Hamilton's dalliance with 'pop culture'. Good or bad?

[e21Mark]

funkyrobot said:

e21Mark said:

I still prefer Hamilton to Plato.

Better handshake outside the dry cleaners?

Possibly?

More irrational opinion based on what I've read / seen over the years (as opposed to actually knowing either first hand) which probably accounts for 99% of us here?

[C70R]

deadslow said:

Leroy902 said:

deadslow said:

Martin Brundle more or less says they guy has turned into a div in his latest Sky column

You're getting pretty predictable mate with your anti-lewis bashing...

You should really give your ass a rest.

Dry your eyes pal

If this is the one you're referring to, I'm not seeing much by way of actual analysis. It's just an opinion piece by an ex-driver, writing a column for a major media outlet, with the intention of getting page hits.

However, I'd absolutely agree with him on the point that Lewis has lost an edge since Singapore, and that Nico has upped his game significantly (car changes aside). But Brundle (whom I respect hugely) almost clumsily throws in his observations about Lewis's 'mid-Atlantic' personal life, decision to separate from drivers on the parade (which isn't a new thing), and arguing with the garage about strategy (which he's always done).

None of this is new, and it doesn't seem at all linked to recent performances. I can't really see much solid to support your "turned into a div" observation, but I suppose that's just my interpretation.

Edited by C70R on Thursday 3rd December 10:31

[entropy]

Apart from his dress sense it wasn't much of a problem having won 2 WDCs. It's cropped up again because of his losing streak and perhaps more worrying Lewis admitting he's partial to alcohol when previously he wasn't really a drinker.

If he's WDC again this time next year then the only thing worth bashing as per usual is his clothing.

[Scuffers]

C70R said:

Scuffers said:

this have any effect on your view?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/122093

Lewis Hamilton said:

I've lost half a second in F1 to Nico Rosberg

Are you suggesting that Hamilton's lifestyle since Singapore has contributed to this half a second? If not, I'm a bit confused by the reference.

read the link!

Basically, it's saying that they made a change the car chassis and since then, Lewis can't seem to get it to work for him, ie. it's bugger all to do with tyre pressures and his lifestyle.

[C70R]

Scuffers said:

C70R said:

Scuffers said:

this have any effect on your view?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/122093

Lewis Hamilton said:

I've lost half a second in F1 to Nico Rosberg

Are you suggesting that Hamilton's lifestyle since Singapore has contributed to this half a second? If not, I'm a bit confused by the reference.

read the link!

Basically, it's saying that they made a change the car chassis and since then, Lewis can't seem to get it to work for him, ie. it's bugger all to do with tyre pressures and his lifestyle.

I did read it. (not sure what the exclamation mark was for)

If you read my post further up this page (or, indeed, any of my other posts on this thread), you will see that I'm in complete agreement with you. I'm not sure what your point is...?

Edited by C70R on Thursday 3rd December 15:26

[Scuffers]

C70R said:

I did read it. (not sure what the exclamation mark was for)

If you read my post further up this page (or, indeed, any of my other posts on this thread), you will see that I'm in complete agreement with you. I'm not sure what your point is...?

???

My original post was not related to, or aimed at you?

You chose to answer it...

[Smollet]

One thing I do find odd is that Hamilton is of mixed race yet he is often described as being black.

[e21Mark]

Smollet said:

One thing I do find odd is that Hamilton is of mixed race yet he is often described as being black.

As are most (if not all) people with a black parent.

[Mojocvh]

mybrainhurts said:

C70R said:

What is it that annoys people so much about it?

Bad taste. It's like having to look at graffiti as you drive through a beautiful place.

Talented drivers have thus far been above such crap and not tainted by the mental narcissistic malady of submission to the demands of fashion.

It's time the lad stopped fannying around like a tart and came to his senses.

Good taste arbiter huh?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUFQ2ECfPOw

[sirtyro]

Smollet said:

One thing I do find odd is that Hamilton is of mixed race yet he is often described as being black.

It's also how he describes himself.

I think he's great on track, but when he wears his big necklace and his fashionable rosary cross and then you look at his snapchat feed and he's smoking cigars and singing and rapping, it feels like he is trying a little bit too hard to be a superstar and then when you listen to him talk in interviews (TFI Friday example) he is boring and dull with not a lot of personality.

[whatxd]

ukaskew said:

I dare say there seems to be a certain level of discomfort or misunderstanding of the first black F1 driver. I hazard a guess that the overwhelming majority here are not 20-30s and black. Some of the comments here are as cringeworthy as many here feel Hamiltons lifestyle to be.

What has being "black" got to do with anything? He's British born and raised just like the majority of people posting here probably are.

You make it sound as if he was born and raised "in the hood" somewhere in the USA and that we couldn't possibly understand what it's like for a "black" person to come from nothing to having everything.

The colour of Hamilton's skin is completely irrelevant.

[egor110]

Ricciardo is big into his heavy metal being pictured at concerts/festivals , do we want him to step away from that scene or is it just pop music we have a problem with?

[S0 What]

egor110 said:

Ricciardo is big into his heavy metal being pictured at concerts/festivals , do we want him to step away from that scene or is it just pop music we have a problem with?

The problem it appaears is with the driver not the music scene they are into, Lewis managed to rap, party and dress differant all year yet still won the drivers championship, dont see the issue but then i come from a pre internet generation where personal and public life wasn't quite so intently scrutenised by all insundry.
There's a reason for the "never meet your heros" saying, mainly because when you do meet them you find out the bad points that make the hero moniker a little shakey at best and downright untrue at worst, thus has it ever been.

The trouble is nowdays pub conversations take place to a much larger audiance where even the wierdo in the corner with the wippet can join in whereas back in the pub he'd be in the corner feeding peanuts to the wippet under the table, rightfully ostracised from the group as his opinion is based on wanting to join in rather than knolledge of the subject.

hense the term wippet boy done wrong

[Catatafish]

I think a lot of his non-racing activities get more exposure because very little of interest happens in F1 these days, and the F1 media must talk and write something, no matter how inane it is.

[C70R]

sirtyro said:

Smollet said:

One thing I do find odd is that Hamilton is of mixed race yet he is often described as being black.

It's also how he describes himself.

I think he's great on track, but when he wears his big necklace and his fashionable rosary cross and then you look at his snapchat feed and he's smoking cigars and singing and rapping, it feels like he is trying a little bit too hard to be a superstar and then when you listen to him talk in interviews (TFI Friday example) he is boring and dull with not a lot of personality.

In all honesty, I'm inclined to agree that he comes across pretty beige in PR interviews. However, the same criticism could be levelled at almost every other driver on the grid, irrespective of what they do outside of their car.

Having said that, surely getting enjoyment from dressing and behaving in a specific way has absolutely nothing to do with the ability to give good interviews? Unless I'm missing an obvious link somewhere.

[deadslow]

C70R said:

he comes across pretty beige in PR interviews. However, the same criticism could be levelled at almost every other driver on the grid

definitely not true. Vettel is always good for a larf, and JB is good on camera - his recent bit with DC was brilliant.

[RB Will]

I think my problem with Hamilton out of the car is he seems to do things that are intended to make him popular or at least make people pay attention rather than just doing stuff he enjoys.

He probably does enjoy doing everything he does but if his facebook/ instagram feeds are anything to go on he always seems to bring a pro photographer along with him rather than be out by himself or with mates.

For example rather than just posting a pic of him driving his cars, or parked up on a good road somewhere saying he is having fun it will be a pic of him and the car posed like a fashion mag shoot captioned something like "loving my ace car #ilovejesus"

none of which impacts on his talent as a racer, just grinds my gears a bit

[C70R]

deadslow said:

C70R said:

he comes across pretty beige in PR interviews. However, the same criticism could be levelled at almost every other driver on the grid

definitely not true. Vettel is always good for a larf, and JB is good on camera - his recent bit with DC was brilliant.

Agreed, but you ignored my bolded bit. They are definitely the exception, rather than the norm. Button, Vettel and Ricciardo are probably the only recent drivers I can think of with more than an ounce of charisma. The rest (including Hamilton, if you like) are made to look like clotheshorses by comparison.

[C70R]

RB Will said:

I think my problem with Hamilton out of the car is he seems to do things that are intended to make him popular or at least make people pay attention [b]rather than just doing stuff he enjoys.

He probably does enjoy doing everything he does[/b] but if his facebook/ instagram feeds are anything to go on he always seems to bring a pro photographer along with him rather than be out by himself or with mates.

For example rather than just posting a pic of him driving his cars, or parked up on a good road somewhere saying he is having fun it will be a pic of him and the car posed like a fashion mag shoot captioned something like "loving my ace car #ilovejesus"

none of which impacts on his talent as a racer, just grinds my gears a bit

Bit of an odd contradiction there, no?

Perhaps he enjoys building his 'image', and standing out among a sea of (relative) personality dross on the current grid?

While he's absolutely not my favourite driver, I feel like the current F1 landscape would be much the poorer for his absence. Replaced by walking PR machines and clotheshorses, we may as well relegate F1 'personalities' (a big part of my enjoyment of the sport) to soccer status.

Edited by C70R on Wednesday 9th December 17:43

Edited by C70R on Wednesday 9th December 17:43

[deadslow]

C70R said:

deadslow said:

C70R said:

he comes across pretty beige in PR interviews. However, the same criticism could be levelled at almost every other driver on the grid

definitely not true. Vettel is always good for a larf, and JB is good on camera - his recent bit with DC was brilliant.

Agreed, but you ignored my bolded bit. They are definitely the exception, rather than the norm. Button, Vettel and Ricciardo are probably the only recent drivers I can think of with more than an ounce of charisma. The rest (including Hamilton, if you like) are made to look like clotheshorses by comparison.

Nah, some of them are really funny and loads of them are perfectly listenable. MAnd most of those in a second language.

Hamilton just grates. He is false #lovejesusman