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Quote from S3ANPukekoh3 :I still don't think this would happen if Ferrari were the ones who "lied" to the stewards. Just my honest opinion.

Ofcourse it wouldnt of....
Maybe it should read: McLaren's future with Hamilton in doubt. McLaren will recover and move on from this, probably before the end of the year if they're not disqualified or banned. Hamilton will always be remembered as a lying cheat (with no personality).
"...contractual obligations prevented Lewis from offering the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when interviewed by the stewards."

Un****inbelievable. If he tells the truth, he's in breach of his contract? That's just about it for McLaren, that team has gone from glorious to a pile of lying rats in the span of 20 (or [a lot] less) years.
Quote from zeugnimod :The team supported him for 10+ years and now he leaves after one incident? Yeah, sure. :rolleyes:

I could not agree more. And a year in the midfield would be a valuable experience...and characterbuilding.

For example: Alonso impressed me more last year than in 05 an 06.
Quote from tristancliffe :Maybe it should read: McLaren's future with Hamilton in doubt. McLaren will recover and move on from this, probably before the end of the year if they're not disqualified or banned. Hamilton will always be remembered as a lying cheat (with no personality).

/throws toys from pram
Quote from zeugnimod :For example?

Hungary 07, team blamed hamilton.
Monaco 07, idk that was just ****ed.
i could say more but this will do.
Lewis is his own man and the way he lied about the incident more than once shows his quality.

I don't buy this team made me do it shit, the radio chatter implicates him and yet he goes on lying about it.

I still regard LH as a great driver but a lousy person , he could have stopped all of this rubbish by growing a backbone by telling Charlie Whiting/ stewards exactly what happened.

The man and team are more than capable of winning and scoring points with out resorting to this level.
Quote from richo :Lewis is his own man and the way he lied about the incident more than once shows his quality.

I don't buy this team made me do it shit, the radio chatter implicates him and yet he goes on lying about it.

I still regard LH as a great driver but a lousy person , he could have stopped all of this rubbish by growing a backbone by telling Charlie Whiting/ stewards exactly what happened.

The man and team are more than capable of winning and scoring points with out resorting to this level.

Even though I am not condoning what happened unless you've experienced a similar situation yourself it's very hard to judge. Have you experienced a similar situation?
I don't think it's a case of "only liars can critisise, because only they know what it's like to be stupid enough not to think for themselves". Lewis is a grown up. He should act like one.
I didn't say "only a liar can criticise". What I said is it's easy to judge if you've not been in a similar situation and understand the pressures involved yourself. I've sat in an MSA stewards office while someone else claimed they beat me to the line when they clearly didn't. I've been a victim of these 'lies'.

Hamilton has been with McLaren for 10+ years and they are the ones that brought him through the various motorsport classes on his way to F1. Yes he is a man but at the end of the day everyone on the grid has at one time or another 'bent' the rules or at least stretched them.

Lewis has no reason not to trust his team. The day he loses that trust is the day he has to leave McLaren. By going against Dave Ryan in the stewards office he would have had to admit it's the time to leave the team. At that point, and for whatever reason he had faith in his bosses. However now he may feel differently.

It's extremely easy to sit hear and say "he should have been a man and stood up and said x y and z" but the simple case is if you don't know what it's like to be in that situation you just simply don't know.

I want to make it clear I am not condoning their behavour and they were accordingly punished. I am totally mystified by the whole thing though.

And to expand on the term lie - is it not a 'lie' that F1 is described as the best drivers on the planet when you and I know this isn't the case, and from what I am hearing through the grapevine won't get any better in the future! The whole thing is just one big show!
Quote from Intrepid :Even though I am not condoning what happened unless you've experienced a similar situation yourself it's very hard to judge. Have you experienced a similar situation?

Every person at some stage of there life will come to some point where they can either stand up and take the penalty or cower and try and sleaze out of it.

Which action did Lewis take?
2 Big questions come out of this.

1) Given what we know about Hamilton — that he is one of the most single-minded drivers to have entered the paddock and that he has been known to defy team orders — was it really beyond him to tell Ryan to take a running jump?

2) Is it time Lewis's father steps back and allows his son to take charge of his career. The fact that it seems to be comon knowldge that Anthony went looking for Max Mosely to discuss the possibility of switching teams halfway through the season is almost beyond parody.
Quote from richo :Every person at some stage of there life will come to some point where they can either stand up and take the penalty or cower and try and sleaze out of it.

Which action did Lewis take?

It's certainly not common. I don't know many people that have had an organisation invest millions into them from the age of 13 bringing them potentially out of a life of mediocrity.

F1 IS a team sport whether people believe it or not and a driver is part of the team. There isn't a driver on the grid that has (had) a closer relationship with a team than Hamilton

Hamilton had faith in his team before the incident so had no reason to go against them in this manner. People say Hamilton broke team orders in the past, but this is different.

