Another old duffer that won't STFU
Discussion
Mansell this time:
Press Association
I mean, what exactly was the need? is he so short of ego-massaging press that he has to come up with this to get quoted?
as I driver at the time I had some respect for him, but ever since he comes across as a total prima donna.
Mansell said:
Former world champion Nigel Mansell has described McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton as being "manufactured". The 57-year-old said: "Sometimes it all becomes too easy. People have said to me 'what do I think of Lewis Hamilton?' and I've said 'Well it's fantastic what he's achieved but he's been manufactured'. How many people from seven years of age have been given £2.5m to go karting?"
Press Association
But Hamilton hit back at Mansell and defended his career path: "How many people from seven years of age have been given £2.5m to go karting? He is a world champion, a great star and I look up to him, but I wouldn't have expected that from him. Clearly he has not been reading the right stories or he has just not got his facts right. I wasn't signed up until I was 13, and I would love to see what happened to the rest of that money from the age of seven."Press Association
Press Association
I mean, what exactly was the need? is he so short of ego-massaging press that he has to come up with this to get quoted?
as I driver at the time I had some respect for him, but ever since he comes across as a total prima donna.
He is half right though. How many drivers had the support of Mclaren and all their cash from the age of 13?
Sure if he didn't perform then he would have been dropped but having them behind you makes it so much easier to just concentrate on your driving and fitness with no real worry about sponsorship or your career path. He knew he was guaranteed a Mclaren drive and drives in top support series teams as long as he kept his performance up.
I am insanely jealous of him as my motorsport career didn't go past club racing despite results but luckily he's talented enough to have deserved the opportunity he got and has save for a few blips made the most of it.
If their is ranting to be done it is about the horrificly wealthy yet awful drivers who fill up the back end of GP2 and top level sportscar series etc
Sure if he didn't perform then he would have been dropped but having them behind you makes it so much easier to just concentrate on your driving and fitness with no real worry about sponsorship or your career path. He knew he was guaranteed a Mclaren drive and drives in top support series teams as long as he kept his performance up.
I am insanely jealous of him as my motorsport career didn't go past club racing despite results but luckily he's talented enough to have deserved the opportunity he got and has save for a few blips made the most of it.
If their is ranting to be done it is about the horrificly wealthy yet awful drivers who fill up the back end of GP2 and top level sportscar series etc
Edited by xr287 on Sunday 30th May 09:21
err... how many of the current F1 drivers did NOT get bankrolled though karting etc? (by either having rich parents or the like)
and let's face it, Mansell is paying the way for both his son's to race (when their results so far would not have got them anywhere), so it's somewhat hypocritical of him to b
h about it.
and let's face it, Mansell is paying the way for both his son's to race (when their results so far would not have got them anywhere), so it's somewhat hypocritical of him to b
h about it.Edited by Scuffers on Sunday 30th May 09:39
With the exception of Hamilton’s age, I think Nigel is pretty much spot on, there’s no denying hamilton in a good car on a good day is very quick , but conversely there’s also no denying that he's been schooled from an early age in McLaren brand PR.
One of the most frequent criticisms of the guy, is that out of the car he does come across as a manufactured product, unlikely to do anything other than follow orders (like a tiny Ivan Drago from Rocky IV) something not helped with his media "relationship" with that thick American "singer"
One of the most frequent criticisms of the guy, is that out of the car he does come across as a manufactured product, unlikely to do anything other than follow orders (like a tiny Ivan Drago from Rocky IV) something not helped with his media "relationship" with that thick American "singer"
I see both sides here... One one hand I agree that you'd be hard pushed to fine any driver nowadays without a sponsors bank roll, rich parents, or in the case of someone like Bruno Senna... Both.. Not to mention a ready made media spotlight... And who wouldn't take the money if it was on offer, Lewis did and I'm sure I would too...
However, I see the above point about the media trained PR plasticness that seems to exude from every pore of Hamilton... But maybe that's just who he is...
However, I see the above point about the media trained PR plasticness that seems to exude from every pore of Hamilton... But maybe that's just who he is...
Is this any different to what the big football clubs do when sending out their talent scouts to sign up promising school age players.
McLaren obviously saw a talent in Hamilton, and took whatever steps necessary to ensure that talent ended up driving a McLaren in F1. So far it has netted them plenty of publicity, one World Driver Champion, and I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't more championships to come from that particular quarter.
McLaren obviously saw a talent in Hamilton, and took whatever steps necessary to ensure that talent ended up driving a McLaren in F1. So far it has netted them plenty of publicity, one World Driver Champion, and I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't more championships to come from that particular quarter.
OK Mansell might not have got the precise details right, but he's correct in principle though, and I agree with him to a point. And to me also, Hamilton seems to be confused about whether he's a celebrity or a racer..? But, hey he's still a kid.
Given the struggles Mansell had in his younger days, I can see why he's saying it, but as has been pointed out, it is a touch hypocritical given the situation of his own sons.
