Hamilton: I'll do my talking on the track

Eurosport - Sat, 18 Oct 14:02:00 2008

Lewis Hamilton has said criticism of his driving style is an inevitable result of his success and said he would do his talking on the track as he chases the world title at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

2008 Chinese GP McLaren Hamilton - 0

The 23-year-old Briton, who could wrap up the championship in Sunday's race, came under fire from rivals Kimi Raikkonen, Mark Webber and Jarno Trulli for his aggression at the wheel during last weekend's race in Japan.

"That's fine with me. They have the right to their own opinion," Hamilton said after dominating the first two practice sessions.

"It's a shame they all think that way but my driving is why I'm here and why I'm leading the championship so I'm not disappointed with the way I drive.

"I do my talking on the track. If other people want to expend their energy thinking about it, that's for them.

"As you can see I don't clash with people, so they can't be that aggressive."

Toyota's Trulli had said he would bring up the matter at Friday's drivers' meeting, but Red Bull's Webber said after the get-together that it had not been mentioned.

Hamilton said the meeting had gone "fine" and that he was focusing on the race, not the clamour surrounding him.

"I look at previous world champions and previous seasons, and a lot of people that have been at the front have had these kind of situations - it's normal," he said.

"If I was in a Force India at the back of the field then no-one would have anything to say about me.

"But everyone has something to say about the people who are at the front and are successful, and whether it's positive or negative it doesn't really matter."

Hamilton came to Shanghai last year needing simply to finish ahead of his rivals to win the championship in his rookie season - but failed to finish the grand prix and eventually lost the title race.

This year he must win the race and hope Ferrari's Felipe Massa - who trails by five points with 20 up for grabs in China and the final race of the season in Brazil - finishes fifth or worse.

After a disappointing run-out in Japan, where he started poorly, collided with Massa and ended up with no points, Hamilton said he was prepared to wait.

"My mentality is I'm not looking at winning it here," he said.

"Last year I was thinking it would have been easy to have won it here in this race. But I'm looking at the fact I have two races and it's important we attack those two races, finish those two races.

"I'm not going into this race saying: 'It has to be done now'. I just want to redeem myself from last week."

Reuters

Comment 96 - 115 of 155

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. d_kach: I've never heard so much @#$% from a­ self-appointed expert. I have raced, I have driven­ against drivers far superior to me and against those­ who are there to make up the numbers. I have been on­ the receiving end of many a passing move that has­ squeezed me to the edge of the track. I have had the­ nose of my car cut across rather violently and I have­ had cars lock up on the inside of me and force me wide.­ I have been hit more than once by a competitor. And­ you talk @#$%, its called racing you idiot!!!!

    From ginger_gitt, on Sat 18 Oct 8:19AM

  2. one thing is sure tomorrow, Alonso will not try to pass­ Massa. In fact he will protect his back to help him­ win. Even his boss will encourage him. poor Renault

    From sylgasana, on Sat 18 Oct 8:18AM

  3. AT THIS STAGE EXPERIENCE COUNTS MOST OF­ ALL

    EXPERIENCED ALONSO WILL PROCEED SMOOTHLY TO THE­ WINNING LINE

    double world champ Alonso NEVER needs to­ call in pits for NEW NOSE CONE or drive thru penalty

    From antoninnia, on Sat 18 Oct 7:21AM

  4. Well said lewis. afterall, u are the man to beat..!­ thats why all this twits making circus of u. we'll­ see how is the tone sound like after the race.. ALL THE­ BEST LEWIS..!!

    From carlamms, on Sat 18 Oct 6:13AM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    LH,
    If you are reading this, you can do the talking to­ yourself like ppl in the mental hospital. When you­ decided to wake up in reality, you will find yourself­ surround by all the drivers that hate you and against­ you on the track. I think you can't even qualify­ for top 3 today. See you next year, and I like to see­ you being beated every year, and fade out in F1.

