I like Lewis but...
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RedexR

Original Poster:

1,861 posts

243 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
Top marks for a great drive the other day but why is he so instutionalised ? I,ve just seen some footage of him at the Farnborough airshow , all done up in his racesuit and Vodaphone cap...for christsake just be yourself man , just because they pay your wages doesn,t mean they own you body and soul man !

heebeegeetee

30,139 posts

277 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
RedexR said:
Top marks for a great drive the other day but why is he so instutionalised ? I,ve just seen some footage of him at the Farnborough airshow , all done up in his racesuit and Vodaphone cap...for christsake just be yourself man , just because they pay your wages doesn,t mean they own you body and soul man !
Well, my thoughts on this spring from my thoughts about Kimi. If a racing driver spends his own money on his racing, he can do what he likes. If however, someone elses money is providing the car and all of the back-up, resources and infrastructure to run it, then that driver is in debt to somebody whether he likes it or not. The driver has 2 clear and straightforward choices.

If he chooses to race with someone elses money, then yes, it means you do as your employer and sponsors say, 'cos otherwise you're a fraud, you're defrauding somebody somewhere along the lines.

Lewis is entirely within his rights to do what he wants, and so is Mclaren.

MrKipling43

5,788 posts

245 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
RedexR said:
Just because they pay your wages doesn't mean they own your body and soul man!
Actually, it kinda does.

Lewis, and all the other F1 drivers, are basically wage slaves just like (most of) the rest of us. They are wherever the team tells them to be to do a job and that job involves being a walking billboard.

Dilligaf10

2,431 posts

239 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
RedexR said:
Top marks for a great drive the other day but why is he so instutionalised ? I,ve just seen some footage of him at the Farnborough airshow , all done up in his racesuit and Vodaphone cap...for christsake just be yourself man , just because they pay your wages doesn,t mean they own you body and soul man !
Wasn't he there racing the Mac against a plane? Therefore it was probably a contractual obligation, hence the reason he was in "uniform"

okgo

42,126 posts

227 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
Of course it was contract, I have seen him on TG, and other things wearing normal clothes smile

woof

8,456 posts

306 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
Lewis and Anthony are both guys you'd have a pint or perhaps a vodka tonic with down at the pub.

The problem they both have is that the don't have the PR experience that they really need
Anthony has been kind of forced into the role of manager because the couldn't find someone they wanted - well they did but he decided (god knows why) that he wasn't up to it.

So they get themselves into situations that, if Lewis was older or they had a more experienced management team around them both, simply wouldn't happen.

I really like Kimi as well - he's very similar to Jacques Villeneuve, brilliant driver but can't stand the BS - KR couldn't stand it when he was in Formula Renault - god knows how he deals with it now.









Edited by woof on Monday 14th July 19:13

kusee pee

1,021 posts

232 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
woof said:
Lewis and Anthony are both guys you'd have a pint or perhaps a vodka tonic with down at the pub.

The problem they both have is that the don't have the PR experience that they really need
Anthony has been kind of forced into the role of manager because the couldn't find someone they wanted - well they did but he decided (god knows why) that he wasn't up to it.

So they get themselves into situations that, if Lewis was older or they had a more experienced management team around them both, simply wouldn't happen.

I really like Kimi as well - he's very similar to Jacques Villeneuve, brilliant driver but can't stand the BS - KR couldn't stand it when he was in Formula Renault - god knows how he deals with it now.

Edited by woof on Monday 14th July 19:13
Agree completely. Lewis needs decent management and to relax a bit. He's trying too hard to be the next Senna. He needs to admit his mistakes and just enjoy his driving. Jenson Button has impressed me in this regard, I think he's really matured and is able to be both professional and relaxed. Lewis is very young and comes across as very young IMO. Alonso a couple of years ago (before he lost the plot) showed a good example of how a young man could be a mature champion.

RedexR

Original Poster:

1,861 posts

243 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
okgo said:
Of course it was contract, I have seen him on TG, and other things wearing normal clothes smile
I can,t help thinking he has a pair of Vodaphone McLaren Pygamas neatly folded on his bed...

Animal

5,667 posts

297 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
Do you think he has a matching nightcap?

okgo

42,126 posts

227 months

Monday 14th July 2008
quotequote all
RedexR said:
okgo said:
Of course it was contract, I have seen him on TG, and other things wearing normal clothes smile
I can,t help thinking he has a pair of Vodaphone McLaren Pygamas neatly folded on his bed...
Yeh probably, I dont mind the guy at least he seems to have a bit of personality, unlike some english sports people cough - Andy Murray - cough.

As said he just isn't managed the best way and is still young and wants to do EVERYTHING

BigBen

12,155 posts

259 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
quotequote all
okgo said:
RedexR said:
okgo said:
Of course it was contract, I have seen him on TG, and other things wearing normal clothes smile
I can,t help thinking he has a pair of Vodaphone McLaren Pygamas neatly folded on his bed...
Yeh probably, I dont mind the guy at least he seems to have a bit of personality, unlike some english sports people cough - Andy Murray - cough.

As said he just isn't managed the best way and is still young and wants to do EVERYTHING
I am pretty sure you would see a different side to Andy Murray if you called him an English sports personwink

Ben


absolutely

3,168 posts

221 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
quotequote all
McLaren/Mercedes do run your life, DC has relaxed and is more himself now than when he was at McLaren.

jellison

12,803 posts

306 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
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He seems to be doing OK with the Pussy Cat Nicole;) She WILL teach him a few tricks;)

rubystone

11,254 posts

288 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
quotequote all
absolutely said:
McLaren/Mercedes do run your life, DC has relaxed and is more himself now than when he was at McLaren.
Nail on the head. What surprises me more is that McLaren really do not see that some of the stunts they make Lewis do (that flying thru the air crap) belittles the guy and adds to this media view that he is so far up his own arse.

Bish, do something about it mate otherwise I'll have to wander across Tower Bridge and 'ave a word biggrin

Doobs

736 posts

279 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
quotequote all
I would suggest that (possibly) the reason why everyone notices his PR stuff is that he constantly makes the news because he has taken F1 and British F1 media by storm. Other drivers could do the same amount of PR stuff and no one would notice because the news dont put them on the screen so much. They all do it, I am sure Hamilton does more than most because of his popularity but hardly a character flaw.

davidd

6,713 posts

313 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
quotequote all
woof said:
Anthony has been kind of forced into the role of manager because the couldn't find someone they wanted - well they did but he decided (god knows why) that he wasn't up to it.
Edited by woof on Monday 14th July 19:13
Interesting, who did they want to get?

D

Dr JonboyG

2,561 posts

268 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
quotequote all
kusee pee said:
woof said:
Lewis and Anthony are both guys you'd have a pint or perhaps a vodka tonic with down at the pub.

The problem they both have is that the don't have the PR experience that they really need
Anthony has been kind of forced into the role of manager because the couldn't find someone they wanted - well they did but he decided (god knows why) that he wasn't up to it.

So they get themselves into situations that, if Lewis was older or they had a more experienced management team around them both, simply wouldn't happen.

I really like Kimi as well - he's very similar to Jacques Villeneuve, brilliant driver but can't stand the BS - KR couldn't stand it when he was in Formula Renault - god knows how he deals with it now.

Edited by woof on Monday 14th July 19:13
Agree completely. Lewis needs decent management and to relax a bit. He's trying too hard to be the next Senna. He needs to admit his mistakes and just enjoy his driving. Jenson Button has impressed me in this regard, I think he's really matured and is able to be both professional and relaxed. Lewis is very young and comes across as very young IMO. Alonso a couple of years ago (before he lost the plot) showed a good example of how a young man could be a mature champion.
Button is the perfect example of who not to emulate when it comes to management - what with the whole "I'm leaving and going to Williams/No I'm not" episodes.

kevin ritson

3,423 posts

256 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
quotequote all
OK I was bored of these before but here's what I saw at the weekend:

Sunday morning at Goodwood. I was working with the TV company on the startline calling through the cars they wanted to film on the runs. There was a lot of attention on Lewis, from the moment his helicopter left for the venue. I had a bit of a chuckle about the whole thing with the marshals - yes it does get a bit OTT but that's what the general public wants (general public as opposed to die hard motorsport followers)

Anyway, when he came down the hill for his first run he had an inevitable rush for autographs from the marshals. To his credit he signed every one, shook hands and was pleased to be there (at an event he really didn't have to do). He did the same when he took the McMerc SLR up the hill for a lucky passenger.

Then, on the second F1 run he parked the McLaren right next to where I was based and headed off to the gathering crowd to sign autographs. He was there for a good 5 minutes. I didn't see anyone else do the same (not that they had to)

After that he had a friendly chat with Jochen Mass who was driving a 100-year old Mercedes up the hill.

No heirs and graces, just a normal decent chap. Of course he likes the perks of the job, wouldn't any of us be the same? I fear he won't be like this forever - can anyone? But for now I fail to see why anyone can resent him anything.

IainT

10,040 posts

267 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
quotequote all
kevin ritson said:
stuff
Thanks for that Kevin - nice to see a real reflection of how the man is without the media hype and surrounding crap.

woof

8,456 posts

306 months

Tuesday 15th July 2008
quotequote all
davidd said:
woof said:
Anthony has been kind of forced into the role of manager because the couldn't find someone they wanted - well they did but he decided (god knows why) that he wasn't up to it.
Edited by woof on Monday 14th July 19:13
Interesting, who did they want to get?

D
Probably can't say - as you never know that it may happen in the future.