Lewis Hamilton Interviews

[super7]

Is it just me or are LH's interviews with the journalists getting more and more frustrating and cringworthy?

I can appreciate that LH has been doing these interviews for the last 13years, and he's the constant, the Journo's change over the years, and i'm sure he's pissed off with it, but I'm starting to feel that I don't want to hear any more and i fast forward through his comments.... He seems to try and contradict, ignore, do his own thing, make the interviewer look stupid, give one word answers etc etc etc. I find this disapointing as i'm a big fan of his ability and followed him all through the junior chmapionships, but I feel he's just a little too up himself.

I get that some of the questions can be stupid, and deserve a stupid answer, but isn't his, and mercedes overwhelmig requirement for him be to be approachable, friendly and tolerant and to come across in a positive way, after all he's being paid a lot of money to be there and part of his role is to be interviewed. If I was the CEO of Mercedes I think i'd be having a word with Toto...

Be interested to see what other people think?

[rsbmw]

Conversely, when he has a proper interview, like a TV show or something, rather than 30 seconds track-side he comes across incredibly well. I get the impression that a lot of people who hold a similar view to you haven't seen that.

[super7]

rsbmw said:

Conversely, when he has a proper interview, like a TV show or something, rather than 30 seconds track-side he comes across incredibly well. I get the impression that a lot of people who hold a similar view to you haven't seen that.

I've seen his pieces for Sky F1 and others and yes he does come across well, but shouldn't he come across well everywhere?

[HustleRussell]

Didn't there used to be a Lewis Hamilton thread?

This post would be right at home!

[Patch1875]

Most of the time he’s fine usually because he’s won.

When he’s not happy he does an awful job of trying to hide the seeth he then comes across as a total bell end.

[ukaskew]

Patch1875 said:

Most of the time he’s fine usually because he’s won.

When he’s not happy he does an awful job of trying to hide the seeth he then comes across as a total bell end.

Which I don't think is an issue as such. He's a winner and a racer and completely wired that way. Interestingly though if he has an absolute belter of a race from the back and did everything he could, he's still usually very happy.

Mentally it's hard to appreciate the mindset of the absolute top level elite guys in any sport or walk of life.

[heebeegeetee]

super7 said:

Is it just me or are LH's interviews with the journalists getting more and more frustrating and cringworthy?

I can appreciate that LH has been doing these interviews for the last 13years, and he's the constant, the Journo's change over the years, and i'm sure he's pissed off with it, but I'm starting to feel that I don't want to hear any more and i fast forward through his comments.... He seems to try and contradict, ignore, do his own thing, make the interviewer look stupid, give one word answers etc etc etc. I find this disapointing as i'm a big fan of his ability and followed him all through the junior chmapionships, but I feel he's just a little too up himself.

I get that some of the questions can be stupid, and deserve a stupid answer, but isn't his, and mercedes overwhelmig requirement for him be to be approachable, friendly and tolerant and to come across in a positive way, after all he's being paid a lot of money to be there and part of his role is to be interviewed. If I was the CEO of Mercedes I think i'd be having a word with Toto...

Be interested to see what other people think?

Don't forget, all those dumb questions are also asked in countless languages. And then there's all those trying to trip him up, ready to maximise if he so much as raises an eyebrow incorrectly. And lets face it, that's exactly what's been going on for the past 13 years, as the multiple threads here on PH are testimony to, imo.

[djgritt]

super7 said:

He seems to try and contradict, ignore, do his own thing, make the interviewer look stupid, give one word answers etc etc etc.

I get that some of the questions can be stupid, and deserve a stupid answer, but isn't his, and mercedes overwhelmig requirement for him be to be approachable, friendly and tolerant and to come across in a positive way,

All of the drivers do this at times though, so why single out Hamilton?

Max, Vettel, Alonso etc etc all have history. Even Ricciardo has been in no mood for interview after his Monaco disaster a couple of years back.
Kimi basically made the short and disinterested Interview an unofficial signature for years but little is said of that...

[Henry Fiddleton]

I watched is Sky interview from the Pen and thought the opposite.

The interviewer tried to put the words in his by his mouth by starting "You must be annoyed..."

To which LH replied "Not at all, why would you say that?"

Anyway, seems to come across fine to me, and really who cares.

[anonymous-user]

ukaskew said:

Which I don't think is an issue as such. He's a winner and a racer and completely wired that way. Interestingly though if he has an absolute belter of a race from the back and did everything he could, he's still usually very happy.

Didn’t seem that way at Silverstone last year......

but as said, who really cares?

[anonymous-user]

ukaskew said:

Which I don't think is an issue as such. He's a winner and a racer and completely wired that way. Interestingly though if he has an absolute belter of a race from the back and did everything he could, he's still usually very happy.

Didn’t seem that way at Silverstone last year......

but as said, who really cares?

[37chevy]

as stated above the only time where I see Lewis getting short with interviewers is when they ask him a loaded question or try to put words in his mouth. As someone who has been misquoted or misinterpreted countless times I can understand why.

Makes me laugh though, no one complains about Kimis interviews, but if Lewis answered in the same manner hed be dragged over the coals.

[super7]

Henry Fiddleton said:

I watched is Sky interview from the Pen and thought the opposite.

The interviewer tried to put the words in his by his mouth by starting "You must be annoyed..."

To which LH replied "Not at all, why would you say that?"

Anyway, seems to come across fine to me, and really who cares.

Now you see I thought during the race he was questioning why he was pitted when he was, and why Bottas was allowed to scarper away. The team said they were covering off Vetel, but I personally thought it was a bad call, so could understand his line of thinking.

Then after the race, when asked about the issue, albeit not in exactly the same words, he dismmised the fact that he was hacked off? For me, it was the way he dismmised it, It was borderline rude to me.

Maybe I just don't see it the way you lot do and it's obvioulsy just me. No problems, i'll just keep fast forwarding through it.. No further comment needed from me.

[TheDeuce]

In proper interviews, he comes over pretty well. His "beyond the grid" podcast episode was particularly good.

It's just a shame that when he has to address a crowd at the circuit, or a 2 minute interview track-side, he transforms into a Miss America Winner and streams off a copy and paste praise of those that supported him, positivity, I'm just a cog in the machine blah blah... I wouldn't mind but it's the exact same every time.

I also agree with the 'who cares' sentiment though. He doesn't care himself, he's there to do his job, all he will want to achieve when he's asked the same question for the hundredth time is to say 'something' without saying anything he will regret. So mostly, he talks for two minutes but in the end he hasn't said anything at all

I really couldn't care less to be honest, but objectively - I would agree his interviews race weekend are normally pretty dull.

[HustleRussell]

super7 said:

Henry Fiddleton said:

I watched is Sky interview from the Pen and thought the opposite.

The interviewer tried to put the words in his by his mouth by starting "You must be annoyed..."

To which LH replied "Not at all, why would you say that?"

Anyway, seems to come across fine to me, and really who cares.

Now you see I thought during the race he was questioning why he was pitted when he was, and why Bottas was allowed to scarper away. The team said they were covering off Vetel, but I personally thought it was a bad call, so could understand his line of thinking.

Then after the race, when asked about the issue, albeit not in exactly the same words, he dismmised the fact that he was hacked off? For me, it was the way he dismmised it, It was borderline rude to me.

Maybe I just don't see it the way you lot do and it's obvioulsy just me. No problems, i'll just keep fast forwarding through it.. No further comment needed from me.

Seriously, dig up the 'Lewis Hamilton' thread. You will be in good company there.

[StevieBee]

I think the only driver who gave any value in race-weekend interviews over the past 20 years or so was Eddie Irvine. My favourite being when asked to comment on Rubens Barrichello claiming Irvine would never being as good as him, he replied "he's probably right but I'm happy that I'll never be us ugly as him".

They are all contractually tied to constrain what they say which leads to bland soundbites, the same stuff being spouted and an inaccurate representation of the driver - and to a certain extend Team Managers too.

The Netflix series has removed a layer of this though.

As others have said, Stick Lewis on Graham Norton (!) and you see an entirely different person.

[TheDeuce]

StevieBee said:

They are all contractually tied to constrain what they say which leads to bland soundbites, the same stuff being spouted and an inaccurate representation of the driver - and to a certain extend Team Managers too.

That doesn't stop Max "Ask me again, and I think I might headbutt somebody" Verstappen though

Unless his contract permits him to call another driver a p**sy just after attacking them.. Also his on-track radio deceleration that the Renault engine in his car was a "piece of st, a fking piece of st".

Still, amidst all the rage and expletives I would say he's quite open and insightful about his state of mind, his thoughts. Plenty of shocking things slip out of his mouth, but all seem pretty honest. Too honest haha. Also who's going to enforce better behaviour? Horner? He's not exactly subtle in his criticisms of others either.

Kimi of course, despite saying as little as possible, somehow is always hilarious. Seb too can be quite interesting/funny at times.

[StevieBee]

TheDeuce said:

StevieBee said:

They are all contractually tied to constrain what they say which leads to bland soundbites, the same stuff being spouted and an inaccurate representation of the driver - and to a certain extend Team Managers too.

That doesn't stop Max "Ask me again, and I think I might headbutt somebody" Verstappen though

Unless his contract permits him to call another driver a p**sy just after attacking them.. Also his on-track radio deceleration that the Renault engine in his car was a "piece of st, a fking piece of st".

Still, amidst all the rage and expletives I would say he's quite open and insightful about his state of mind, his thoughts. Plenty of shocking things slip out of his mouth, but all seem pretty honest. Too honest haha. Also who's going to enforce better behaviour? Horner? He's not exactly subtle in his criticisms of others either.

Kimi of course, despite saying as little as possible, somehow is always hilarious. Seb too can be quite interesting/funny at times.

Yes, you're right about Max. Though I suspect as time marches on, he may well be reined in a bit as well. Hope not.

Red Bull do seem less bothered about such things.

[TheDeuce]

StevieBee said:

Yes, you're right about Max. Though I suspect as time marches on, he may well be reined in a bit as well. Hope not.

Red Bull do seem less bothered about such things.

I think Red Bull are all about spectacle, and will take/create headlines however they can. RB is just one of those brands, whose marketing philosophy is simply to get their logo spread around the globe, so that we all see it at least a few times a day. Which to be fair, does work.

[slipstream 1985]

They must do 20 short interviews of the same boring loaded question.