Lewis Hamilton - How popular is he? - Page 2

djinvicta · 7 Dec 2015, 20:43 (Ref:3596205)

No joke Richard! I don't think the driver movements have finished yet.
He may even try Renault! I can see Maldanado in a Manor with money!

djinvicta · 7 Dec 2015, 20:45 (Ref:3596208)

Can't see the McClaren move. Ron would curfew him

Richard C · 7 Dec 2015, 20:59 (Ref:3596213)

Yeah, no I really wasn't joking. I mean I believe will will stay at Mercedes in the near future, but... if he were to leave, I don't think it would be Ferrari for the reasons mentioned above and I just don't see him going back to McLaren. But Renault could be a home in which he could be a clear #1 driver and maybe a happy place for him. Lets see how much form Renault can recover over the next season or two and if they could temp him to move at some point!

He has three WDC. What are his goals moving foward? Crank out WDC titles in a dominant car, or maybe to repeat the challenge that was the McLaren to Mercedes jump?

Richard

djinvicta · 7 Dec 2015, 21:14 (Ref:3596218)

Agreed. From what I read the two Lotus drivers must be having sleepness nights. It wouldn't surprise me to see a move before the new season.
I think Merc do not want to be advertised with a driver drinking vodka, and if they try to "stop" him, I can see a rash move from him. He has got nothing to prove now.

Paradise City · 7 Dec 2015, 21:56 (Ref:3596230)

I think Hamilton is cast iron at Merc for the foreseeable. I think the whole bru-ha-ha is more an hallucination brought on by off-season blues.

He won the WC, took the foot off the pedal and wobbled a little psychologically.

It's probably been a bit of anti-climax for him truth be told.

He'll be back next year.

Razzzor · 9 Dec 2015, 03:17 (Ref:3596541)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

He has three WDC. What are his goals moving foward? Crank out WDC titles in a dominant car, or maybe to repeat the challenge that was the McLaren to Mercedes jump?

Richard

I think there's very few drivers out there that like the idea of a new challenge in joining a non-winner and creating them into winners. Most drivers will stay at the same dominant team their entire career because they enjoy winning, even if it is a negative for the sport and fans.
ie. Whincup, JJ, Loeb, Cairoli or Everts. F1 just has been lucky that no team has dominated for more the 3-4 years over recent decades.

I can't possibly see Hamilton leaving Mercedes, unless Toto doesn't like the fact that he spends his nights staying up to 2am recording his dumb rap album, and isn't focused on the racing anymore and just wants the holidays to come. If that's truly how Lewis feels, then I see better odds of him retiring early, like Casey Stoner. Why would he want to go to a mid-carder and run around in 10th, if he doesn't even enjoy winning that much anymore?

I also don't see why he'd want to partner Vettel or Alonso ever again.

Anyway, i'm on the fence, I don't hate him, I don't love him. He's an interesting individual, he does look cool in media with his style, pretending to be all gangsta.

Would fans prefer a stud like Maldonado winning consecutive titles? Hell effing no. So it could be a lot worse.

Admittedly, Lewis does have a personality of a plank of wood. But at least he has the look.

Something that some of the up comers (Kyvat and Verstappen) do not have. I know he's supposed to be quite funny, but has anyone seen Kyvat do a few interviews? He's quite... serious.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 9 Dec 2015, 19:57 (Ref:3596671)

In 2002, in the middle of The Schumacher Years I stopped watching F1, only following it from a distance, as it had become predictable and boring. It was the emergence of Lewis Hamilton in 2007 that rekindled the interest I used to have and I started watching, enjoying and following F1 closely again.

Next year it will be 10 years since Lewis Hamilton appeared on the F1 stage and in this time, he has shown himself to be a true racer, winning 3 WDCs; two back to back, though this year there wasn't really any competition worth mentioning. However, as pointed out he does tend to wear his heart on his sleave and my only criticism of Lewis Hamilton is that in these 10 years and despite his well earned success, he hasn't managed to get rid of the sulky, petulance he can display when things don't go his way.

