Lauda speaks

[Dare]

And for once I agree with him 


http://www.planetf1.com/driver/18227/9326398/Lauda-has-issue-with-Hamilton-s-mood

[cosworth151]

I think I might cut Lewis a little slack on this one. In the Chat Room after the race, we talked about how he was probably still in some pain from his eye right after the race. Besides that, a driver needs a bit of time to settle down after climbing out of the car. Time to breath and let the adrenalin ease off a bit. Most can't just turn it on and off like a light switch.

I'll watch to see what he says & does now.

[Jericoke]

I think I might cut Lewis a little slack on this one. In the Chat Room after the race, we talked about how he was probably still in some pain from his eye right after the race. Besides that, a driver needs a bit of time to settle down after climbing out of the car. Time to breath and let the adrenalin ease off a bit. Most can't just turn it on and off like a light switch.

I'll watch to see what he says & does now.

You're right, that after putting everything on the line and coming up short, it's hard to pretend to be excited.  On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton isn't a 19 year old rookie.  He's had the time to learn how to act when he's disappointed. 

We've seen him behave better in the past though, so I'd certainly chalk it up to him getting over whatever was bothering him in the car.  Monaco is unique as he doesn't get a chance to step out of view and collect himself or have a moment to say what needs to be said to Nico in private.

[Scott]

Some reporter asked Lewis after Q if the mood between them was similar to Senna and Prost, and Hamilton answered that it was.  I found that a bit arrogant, probably because I don't think Hamilton and Rosberg are quite up to the level of Senna and Prost, but also a bit funny because these two have little more to blame than their own performance.

As to how he behaved on the podium, it was really childish, like Jeri said not like that of a seasoned champion, which we can only consider Lewis to be.   

In the post race News Conference, Lewis said his eye cleared up a few laps before the end, so I won't give him a pass on that condition.

Finally, when pressed about his post Q and post race comments during the press conference, his replies were that he 'doesn't remember'.  Sorry, that is a big cop out. 

He finally said that his comments about Nico growing up in Monaco in luxury of yachts and planes and money was taken out of context, and how he explained it made me believe him.  It was a cheap shot of the press to make anything out of their different childhoods.

[Dare]

I can't cut Hamilton any slack on his mouthy
comments.Q was a honest error and he needs
to get over it.

[J.Clark]

I can't cut him any slack either.  It reminds me of the fits Alonso pitched when the two were at McLaren; although, I don't remember Alonso being quite so obvious in the post-race interviews, keeping his comments for a smaller audience.

Lewis is a seasoned champion and he is acting like a spoiled brat of only two or three years of age.

I think back to the times (there weren't many) that Michael was beaten by a teammate and the grace he showed, generally lauding his teammate's performance, even if there was a bit of snarky remark about the future, or the next time.

Whining such as what Lewis is showing is so unbecoming a champion and demonstrates to me that he is not so confident that he can beat Nico in a fair fight.  We didn't have the TV interviews in Senna's time - not like today, and he may have been like Lewis, but I can't recall any other title-holder who has behaved in this way.

Goof luck Niki.

[vintly]

I haven't read the link, but will add my twopence-worth anyway.

Firstly, I still can't understand why there is a general anti-Lauda vibe amongst general F1 fans. What have I missed? Why is he disliked? Please enlighten me. I don't get it, as far as I'm conceded he's more than just part of the deep fabric of F1 - he's a total legend. But more than that - he's also a character, someone who's not afraid to speak their mind. Big plus in my book, whether you like what he says or not.

Secondly, and on a similar note - Hamilton is also a character. I missed the whole Monaco race - been away for the weekend - looking forward to watching it tonight. Anyway - for all Hamilton's misgivings, he provides pure entertainment on and off the track. It seems to me that a lot of people want the objects of their fascination - their 'heroes', their chosen sports stars - to be boring. To always say the 'right' things, to be fair, and nice, and diplomatic, and obliging, and all that. Not me. Hammy getting upset is entertaining. One might not admire certain shades of his character, but I want F1 to be full of incident, and Hammy provides a hell of a lot more potential for that than almost everyone else.

[F1fanaticBD]

I haven't read the link, but will add my twopence-worth anyway.

Firstly, I still can't understand why there is a general anti-Lauda vibe amongst general F1 fans. What have I missed? Why is he disliked? Please enlighten me. I don't get it, as far as I'm conceded he's more than just part of the deep fabric of F1 - he's a total legend. But more than that - he's also a character, someone who's not afraid to speak their mind. Big plus in my book, whether you like what he says or not.

Secondly, and on a similar note - Hamilton is also a character. I missed the whole Monaco race - been away for the weekend - looking forward to watching it tonight. Anyway - for all Hamilton's misgivings, he provides pure entertainment on and off the track. It seems to me that a lot of people want the objects of their fascination - their 'heroes', their chosen sports stars - to be boring. To always say the 'right' things, to be fair, and nice, and diplomatic, and obliging, and all that. Not me. Hammy getting upset is entertaining. One might not admire certain shades of his character, but I want F1 to be full of incident, and Hammy provides a hell of a lot more potential for that than almost everyone else.