In heindsight it was a mistake, and wrong blah blah blah but is Hamilton the only one to have ever done this? eer.... no! Has this been blwon totally out of proportion? Yes... I consider punting someone out of the way to get past from behind is just as bad - Rubens on Kimi springs to mind,
Quote from Intrepid :
In heindsight it was a mistake, and wrong blah blah blah but is Hamilton the only one to have ever done this? eer.... no! Has this been blwon totally out of proportion? Yes... I consider punting someone out of the way to get past from behind is just as bad - Rubens on Kimi springs to mind,

How can lying on purpose, in what can be described as a cold and calculated attempt to gain a position and effectively cheat another driver out of that position be described as a mistake.

Quote from The Times Online :That Hamilton lied under the instructions of a senior team member offers no mitigation whatsoever and tells us everything we need to know about the strange world Hamilton and his father inhabit that they think it does. Every 10-year-old understands that the demands of morality and honesty are not suddenly made void the moment somebody gives you a nod and a wink, or even a nudge. Hamilton’s defence adds up to nothing more than a tawdry “But he told me to, Sir”.


Link to the Times Online
Quote from Intrepid :It's certainly not common. I don't know many people that have had an organisation invest millions into them from the age of 13 bringing them potentially out of a life of mediocrity.

so what youre saying is his integrity comes with a price tag
Whats mad it worse in my book is he came out with what seemed a heart felt apology with out really telling the truth or showing remorse what whats been done.

**** blaming the team , he was asked those questions one on one with Charlie Whiting and lied to his face.

My 6 and 9 year old kids behave like this all the time, i admire LH deeply as a driver but he isn't much of a man imho.
#42 - 5haz
Quote from TAYLOR-MANIA :Yes. It's time. My dislike for his father-manager reached a climax in Brazil '08.
Having his father around him like that just adds to Lewis's boyish image to me.
But having said that, i know there's other drivers' fathers who we see a fair bit of around the pit lanes... but there's just something about the Hamiltons that almost make me cringe ...

totally. He's still just a kid i think. weak.

Indeed, Hamilton's dad has him wrapped round his little finger.
Quote from 5haz :Indeed, Hamilton's dad has him wrapped round his little finger.

I wouldn't say that tbh. It's more like Anthony is, understandably, very proud and protective of Lewis but he give the impression of the father trying to live his dreams through his son and as a result seems very pushy. I saw it when I used to help coaching my old primary school football team, grown adults giving a loud of abuse to the ref, in a friendly 7-a-side game.

Also I don’t think Mclaren really allow the drivers to be themselves, for example DC in his Mclaren days was very careful in what he said, but as soon as he left them, a new persona came forward (unfortunately he still crashed). Likewise with Mika Hakkinen, always cold, clinical and a celebration that seemed forced, after he quit F1 and went over to the DTM, again a new persona.
Ron Dennis is quiting btw, I don't know if that will have influence, but we will see.
Quote from Mackie The Staggie :
2) Is it time Lewis's father steps back and allows his son to take charge of his career. The fact that it seems to be comon knowldge that Anthony went looking for Max Mosely to discuss the possibility of switching teams halfway through the season is almost beyond parody.

almost?

it IS a joke. anthony has a serious problem with trying to live out his aspirations through his son, and as much as i think lewis is a twat, i have to be sympathetic given the upbringing he must have had. if he's never been allowed to think for himself before, of course he is going to make mistakes when he is forced to do so in a pressure situation.
Quote from evilgeek :almost?

it IS a joke. anthony has a serious problem with trying to live out his aspirations through his son, and as much as i think lewis is a twat, i have to be sympathetic given the upbringing he must have had. if he's never been allowed to think for himself before, of course he is going to make mistakes when he is forced to do so in a pressure situation.

HHmm... having sat infront of both Lewis and Anthony while they gave a rare dual interview you couldn't be more wrong.

Of course what they said didn't get presented in the tabloids etc... because wasn't interesting enough for their target audience. But if you dig a little deeper and not use unrelible media outlets to dictate your opinion you might find some more genuinely interesting stuff... and that goes for ALL drivers.

NEWSFLASH -Drivers may not be as the main media outlets present them to be!
#47 - 5haz
Quote from Intrepid :NEWSFLASH -Drivers may not be as the main media outlets present them to be!

Indeed, I think you'll find they're usually worse.
NEWSFLASH - Interviews in person may not give a better understanding of a person than reading about that interview in a magazine. They are probably still tits.
Quote from Intrepid :HHmm... having sat infront of both Lewis and Anthony while they gave a rare dual interview you couldn't be more wrong.

Of course what they said didn't get presented in the tabloids etc... because wasn't interesting enough for their target audience. But if you dig a little deeper and not use unrelible media outlets to dictate your opinion you might find some more genuinely interesting stuff... and that goes for ALL drivers.

NEWSFLASH -Drivers may not be as the main media outlets present them to be!

omfg! you sat in front of Lewis? did you get to touch him? was it your dream come true?
#50 - 5haz
Lawl, I actually feel sorry for F1 drivers, and all famous people, all the autographs to sign, all the sycofantic idiots, not being able to talk for yourself, not being able to drive for fun in lower series. Must actually take the fun out of the racing quite a bit.

FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG