Lewis Hamilton

[dukeboy749r]

I have to disagree - words without actions, are well, just words.

[BigBen]

Vocal Minority said:

Now when he said stewards were picking on him ‘maybe it’s because I is black’ -That was playing the race card. But he was a silly young man still in those days.

He said "is is because I is black" which to anyone down with the kids was an Ali-G quote thus not intended to be taken seriously, playing the race card it was not.

[37chevy]

Can’t belive people are using an off the cuff remark made 10 years ago to chastise Hamilton and accuse him of playing the race card. Give your head a wobble

[anonymous-user]

E34-3.2 said:

A few post above you criticise Hamilton for tax evasion then you mention Rossi... I Hope that this is some kind of humour?
You clearly don't know much about Rossi Motogp history. He is a total idiot with most of his team mates and turn the team against them. Not many riders like him when behind closed doors.
Don't get me wrong, the only reason why I watch Motogp is because Rossi. He is a supreme talent but outside Motogp... No thanks.

Hamilton doesn’t belong in the same sentence IMO. I don’t think Rossi has ever played the race card, launched his own team and seems to have a fair few current riders at his ranch? I’m not sure how you can justify he’s a ‘total idiot’ but then I suppose my view that I’d rather see anyone but Hamilton win an F1 race is just as much of a personal take on things. It is also quite odd that someone within motorsport, who knew many people had nothing good to say about him. Again one mans villain is another’s hero. He’s just not a popular chap. My original point was him moaning about diversity yet not seemingly doing anything about it, when all everyone wanted to do was discuss the season just seems a bit strange.

[Vocal Minority]

BigBen said:

Vocal Minority said:

Now when he said stewards were picking on him ‘maybe it’s because I is black’ -That was playing the race card. But he was a silly young man still in those days.

He said "is is because I is black" which to anyone down with the kids was an Ali-G quote thus not intended to be taken seriously, playing the race card it was not.

In 2010 Ali G was about as youth culture and down with the kids as Charles Dickens. I haven't been loving in cave, was 25 at the time and was perfectly aware.

He was bhing about the stewards. In all humour there is a kernel of truth, it wasn't a 100% joke looking in context - even as a 'joke' it was a stupid idea.


Either way - he's bob on about this in my opinion.

Edited by Vocal Minority on Friday 23 March 10:07

[HighwayStar]

37chevy said:

Can’t belive people are using an off the cuff remark made 10 years ago to chastise Hamilton and accuse him of playing the race card. Give your head a wobble

Sadly this is what some people are like... One off the cuff remark, they then think they know all about him and build their whole argument on it.
Same with the tax thing... All wealthy people have tax accountants to advise them where to put there money, to minimise their tax spend.
If Lewis lived in the UK he'd undoubtedly pay more tax but it still wouldn't be what the average person would imagine.
I've mention it before and others have also raised it... Button, Coulthard, Stewart, Mansell... All took to tax havens (Monaco, Switzerland and Isle of Man) to avoid UK taxes. Dublin for Damon Hill.
None of those guys get the grief that Hamilton gets, why is that? The question never gets an answer. Of course there's the obvious answer but I believe that vast majority of people aren't like that. See the number of fans cheering for him at his HOME Grand Prix.
If I was in his position I would do the same. It's a big wide world. Of course they'll will be a few here who would stay in the UK but most, with a top line drivers income, once they'd seen how much they could keep living elsewhere would be gone too.
So, back to the question... Button, Coulthard, Stewart, Mansell and Hamilton chose to be tax exiles but Hamilton is the one who gets slaughtered. Why?

[travel is dangerous]

F1 has always overzealously punished and negatively reacted to young drivers who come in and start performing well, immediately challenging the established contenders:

- Max Verstappen
- Lewis Hamilton
- Eddie Irvine (Senna/irvine unlapping) (future trajectory didn't hold the promise, I guess)

etc.etc.

[37chevy]

travel is dangerous said:

F1 has always overzealously punished and negatively reacted to young drivers who come in and start performing well, immediately challenging the established contenders:

- Max Verstappen
- Lewis Hamilton
- Eddie Irvine (Senna/irvine unlapping) (future trajectory didn't hold the promise, I guess)

etc.etc.

And yet they seem to give Vettel a free pass because he had 1 year in a Toro Rosso before jumping into a dominant car for 4 years

[KevinCamaroSS]

Vocal Minority said:

In 2010 Ali G was about as youth culture and down with the kids as Charles Dickens. I haven't been loving in cave, was 25 at the time and was perfectly aware.

He was bhing about the stewards. In all humour there is a kernel of truth, it wasn't a 100% joke looking in context - even as a 'joke' it was a stupid idea.


Either way - he's bob on about this in my opinion.

Edited by Vocal Minority on Friday 23 March 10:07

Hamilton made one comment 10 years ago, that was perhaps a bit racist, whether it was in jest or not is moot. Yet you still call him out for a single racist comment? I would be very surprised indeed if you have not made a single comment that could be construed as racist in those ten years.

Just enjoy watching him for his superlative driving skill. As regards the tax side he does no more, or less, than any other person in his position. Read up about international tax laws before making comments about something you obviously know very little about. News headlines about VAT matters are just that, headlines, not researched fully to gain the real details about the situation. Hamilton's tax advisers would be on top of the details to ensure no rules were broken.