Given the struggles Mansell had in his younger days, I can see why he's saying it, but as has been pointed out, it is a touch hypocritical given the situation of his own sons.
What a hypocrite!
He has spend probably more money than that on his (fairly talentless) kids to go motor racing - setting up a team for them or buying drives in others and even buying a karting track so they could practice whenever they wanted - and they will never achieve anything like what Lewis has and will achieve!!!
He has spend probably more money than that on his (fairly talentless) kids to go motor racing - setting up a team for them or buying drives in others and even buying a karting track so they could practice whenever they wanted - and they will never achieve anything like what Lewis has and will achieve!!!
aeropilot said:
OK Mansell might not have got the precise details right, but he's correct in principle though, and I agree with him to a point. And to me also, Hamilton seems to be confused about whether he's a celebrity or a racer..? But, hey he's still a kid.
Given the struggles Mansell had in his younger days, I can see why he's saying it, but as has been pointed out, it is a touch hypocritical given the situation of his own sons.
But that's what you do for your kids if you have the spondoolies to pay for it. And he's not the only one. Look at JYS's offspring for example. Another triumph of money over talent........Given the struggles Mansell had in his younger days, I can see why he's saying it, but as has been pointed out, it is a touch hypocritical given the situation of his own sons.
Jesus H'. Can't people just realise that most guys on the grid have had support from an early age; be it rich family / connections / sponsorship, etc etc. LH would not have been supported in the way he was if he'd not been good enough; simple as that. As for people commenting on who is girlfriend is and the like; c'mon 
Nigel is a legend but it was a silly comment.
Nigel is a legend but it was a silly comment.
Oh dear Nigel. STFU. Of course Hamilton was helped through his career by McLaren, but by Christ he's proven that they were right to do so.
His own sons have hardly set the racing world alight despite the amount of money he's thrown in their direction.
People in glass houses are generally advised not to throw stones about...
His own sons have hardly set the racing world alight despite the amount of money he's thrown in their direction.
People in glass houses are generally advised not to throw stones about...
Scuffers said:
err... how many of the current F1 drivers did NOT get bankrolled though karting etc? (by either having rich parents or the like)
While your sentiment is not completely wrong, that question is not a particularly good one for expressing it. Truth is, quite a few of the current F1 drivers did not get bankrolled through karting:Alonso didn't get bankrolled until F3000 and his father was a factory mechanic, hardly a rich job.
Kobayashi didn't get bankrolled at all, and his dad makes sushi for a living - a job which barely makes middle-class money. Yes, he joined Toyota Driver Academy before moving to Europe, but the Academy only helps to arrange sponsorship, they don't give large amounts of money away.
Then there is Michael Schumacher, the son of a bricklayer. He nearly had to quit karting because his parents couldn't afford it. Only the support of local businesses saved him.
They are starkly different from the likes of Hamilton, Vettel, Hulkenberg, etc., who were bankrolled from very early in their careers by vastly great corporate channels.
Edited by Jungles on Sunday 30th May 13:12
Jungles said:
Scuffers said:
err... how many of the current F1 drivers did NOT get bankrolled though karting etc? (by either having rich parents or the like)
While your sentiment is not completely wrong, that question is not a particularly good one for expressing it. Truth is, quite a few of the current F1 drivers did not get bankrolled through karting:Alonso didn't get bankrolled until F3000 and his father was a factory mechanic, hardly a rich job.
Kobayashi didn't get bankrolled at all, and his dad makes sushi for a living - a job which barely makes middle-class money. Yes, he joined Toyota Driver Academy before moving to Europe, but the Academy only helps to arrange sponsorship, they don't give large amounts of money away.
Then there is Michael Schumacher, the son of a bricklayer. He nearly had to quit karting because his parents couldn't afford it. Only the support of local businesses saved him.
They are starkly different from the likes of Hamilton, Vettel, Hulkenberg, etc., who were bankrolled from very early in their careers by vastly great corporate channels.
Edited by Jungles on Sunday 30th May 13:12
Motor racing is stonkingly expensive. Even european /world karting requires 6 figure budgets. If Alonso's dad funded top level karting and top level single seaters up until F3000 then he must have been a stinkingly rich factory mechanic is all i can say.
It's ironic that Nige is whinging about Hamilton whilst bankrolling his own two mediocre son's careers, but then Nige never did engage the brain before speaking.
Mansell is such a legend, and probably the greatest racer(in the pure sense of it), in the history, so he can speak whatever about the situation in F1.
By the way , although this comment was probably privately motivated(because of his sons), generally his remark makes lot of sense. This critique could be applied to modern capitalism in general. Just that Hamilton as a "product" of such constellation, is a bloody talented one.
By the way , although this comment was probably privately motivated(because of his sons), generally his remark makes lot of sense. This critique could be applied to modern capitalism in general. Just that Hamilton as a "product" of such constellation, is a bloody talented one.
Forums | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff