Hamilton: I'm not arrogant

Eurosport - Wed, 15 Oct 13:01:00 2008

Lewis Hamilton has rejected Jackie Stewart's claim that he is arrogant and over confident in his driving style.

2008 Japanese GP McLaren Hamilton - 0

The championship leader's temperament has been once more been put in the spotlight after his disappointing 12th place finish at the Japanese GP saw his lead over Felipe Massa cut to five points with just two races left.

"I would never say I was better than anyone else. But I am a Formula 1 driver and all of us have to believe in ourselves to get to where we are," he told his official website.

"You have to have that belief to go out and win: and that's what helps you strive for better performance and to achieve more in your life. I look at the other drivers and I want to beat them.

"Recently, there have been lots of different quotes attributed to me. And sometimes I've said things that have either come out the wrong way or been taken out of context so people get a different feeling of what I've said when I haven't expressed myself correctly."

Hamilton's failure to score in Japan revived fears that history may be repeating itself after he allowed a commanding lead to slip through his fingers at the same stage last year.

"This was not his finest hour," triple champion Stewart told the RBS website, commenting on Hamilton's wild start and subsequent drive-through penalty at Fuji.

"His approach in that first corner was slightly arrogant to other drivers.

"The Japanese race demonstrated that Lewis is still very young, in only his second season, and although he comes across as very cool in interviews, he doesn't always have the same level of mind management when he's racing.

"Lewis Hamilton can still win the championship, but not if he drives the last two races the way he drove in Japan."

Hamilton also denied a recent story that quoted him as saying he was already better than three-time world champion Ayrton Senna.

"I never said that - and I definitely wouldn't say it about Ayrton because he's my favourite driver," he said.

"I think he's the best driver there ever was and, to this day, I still don't believe anyone would beat him. If I could achieve just a small part of what he's achieved, it would be a dream for me."

Meanwhile, former world champions Damon Hill and Niki Lauda have both said that Hamilton needs to calm down if he is to take F1 title.

"Lewis is impatient to win that first title, but you can't force it," 1996 champion Hill BBC Radio 5 Live, "There's no question about his speed or ability, he just needs to stay cool and let it happen.

"It's a mark of Lewis's career - he's always been very keen to get the job done and move on, and you need that impatience, but it can sometimes trip you up if you're not wary. Sunday's race was a lesson, and Lewis learns very quickly. He'll look back and think maybe it would've been better to settle into it more and got his rhythm going."

Lauda, meanwhile, told n-tv.de that he had been dismayed to see Hamilton making the same sort of mistake that cost him a title shot in 2007.

"I am disappointed with Lewis," the three-time champion sighed, "He threw away the championship last year in the same way, with absolutely unnecessary risks."

Seán Fay & Crash.net / Eurosport

Comment 163 - 182 of 242

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  1. I do hope that all you people slagging off Lewis, are not British - I would be very dissapointed if you were??!! If Lewis was arrogant, why did he let Alonso get away with all the @#$% last season - Lewis could of done so much more, but he didn't.

    From trvr_elkins, on Wed 15 Oct 10:10AM

  2. yeah lewis aint an arrogant person.
    he is just an overconfident big mouth

    From manojthiyagarajan@..., on Wed 15 Oct 9:43AM

  3. yeah he is not (not)
    he is just a over confident big mouth

    From manojthiyagarajan@..., on Wed 15 Oct 9:17AM

  4. No-one in there right mind would compare Schumacher, Prost and Senna to Lewis until he had at least 3 titles behind him!! Then he could be arrogant, and rightly so! I notice no-one ever compares British ex-champions to Lewis or vis-versa! WHY?

    From racers_only, on Wed 15 Oct 8:50AM

  5. His ridiculous brain fades, and comments is what you get when you persist with a factory working, suddenly rich, no-body as a manager. He's your dad Lewis! Fair enough. Keep throwin' the cash at him, but get yourself a real manager and ALL of this will go away. Every driver out there would be talking like Lewis if they didn't have a manager holding the reigns!!

    From racers_only, on Wed 15 Oct 8:44AM

  6. To be honest English press made Hamilton so arrogant “golden boy” “next Schumacher”. Frankly he is lack of skills. He has the best car for last two seasons at F1 and for sure this car is too fast for him. Some people says he is only lack of experience but look at Kubica. Hi is only one month older than Hamilton. Compare to Lewis Kubica drives like professor. Hamilton never be a great driver. He is only brainless boy with very fast car – “golden car”.

    From assee@..., on Wed 15 Oct 8:35AM

  7. mauricechlela, you're right, you are a @#$%!!!

    From danluckylarry, on Wed 15 Oct 8:32AM

  8. Come on guys, he has to believe in himself and his talen to get where he is today.
    Without the self believe and confidence he has, he wouldnt be where he is, fighting again for the World Championship... in only his second season in F1.