    From Stanley, on Sat 18 Oct 5:21AM

  6. Does anyone else see the irony of him 'talking­ about' doing all his 'talking on the track'­ - He needs to talk about it some more :)
    If he was­ doing all his talking on the track, why do we have­ this article :)

    What was he saying when he smashed­ into Kimi in the pitlane - what was he saying last week­ into the first corner :)

    From Hugh, on Sat 18 Oct 3:12AM

  7. sagittarius1958 I have been analysing your comments on­ this site and I hope Ron did not take your daily bread­ in any shape of form. If he did Forgive him and LH.­ They are both multimillionaires and laughing off your­ abuse.

    From hoodie, on Sat 18 Oct 1:42AM

  8. sagittarius1958 take it easy. The boy is handsome and­ talented. He has made mistakes no doubt he is young­ and will grow up if you let him be. I hope you had the­ same critical comment about sato and alonso in his­ early grand prix. Shumi was scared of this two drivers­ eventhough he was not a saint himself, no one is.

    From hoodie, on Sat 18 Oct 1:39AM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    dainsour... hamilton had the perfect opportunity to­ learn from a TWO-time world champion in his first year­ at mclaren... it's too bad that alonso wasn't­ given the respect that particular title commands... it­ is also unfortunate for hamilton, that ron dennis is so­ bound and determined to take full credit for­ hamilton's success that he is the one doing the­ most damage to his 'golden boy'... dennis'­ arrogance has obviously rubbed off on hamilton, and­ even multiplied exponentially...

    From sagittarius1958, on Sat 18 Oct 1:34AM

  10. timothyfkey... instead of believing in so many­ conspiracies, try this one on for size... in paris,­ hamilton was warned "off the record" to­ control his temperament on the track, but of course­ being who he ''is'' and who ron dennis­ ''says'' he is... hamilton decides not­ to heed the caution... pffafft... penalty... how's­ that??

    From sagittarius1958, on Sat 18 Oct 1:29AM

  11. ferraribeng, after reading the comments other drivers­ are making, i think they're in cue to be the one­ that doesn't back down... though, i wouldn't­ put money on massa, kimi nor kubica... the others??­ i'm sure everyone is spoiling for a piece of­ ron's 'boy wonder'...

    From sagittarius1958, on Sat 18 Oct 1:26AM

  12. d_kach... i have NEVER driven a race car; however, i am­ in complete agreement with you, i hope he doesn't­ hurt anyone in his ill-advised modus operandi... not­ even himself... though, i firmly believe he will be the­ one to take himself out...

    From sagittarius1958, on Sat 18 Oct 1:22AM

  13. Q: Lewis, dramas last weekend and last year here as­ well. What are the lessons you have taken from last­ year and last weekend?

    Lewis Hamilton: I think from­ last year it is just keep your head up, things happen­ and I guess to avoid the gravel trap here. I think from­ last weekend there are quite a lot of positives I took­ from the weekend and I move forward, put that in the­ past. The team remain positive. We make mistakes­ together as a team and we move on together, so onwards­ and upwards for us.

    Q: Has your approach changed from­ last weekend to how you approach this weekend’s­ race?

    LH: No.

    What did you learn today? (I learned­ nothin')
    What did you do today? (I did­ nothin')
    What did you learn at school? (I­ didn't go)
    Why didn't you go to school? (I­ don't know)

    It's cool to know­ nothin'
    It's cool to know nothin'

    very­ true Random, unbiased internetizen

    From Gears Of War, on Sat 18 Oct 1:22AM

  14. Glad to see the drivers are speaking out about hamilton­ and his ridicolous driving, if even sir jackie stewart­ is calling hamilton "slightly arrogant" who­ seems to praise him at all times, then maybe this will­ get through hamiltons thick skull

    From Gears Of War, on Sat 18 Oct 1:21AM

  15. d kach....fak u with ur comments......trained and­ licensed car driver............try to drive f1 car,then­ u`ll know..azzhole

    From Gears Of War, on Sat 18 Oct 1:21AM

  16. Tim - I'm a trained and licensed race car driver. ­ Your thoughts on the on first corner at Fuji show your­ experience and intelligence levels as very low. Your­ additional comments show just how immature you are.