I've never met him but he comes across as perfectly likable but I have met many drivers over the years, particularly in the '70s and '80s and despite what may be going on underneath, they presented themselves with a mixture of professionalism and humility. I think a little humility is something Lewis Hamilton could use to his advantage, rather than being sulky and petulant.

As for his celebrity life style, I'm not interested in that stuff.

bauble · 9 Dec 2015, 20:57 (Ref:3596686)

From a lot of the comments posted here it could be said that Lewis is admired, but not liked.

Greem · 10 Dec 2015, 12:36 (Ref:3596828)

He's very popular.

He transcends the sport he's in and the "brand" Hamilton portrays reaches far and wide, into other - dare I suggest far more "worshipful" - areas of society.

You (collective "you", including myself) might find all manner of reasons to either like or dislike Hamilton but I'd say that he's far more popular than you think, because you are hardcore motorsport people (generally) and don't necessarily see the coverage he gets in other areas.

By extension, that gets F1 more coverage in unexpected areas, and that brings more eyeballs in to watch. You never know, some might even stick around and become the next generation of hardcore motorsport people...

Richard C · 10 Dec 2015, 15:24 (Ref:3596858)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greem

He transcends the sport he's in and the "brand" Hamilton portrays reaches far and wide, into other - dare I suggest far more "worshipful" - areas of society.

I can't answer this question myself because I do know who he is, but I wonder how known he is here in the US outside of those who follow F1. I suspect close to zero. However that might be the same for many global "celebrities" that are not already strongly connected to the US market.

If I remember correctly, one reason that Micheal Schumacher liked to vacation in the US is that he would effectively walk around just about anywhere and not be recognized. I suspect that at his peak Schumacher was likely more well known in the US than Hamilton is today.

Richard

chillibowl · 10 Dec 2015, 15:53 (Ref:3596870)

instead of being at the awards gala he was in Toronto to watch the Toronto Raptors play the LA Lakers. he was front row, got interviewed, got cheers when they showed him on the jumbotron so Canadians may be more aware of who he is.
but he also attends Nascar events and unlike most F1 people talks positively about that series, he has been linked to Kardashians and US pop stars, and has a cameo (which made the trailer) for the new Zoolander movie.

for sure not as big as some locally playing N.Amercian athletes but i think he does have a large marketing footprint over here although outside of the motorsports community it may be still just be a following via tabloids and social media/instagram type stuff...which is in and of itself a very large group.

Moneyseeker · 10 Dec 2015, 17:00 (Ref:3596883)

I see LH as being where Vettel was in his later years at RBR. Of course it is not easy winning a single WDC let alone multiples or on the bounce, but with Vettel I kind of feel that it left the impression that it was done in such a dominant car and I think that as a result Vettel has gained more respect and enhanced his reputation more by what he did with Ferrari this year than winning one of his RBR titles.

Not to demean LH's achievement but from a viewer and F1 grid point of view you can have too much of a good thing and another WDC at a canter may be too much for us!

On a personal note I am a little tired of the 'my father had two jobs to pay for my racing' story that he regularly wheels out to enhance his humble credentials when we all know he had one of the most gilded, no expense spared trips up the motorsport ladder from Karting to GP2 and F1 that there has probably ever been, sitting in the best machinary and teams that McLaren and Mercedes money could buy.

I probably admire what he has achieved, but I admire Verstappen more, for example.

chillibowl · 10 Dec 2015, 18:15 (Ref:3596892)

compared to the stories we hear from other athletes his story is not very 'humble beginnings' as others are. he did not grow up/come from an impoverished nation, sports was not his only viable escape root from an impoverished neighbourhood, his choices were not join a gang/prison or join a sports team etc.

in a way, citing his experience as a difficult upbringing is kind of dismissive of those that had real and documented poverty related issues to overcome in getting to the top of their sports. that LH doesnt see the irony of his statements is perhaps the biggest knock against his character.

as a LH fanboy that hurt me to type that!

S griffin · 10 Dec 2015, 22:12 (Ref:3596932)

He didn't have it all easy though. His dad had to take three jobs to fund his karting. Shows they were prepared to sacrifice

wnut · 11 Dec 2015, 02:56 (Ref:3596973)

Quote:

Originally Posted by S griffin

He didn't have it all easy though. His dad had to take three jobs to fund his karting. Shows they were prepared to sacrifice

Sounds like his dad had a difficult time, not young Lewis!

wnut · 11 Dec 2015, 06:19 (Ref:3596997)

http://www.f1reader.com/#/news/merc-...nd-nico-135516

Is Lewis replaceable as far as the Mercedes marketing effort is concerned?

I think not?

Moneyseeker · 11 Dec 2015, 09:08 (Ref:3597018)

Quote:

Originally Posted by S griffin

He didn't have it all easy though. His dad had to take three jobs to fund his karting. Shows they were prepared to sacrifice

As many karting dads do for a lot less reward..

Lewis has been funded by McLaren and Mercedes since he was 13, so as I said , he has had one of the best funded and smoothest progressions up the ladder to and into F1 there has probably ever been.

bauble · 12 Dec 2015, 10:40 (Ref:3597270)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

As many karting dads do for a lot less reward..

Lewis has been funded by McLaren and Mercedes since he was 13, so as I said , he has had one of the best funded and smoothest progressions up the ladder to and into F1 there has probably ever been.

Lewis was just one of a number of promising karters at the time Dennis picked him up, including Anthony Davidson, I am sure that given the support he received any one of a number of them would be in a similar position today.

I often wonder what it was that Ron saw in him that others did not have.

chillibowl · 14 Dec 2015, 15:33 (Ref:3597713)

LH interview on 60 Minutes last night.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-lewis-hamilton/

mainly a get to know him kind of interview so no new insights to anyone here but there are some interesting bits. for the past week he has been doing the rounds on American TV so no doubt his profile is going up.

old man · 15 Dec 2015, 11:18 (Ref:3597925)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chillibowl

LH interview on 60 Minutes last night.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-lewis-hamilton/

mainly a get to know him kind of interview so no new insights to anyone here but there are some interesting bits. for the past week he has been doing the rounds on American TV so no doubt his profile is going up.

And that of Mercedes and F1, I would say very valuable PR that will be linked at some stage with Haas joining the battle.

**BertMk2** · 15 Dec 2015, 11:39 (Ref:3597929)

http://sniffpetrol.com/2015/12/15/ha.../#.Vm_72kqLSUk

chillibowl · 15 Dec 2015, 17:29 (Ref:3597972)

brilliant!

**Adam43** · 15 Dec 2015, 21:33 (Ref:3598023)

I thought that the article was going to end with the word Rosberg, but no he pulled out the big gun.

NZSTfan · 15 Dec 2015, 22:18 (Ref:3598036)

OMG - Lewis fiddling with a desk/console he has no idea how to operate (except the volume knob) surrounded by studio gear that never gets used. His 'music' will be produced using simple computer software that is easily purchased online. The lyrics in the songs that he played had all been enhanced using a pitch shifter and multiple chorus units.

Don't get me wrong, good on him for having a crack at 'music' but trying to be a bit gangster at the same time makes him look like a male chicken. He's always had this vibe about him where he seemingly thinks he's an American rapper or RnB star, and should be rubbing shoulders with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent.

Will the album be another flop like 'Private Paradise'? After listening to that rubbish, i'd say so.

And when will we see the much anticipated release of 'Nico Hit me' or 'its all about the money (and not about the team)'?

Just hilarious

wnut · 17 Dec 2015, 08:40 (Ref:3598317)

He tries hard does Lewis, "Rosberg complains a lot."

http://www.pitpass.com/55339/Hamilto...omplains-a-lot

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