    A lot of people wouldnt be commenting if it was Michael Shumacher would they???

    From Jane, on Wed 15 Oct 8:30AM

  9. go lewis you

    From red_tolstoy, on Wed 15 Oct 8:17AM

  10. Hamilton: I'm not arrogant i'm jus t a @#$%

    From mauricechlela, on Wed 15 Oct 8:14AM

  11. I'm a big Hamilton fan, but he does have a short memory. Above he says 'I would never say I'm better than anyone' but at the Spa FIA appeal he said 'I know pretty much every manoeuvre in the book, and that's why I'm the best at my job'
    To be fair tho' he is only 23 and he does have a lot to learn about dealing with the media. He needs to think a bit more before he speaks, and think a bit more before he commits himself to unnecessary risks on the track.

    From Bentley Boy, on Wed 15 Oct 7:33AM

  12. As for the book, its' just easy money. Most Celebrities bring them out, usually just before Christmas. I'm sure ther'll be another if he is successful.

    From Mike, on Wed 15 Oct 6:48AM

  13. Whilst not being a LH fan I think you are being unreasonable Sag1958
    The "Balls" remark was indeed ill considered, a knee jerk reaction to criticism.
    He was the Moral victor at Spa. Even Ferrari fans found that one uncomfortable, along with the Bourdais collision in Fuji.
    I don't think he expected Alonso to "bow out" he just refused to drive slower than him.

    From Mike, on Wed 15 Oct 6:44AM

  14. arrogance?? i'd say it was pretty arrogant of hamilton to publish auto-biography BEFORE the end of his rookie season, i mean what had he accomplished 'yet' in formula one?? that's arrogant... denigrating fellow drivers' style as being without 'balls' is arrogant... declaring himself the 'moral champion' after spa because he was penalized, yup, that's arrogant... expecting a two-time champion (alonso) to bow out gracefully just because he entered the picture, that's pretty arrogant... sheez, these examples just keep on coming... gotta stop now... sigh...

    From sagittarius1958, on Wed 15 Oct 5:42AM

  15. TELL YOU ONE THING FOR SURE FERRARI YOU PUT KUBICA AND ALONSO IN YOUR CARS
    YOU WILL WIN EVERYTHING

    From Russell P, on Wed 15 Oct 5:35AM

  16. TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
    GOOD JOB FERRARI DON'T HAVE A CAR TO ENTER
    MAYBE YOU LOT THINK LEWIS IS A BIT ARROGANT SO F--KIN WELL WHAT
    SOME OF YOU IDIOTS TALK ABOUT HIM AS IF YOU KNOW THE GUY
    AND TO HAVE THE WINS HE HAS ONLY IN HIS 2ND YEAR I WOULD SAY HE HAS A RIGHT TO BE
    WAS THAT GERMAN GUY ARROGANT WHO WON ALL THOSE TITLES ONE THING IS TRUE HE WOULD CHEAT BY TAKING SOMEONE OUT JUST LIKE SENNA AND PROST DID
    SO SHUT UP YOU WINGING GITS ITS RACING

    From Russell P, on Wed 15 Oct 5:21AM

  17. I hope he has learnt from this,but I doubt it.

    From Mike, on Wed 15 Oct 5:12AM

  18. ya he screwed-up at japan but these's still time to rectify in last 2 gp, lesson learnt. every young driven will react just like him, the different is he comes with package; talent and car, others dont. he will truimph at the end of season, at brazil gp. dont forget alonso just like lewis during his day battling with schumi, n he turn out to be the twice world champ.
    only nowaday everyone seem want to have some of him, i guess after this maybe the so called great schumi also gonna stress him view of lewis...

    From carlamms, on Wed 15 Oct 4:50AM

  19. The on track "get out of my way" arrogance that everyone is going on about is hardly a new thing. I have seen LH do NOTHING that Mick the cobbler didn't do, and I've seen him do an awful lot worse & get away with it. He used to scare the @#$% out of people so they'd get out of his way. If anyone had the temerity to try to overtake him, he'd put them on the grass.
    As for the DC favouritism thing, that was true, but DC also said that he was 100% sure that the cars and mechanical backing were completely equal.
    So Ron was friendlier with a guy he'd known for 10 years than someone new to the team, big surprise.
    Alonso thought he was Schumacher and would have a support driver to help him on his way, sadly for him LH was just as fast as him.

    From Mike, on Wed 15 Oct 4:29AM

  20. Everybody should slack off of Lewis. I'm an Alonso fan but pleeease, let's just let these guys race and see who's the best. So far Lewis has a chance to prove that this year he is the best but has been making a few mistakes the last few races. He needs to get things right or this is the 2nd time he blows it. Great win by Fernando by the way in Japan! Hope he and the car will be on pace in Shanghai!

    From Gio, on Wed 15 Oct 4:26AM
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