    From d_kach, on Sat 18 Oct 1:11AM

  17. Ummm I somewhat agree with ferraribeng... I mean there­ is that placebo affect that he might be suffering­ from... but then again you can't really blame­ Hamilton... so much pressure has been put on his­ shoulders at such a young age! i think i would­ ultimately act the same if not just crack under the­ pressure and go crazy! If you are leading by five­ points and last season you lost by one point that­ definitely doesn't make you a real absolute­ favorite... so I think it's also somewhat immature­ of him to say he'll do the "talking on the­ track" cause yes, alot of you might hate to admit­ it but it can sound somewhat condescending to other­ drivers! yet what other drivers did to begin with and­ the way they have acted was rubbish! I mean if they­ truly want to be helpful and guide Hamilton to maturity­ then they shouldn't talk to the media about his­ driving but they should talk to him and give him­ personal advice! drivers used to do that kind of stuff­ you know... it's a sad sad day in F1 racing when­ this kind of stuff happens!! I hope Hamilton starts­ getting along with everyone pretty soon... otherwise F1­ is just going to be a huge headache! Maybe Montoya­ wasn't crazy to leave F1....

    From dalnsour, on Sat 18 Oct 1:03AM

  18. Kubica and Alonso the best drivers.
    LH said­ "It's a shame they all think that way but my­ driving is why I'm here and why I'm leading the­ championship so I'm not disappointed with the way I­ drive".
    He is leading only because of good car he­ has. Hamilton is only gifted with making mistakes. The­ most arrogant, egoistic and unthinking driver at F1.­ Hamilton, his dad, and especially Ron Dennis all the­ time cry and complain that "golden boy" is­ treated unjustly. It's become pathetic especially­ that McThiefs have a good car because of stealing ­ technology and took profit unfair of Alonso knowlege­ and experience.
    On the beginning of last year I though­ Hamilton will be one of most interestin driver at F1­ now I can't even look at him. Hamilton and Ron­ Dennis want to be respected but I wonder what for?

    From assee, on Sat 18 Oct 1:02AM

  19. d_kach, the other drivers are jealous and are fed up­ with him getting attention. The whole premise of racing­ is to get past the person in front. All that happened­ at the 1st corner at Japan is that a few drivers had go­ round him and he paid for it by baldspotting his tyres.­ Have you ever watched the middle and back of the pack­ go round the 1st corner? they're always bumping­ into each other and end up off the track (normally­ coulthard's race ends here) but do they get a­ penalty? NO is the answer, they don't. Its petty­ and sad that just because its hamilton it makes him a­ danger. The only experience of racing you have is­ racing your shopping kart through the supermarket to­ get the last tube of lubricant then racing to the­ nearest mens toilet. Shut up moaning about it as you­ are jealous and the sooner you admit it, the sooner you­ can move on.

    From timothyfkey, on Sat 18 Oct 12:53AM

  20. I think he keeps thinking only he's the best and as­ if the whole track belongs to him. People don't­ just criticise him just because of his success as he­ claimed. Over the years, many drivers were being­ criticised on their dangerous behaviour. Some were­ successful drivers, including Schumi, and others were­ not successful... anybody remember Ide Yuji who had his­ super license removed by FIA.

    To say that he is­ criticised because of his success is really a narrow­ minded and egoistic mindset. Let his speaking on the­ track, let see who he will crash with this weekend so­ that his title chase will be thrown away again. I­ believe some drivers will be hard with him and be­ prepared to crash with him if he did not use his brain­ and attempt dangerous move to pass them.

    I remember­ Irvine once said of Schumi that Schumi would never­ attempt dangerous move on him because he knew that he­ will not lift his throttle and will be happy to crash­ with him. Lewis will need someone like Irvine to teach­ him a lesson.

    From ferraribeng, on Sat 18 Oct 12:51AM
Sort comments by: Most recent

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