probably because that’s the image that’s thrown our way most of the time. After reading this, I may just find myself pulling for him to get it done Sunday. That means a lot, because I generally watch my racing totally impartially, without a care as to who wins or loses. What a wonderful read.
Spoiled is the one thing I would never have said about Lewis. Like Will says here, he is the boy from a Council House not a Monaco bred brat.
I think Lewis and Alonso are the only two drivers that would ultimately do it for free!
Beautiful writing as usual, Will. Thanks for sharing the personal insights too – that’s that little bit of ‘extra’ you bring to the table. My hat’s off to you. Thanks.
Wonderful article. Beautifully written and so insightful. You’ve just confirmed what I always believed Lewis to be. Thank you and I’m now a fan of yours as well as Lewis. Would love to get some insight into Jenson. He seems to have been through some rough emotional times since his father died. Not sure if it is grief or frustration with his position at McLaren.
[…] adesea în 2014. Însă poate tocmai acesta a fost asul din mâneca sa, fapt ilustrat și de excelenta prezentare făcută de Will Buxton: Hamilton a cultivat această dihotomie între caracterul său impulsiv și maniera cerebrală a […]
Great article and perspective on Lewis!
Lovely.
As a fan of Lewis Hamilton’s, it’s great to read an article that pays proper respect to him and his achievements. He is scrutanized like no other driver, and perhaps it’s because of his fame, but I always thought most of the negative press about him was unfair and over the top. It’s nice to see a journalist take the time to pay proper respect to such an accomplished driver, and person.
Wonderfully written and evocative piece from Will. Actually teared up reading it. Lewis is essentially the only reason I continue to watch F1, there is always a story with him. Having supported him through the downs, ups and downs and now UPS again reading this piece makes me feel justified in that support.
In my mind he is absolutely the best driver. Alonso is good, Lewis is great. (SilverStone 2008 1 minute lead in the Wet come on!) I have never brought into his bling, just like I feel he hasn’t. Lewis is the council house kid, of course he has rich famous friends but who really wants to spend time with who?
This weekend is make or break for me and F1. if Jenson leaves McClaren and Lewis loses out to double points then the passion might be lost, if only because for some strange reason I would be inconsolable for a rich young kid I have never met. I can’t explain that, but those who read this article might at least come closer to understanding it.
Your comment about Lewis is the closest thing to how I feel about him and what he brings to the sport.
Well Said.
Very insightful Will, both are worthy for the Crown.
What a wonderful piece! Devoured it. My first time reading your blog – I think I might be hooked on your writing.
A thoughtful, high-quality piece Will….a very strong counterpoint to the dreary, stereotypical, revisionist FILTH (no other word for it) re: Lewis continued to be propagated by a certain 3-time British World Champion in today’s Daily Mail pre-race roundtable…
Good article, but on the GP2 2006 Turkey Sunday race, you have forgotten one thing to mention.
Hamilton should have been punished, i think even disqualified and black flagged during this race for his very dangerous behaviour towards his colleguae GP2 drivers right after his spin early in the race.
Instead of letting the other drivers first pass him, as safety requires, he suddenly decided to spin the car back again on the track, in the middle of a group of GP2 drivers racing by him at that moment.
In his F1 careeer ( I think Hungary ) he repeated that kind of behaviour once again and was
this time rightly punished for this wrong behaviour.
I do not want to lower the racing performance he showed during this GP2 2006 Turkey Sunday race, but he should have been punished during this race for his behaviour right after his spin.
There’s always one isn’t there?!!!!
“I do not want to lower the racing performance he showed during this GP2 2006 Turkey Sunday race, but he should have been punished during this race for his behaviour right after his spin.” < < < < < < And people were saying (including Hamilton lol!) that Rosberg was hanging onto something toxic – for inordinately long – by continuing to brood over what happened in Hungary by the time Spa came around…GP2 fan, I think you need to let it go…
What a brilliantly written, perceptive article, so good to see the thoughtful analysis of someone who knows the man and recognises the subtle attributes, I really enjoyed reading this, thanks for writing in such wonderful and positive terms about Lewis 🙂 xx
Both of these articles are just excellent. Hey Will, don’t let this go to your head, but you’re really good at this…
What a great article/write up. So insightful and interesting.
It’s exactly how as a Hamilton fan I have seen him- its nice to know I see the real Lewis.
I agree. Brilliant well written piece.
I hope this Championship will give Lewis the platform to go on to further achievement.
I wrote to a Blog around the time of the Korean GP in 2011 asking what were the chances of Lewis going to work with Ross Brawn in Mercedes as it seemed to me the best opportunity for him. I despaired of the way that McLaren were wasting his talent at that time.
I am so pleased that it happened and this is the result. Perhaps just the start.
Brilliantly written and what I always believed about Lewis. He is often painted in a very negative light in the press but thank you for highlighting that he is a man with character and has learned from his mistakes to become a very thoughtful and intelligent man. It is great to see him back appreciating his family and realizing the importance of those relationships. So happy for him that he claimed the 2014 championship.
Will – look forward to going to another evening with Will Buxton in Montreal next year – missed this year but will be back in 2015.
Look forward to the next piece that your write
Reblogged this on Forgot About Keynes.
Great write up Will! I’m glad you where able to talk about the man who is Lewis Hamilton. I find it funny how many people preceive him as unintelligent. But he has shown who he really is this year. Will keep up the great work, love reading your pieces.
awesome..exactly how I see Lewis Hamilton..obviously he has flaws but they are scrutinised like no other driver on the grid!
What a great article Will, you seemed to have really described Lewis as I see him, of which so many mistake that for arrogance! He’s just a racer who doesn’t really care about anything but winning but doesn’t resort to any means necessary he just wants to be the best, and that’s why we love him!
Lovely, insightful article into the mind and psyche of one of the all time greats of F1.