[anonymous-user]

HighwayStar said:

Sadly this is what some people are like... One off the cuff remark, they then think they know all about him and build their whole argument on it.
Same with the tax thing... All wealthy people have tax accountants to advise them where to put there money, to minimise their tax spend.
If Lewis lived in the UK he'd undoubtedly pay more tax but it still wouldn't be what the average person would imagine.
I've mention it before and others have also raised it... Button, Coulthard, Stewart, Mansell... All took to tax havens (Monaco, Switzerland and Isle of Man) to avoid UK taxes. Dublin for Damon Hill.
None of those guys get the grief that Hamilton gets, why is that? The question never gets an answer. Of course there's the obvious answer but I believe that vast majority of people aren't like that. See the number of fans cheering for him at his HOME Grand Prix.
If I was in his position I would do the same. It's a big wide world. Of course they'll will be a few here who would stay in the UK but most, with a top line drivers income, once they'd seen how much they could keep living elsewhere would be gone too.
So, back to the question... Button, Coulthard, Stewart, Mansell and Hamilton chose to be tax exiles but Hamilton is the one who gets slaughtered. Why?

I think it's more to do with the fact that in this modern age people are now being made aware of what is going on with tax havens when perhaps in the past you had to be an accountant to see this sort of information.

The internet and social media has opened up the World and we know a lot more than we once did.

Personally I feel if there is anyone who should be being blamed then it is the accountants who are suggesting the ways of avoiding tax.

Does anyone really think a film star, rock legend or sporting hero knows anything about tax??

If you were told "I can save you Millions" would you say no?

Unfortunately the World is full of jealous people who hate to see someone doing well. Yet many of these people are happy to sit and do nothing all day but expect the government to hand them cash on a weekly basis as it is THEIR RIGHT.

Just because they can does it make it right??

[Vocal Minority]

This is what I don't get....people were talking about the race card thing with his recent statements on diversity - and mentioned by others above. , it was also mentioned in the Motorsport article about the subject.

I mentioned it in passing in response to people like Yonex who said the comments about F1 being under-diverse saying it was a race card - and whilst he has been guilty of saying silly things in the past - this wasn't one of those times.

I just mentioned it in passing (as an illustration of how this wasn't what he was doing now) - amongst agreeing with him on the state of things generally. No one 'called anyone out' on anything! It was an observation, you make it sound like I want to fight him!

Why do people have to get so bloody excited about defending Lewis Hamilton - you do it when he hasn't even been attacked! It's taking it all a bit seriously....

(and I never mentioned his tax position)

[Europa1]

yonex said:

There’s a lack of engineers in general.

Lack of engineers in general, and a lack of diversity within engineering.

[The Moose]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Unfortunately the World is full of jealous people who hate to see someone doing well. Yet many of these people are happy to sit and do nothing all day but expect the government to hand them cash on a weekly basis as it is THEIR RIGHT.

The UK certainly is. Not the world.

[HighwayStar]

Vocal Minority said:

This is what I don't get....people were talking about the race card thing with his recent statements on diversity - and mentioned by others above. , it was also mentioned in the Motorsport article about the subject.

I mentioned it in passing in response to people like Yonex who said the comments about F1 being under-diverse saying it was a race card - and whilst he has been guilty of saying silly things in the past - this wasn't one of those times.

I just mentioned it in passing (as an illustration of how this wasn't what he was doing now) - amongst agreeing with him on the state of things generally. No one 'called anyone out' on anything! It was an observation, you make it sound like I want to fight him!

Why do people have to get so bloody excited about defending Lewis Hamilton - you do it when he hasn't even been attacked! It's taking it all a bit seriously....

(and I never mentioned his tax position)

Not sure anyone was having a pop at you... I certainly wasn't while mentioning the tax thing.

You are quite right... he wasn't playing the race card, it was an observation. Yonnex decided Lewis played the card.
Raising diversity is always going to bring different views to the table... Some good ones, some well intentioned and those who are uninformed or just don't get it.
I would loosely agree with Yonnex in that Lewis's approach to the subject wasn't well presented.
Because of who he is, his stature in the sport he has a platform. We can all agree that whatever he says, people are listening.
He could've spoken a bit more on his thoughts, what prompted him to speak up and his observations within the F1 that we don't see.
The very fact that he's there shows that with hard work, dedication, talent and luck it's possible to get there. He could've started the conversation in a different way but for some they would still see it as whinging, shut up and drive etc.

[anonymous-user]

It’s not just the racial comment, he was dumb over Xmas with his nephew (wasn’t it), I think he should just hand over his social media accounts to a management team, hold whatever views he has and just get on with driving. He blitzed everyone today, why can’t he just let that do the talking?

[Greeny]

yonex said:

It’s not just the racial comment, he was dumb over Xmas with his nephew (wasn’t it), I think he should just hand over his social media accounts to a management team, hold whatever views he has and just get on with driving. He blitzed everyone today, why can’t he just let that do the talking?

So, out of thousands of comments over the years, you pick up on 2, and ignore the rest. I guess you have never said something you later regret, what a perfect soul you must be.

[M3ax]

Greeny said:

So, out of thousands of comments over the years, you pick up on 2, and ignore the rest. I guess you have never said something you later regret, what a perfect soul you must be.

Given the work he’s done on the griff I think his soul is in the right place

[anonymous-user]

Greeny said:

So, out of thousands of comments over the years, you pick up on 2, and ignore the rest. I guess you have never said something you later regret, what a perfect soul you must be.

Relax, it’s just an opinion. Like I said, one persons favourite is another’s demon. Sorry I mentioned it.

[anonymous-user]

M3ax said:

Given the work he’s done on the griff I think his soul is in the right place

[E34-3.2]

dukeboy749r said:

I have to disagree - words without actions, are well, just words.

Well not really, words makes people speak about a problem. Which we are talking about and you actually participating right now.