F1-Live.com chrono

Lauda critical of Hamilton’s park request

Mon 13 Jul, 05:46 PM


Niki Lauda has criticised reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton for wanting to abandon the German Grand Prix.

On the back of a strong weekend with significant car improvements at the Nurburgring, the McLaren driver made a bid for the lead at the start but cut a tyre in contact with eventual winner Mark Webber.

When subsequently running last, the McLaren driver asked on the radio with the pitwall to ‘save this engine and gearbox’ in the form of a voluntary retirement, but was told to ‘concentrate on the driving and leave the strategy to us’.

Asked about Hamilton's request, triple world champion Lauda told Bild newspaper: "I wouldn't have dared. A driver should drive because that's what he is paid to do. Everything else is decided by the bosses."

The Austrian surmised that Hamilton's desire to quit the race early did ‘not make a good impression’.

One of Briton Hamilton's bosses, however, does not agree. Norbert Haug, competition chief for the team's engine partner Mercedes, said Hamilton's radio call was ‘in order’.

Hamilton finished the race 18th and it was later discovered that the MP4-24 suffered damaged to the upper floor and brake duct making progress from the back of the pack impossible.

 

Comment 21 - 40 of 40

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. the team communication also said the same Mauricio
    they­ said to him just keep driving we will make the­ decisions

    later radio coms had him asking how soon the­ rain will arrive, was this asked so he could beach the­ car on the way into the pits and have an excuse for­ daddy?

    From Chris Gaither, on Wed 15 Jul 5:33PM

  2. hamilton the cont should abandon f1 for ever,always­ trying to cheat,the lying little bistard

    From barrie, on Wed 15 Jul 8:41AM

  3. I didn't think I would ever agree with­ Harleygirl......................but hey girl..........I­ totally agree with you on­ this.........................".help me, i am­ totally embarrassed because I stink, let­ me come in­ and quit. I promise to be a good boy and try­ harder­ next time. It doesn't matter that I get­ paid, I am­ the great LH. It is not his car, his engine,­ his­ anything. Not his decision. shut up and race and­ the­ chief of your team will tell you what to do. what­­ doesn't he understand about the chain of­ command???.."...........There Girl, I liked it,­ but just don't all cozy,­ okey.

    HEhehehhehehe

    Cheers.

    From Mauricio, on Wed 15 Jul 6:21AM

  4. I truly have the utmost admiration for Niki Lauda for­ his perseverance as a driver and all he endured before­ I ever started watching F1. But, with that said, I have­ to wonder why it is that his name only SEEMS to make­ the news when he's criticizing (I presume that is­ another word we in the States spell differently than­ the Europeans LOL) someone else. I hope that it is ONLY­ a case that the media only gives him attention when he­ is being negative and NOT a case of his just only ever­ being negative anymore...

    From &rea, on Wed 15 Jul 4:28AM

  5. Don't you just love giving Francis S.. h1t the­ thumbs down..Hamilton lasts longer than you do­ t.o.s.s.e.r.

    From Tonka, on Tue 14 Jul 11:11AM

  6. oops, hampster is now team principle. the poor has got­ used to double digit results. he should really be­ thinking of changing his role in the team.

    From didislalo, on Tue 14 Jul 11:03AM

  7. Bill K,Niki didnt have to race until the end of season­ after the 'Ring shunt.

    From wizzo, on Tue 14 Jul 9:47AM

  8. Spot on Davis #13,Lewis had no hope gaining points so­ why not park up and save the machinery which could WIN­ him Hungary with a start like that.Dennis is sadly­ missing.

    From wizzo, on Tue 14 Jul 9:44AM

  9. Happy to see your all still drinking the Hamilton­ Kool-Aid.
    Lauda's retirement in Japan was due to­ safety concerns. There's a big difference. Look at­ the burns on Niki's face and tell me he didn't­ have a reason to be concerned about safety.

    From Bill K, on Tue 14 Jul 8:19AM

  10. Yeah fancy Hamilton wanting to park it, what a cry­ baby.

    The Senna comparison of himself just gets­ funnier and sadder,

    From Hugh, on Tue 14 Jul 8:10AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Hi my name is Max Mosley, this guy is a genious, he is­ only trying to save money. This is my kind of guy. ­ Well Lewis you have given him a few bullets there.

    From PETER, on Tue 14 Jul 2:32AM

  12. Who gives a damn what Lauda thinks? He was one of the­ worst examples ever of 'doing the right thing';­ he didn't even thank the guy who, at great personal­ injury, saved his life. AND he gave up half way through­ a season.

    From colourblindfan, on Tue 14 Jul 1:56AM

  13. if ferrari paid kimi in ice cream they would go­ bust...lauda the rain master LOL

    From LEEROY, on Tue 14 Jul 1:08AM

  14. Nikki should know the difference between suggesting and­ ordering. Hamilton only suggested to save the engine­ & gearbox, but after the BOSSES told him to­ continue, he did just that. Unfortunately Nikki Lauda­ can't see a log in his own eye. The car also had­ some damage on the upper floor and brake duct for­ God's sake. Where is Nikki's safety sense? Was­ Nikki not paid when he abandoned the race in Japan?­ Nikki's decision was even worse because it cost him­ the title. Were his BOSSES happy with his decision? May­ be he has forgotten or old-age is taking its toll.

    Am­ worried because some quarters were mentioning his name­ to run for FIA's presidency in future. This­ doesn't amount to blasting, does it?

    From emanyaleni, on Tue 14 Jul 12:54AM

  15. Hamilton WAS trying to fight his way back but as soon­ as he got stuck behind anyone he was blue flagged back­ down again. With a knckered car, even the great­ Schumacher would not have made any progress under these­ conditions.

    Give the kid a break, he was using his­ head for once.

    From Rob C, on Tue 14 Jul 12:06AM

  16. From David: "I remember Niki Lauda parking a­ perfectly good ferarri­ in Japan because he didn't­ want to race in the rain­ - handing the title to James­­ Hunt..............."

    Yes, it's what I was­ thinking of at #12.

    "AND..........walking away­ fron­ Brabham into retirement No1 before the end of­ the­ season"

    But I'd forgotten that one! ­ Yes, Lauda can be a bit of a shower, can't­ he?

    Lewis' request was­ perfectly valid........at­ least he had the courtisy to­ ask first and then go­ with the decision handed out, not­ just walk off like­ Niki..........

    From John Barringer, on Mon 13 Jul 11:56PM

  17. From damo.cross: "Well said, John Barringer. You­ going for FIA­ presidency?"

    Yikes!!! Not bloody­ likely! There's more wrong with the FIA than just­ Mosley. Whoever takes that job on walks into a Buzz­ saw!

    From John Barringer, on Mon 13 Jul 11:12PM

  18. Sounds like a perfectly sensible question from Lewis, a­ perfectly reasonable answer from the team, & Lewis­ carried on to the bitter end. That must have been a­ hard, demoralising thing to have to do, but he did it.

    From Alan P, on Mon 13 Jul 10:44PM

  19. i can't say how disapointed i was to see his tyre­ punctured just after he took P1 in the 1st corner, but­ i know hammy had his dose of luck in the last corner of­ the interlagos GP so we need to relativse things...he­ will bounce!

    From Tyson, on Mon 13 Jul 10:13PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I didn't realize Hamilton wanted to retire from the­ race, I thought he wanted to conserve the engine by­ turning the revs down or something like that. I­ don't know why McLaren are even bothering to bring­ out new parts for the car, they can just trash this car­ and concentrate on building the 2010 car (if they are­ in F1 by then)

    From arshad_iceman2, on Mon 13 Jul 10:03PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account