If you have watched the movie Rush, you would have known, why there is a certain dislike regarding Niki Lauda, but even with these short-comings, I like him. Regarding Lewis, when he let's his driving do the talking, I love him most, but Prima donna attitude is something I have trouble to tolerate. But I agree, Lewis is one character, love him or hate him, but cannot ignore him. If the whole field was as politically correct as Alonso, surely the press & media will rot like hell

[Scott]

hehe...Vintly, go read the link and watch the race.   

I don't think anyone was really dissing Lauda (ok, maybe Dare)...at least this time, in fact Lauda nailed what I would have to say MOST people took away from the last 1/4 of the Monaco race, the podium ceremony and pre & post race comments by Lewis.  It's one thing to be a character, but he misbehaved even worse than Vettel does when he didn't win a race now and again in the last couple of years.      On a side note, Vettel has taken some coaching apparently because he is much more humble even when Ricciardo is taking the points for RBR instead of him.  A little frustrated on pit radios, but I would say he should be with the car he's been given the keys to this year.

Hammy is getting paranoid because he thought this was his golden year, and Rosberg seems to be spoiling the party, so Lewis thinks it's not fair.  I have no doubt that if Merc manage to stay ahead of the rest that Hamilton will overtake Rosberg before long and get the title he wants so badly, but behaving like he deserves to win is well, just a bit tiring to watch.

[Scott]

I've never liked Lauda after he had Bobby Rahal thrown out of Jag, and then made an even bigger mess of it himself.  Just hope nobody gives him the power to muck it up at Mercedes.  He just comes across as an arrogant jerk on German TV too.

[John S]

For me this boils down to the difference between giving pressure and dealing with pressure. Most of us assumed Nico was under pressure from lewis but it seems he has been pushing back, the use of the off limits MGU setting in Bahrain is testimony to this.

However Nico seems able to soak up the pressure Lewis inflicts on him where as Lewis clearly can be rattled by real or imaginary naughty deeds by Nico. 

I still feel Lewis can beat Nico to the title if he keeps his head, the biggest hurdle to Lewis winning the WDC is Lewis himself unless he can resist taking any bait from Nico. So yes Lauda is right Lewis, for his own benefit, needs more polite sportsmanship and a lot less curmudgeonly gamesmanship.

 

[Dare]

How could youtell I don't like
Lauda? It even irks me wearing
the Ferrari hat while working for Mercedes.

I think Scott hit it right on the head,he's a
 arrogant jerk and a sorryrep for a F1 team.At
least Flav was funny.

[Monty]

I really think Hamilton needs a personal PR expert to coach him and script his responses.
The press are looking for a split between Nico and Lewis who have been friends for years and Hamilton just keeps feeding them with ammunition.
This is a guy that has been brought up to win. Anything less is a disappointment to him. Then while feeling angry and upset he answers questions in a way that can and will get twisted. If you actually see the interviews what he says is never as bad as the way they are reported.
I saw him say that "on the track we are not friends" and then I saw the report 'Hamilton says he is not friends with Rosberg'.
I'm not defending Hamilton, he does sound like he is whinging, but actually, when you take account of the facts he almost always has a good point.
I do not care what the FIA say, Rosberg definitely parked the car deliberately to stop Hamilton beating his pole time (come on most drivers are saying exactly what I am saying, if you move the steering wheel on an F1 car that much you will unsettle the car and miss the corner!!!).
Nobody knows if Hamilton would have got pole but any betting man would have staked a lot on him being fastest. If he had got pole he would have won. Hence, an annoyed and upset Hamilton.
I think he needs to get lessons on post race interviews from Kimi 

[vintly]

Gotcha, so maybe Lauda's not quite as reviled as I thought - good.

If you have watched the movie Rush, you would have known, why there is a certain dislike regarding Niki Lauda, but even with these short-comings, I like him.

Seen Rush and yes certain shades to his character would really annoy me - if he was coming round to borrow my ladder yet again - but he's not and never will, so I see short-comings as a plus in terms of entertainment.

hehe...Vintly, go read the link and watch the race.   

I've never liked Lauda after he had Bobby Rahal thrown out of Jag, and then made an even bigger mess of it himself.  Just hope nobody gives him the power to muck it up at Mercedes.  He just comes across as an arrogant jerk on German TV too.

You got me there Scott, and I still haven't watched the race - tonight hopefully. Now I remember you mentioning how he comes across on German TV. I guess that affects you more now you're practically half-German   

I really think Hamilton needs a personal PR expert to coach him and script his responses.

Nooooooo! That's exactly what ruins TV, whether it's sport or anything else! We want to see the real person, warts and all, and get their genuine reaction to something, not a PR-friendly, over-cautious half-baked swerve of the real truth. Imagine if everyone was like Chilton? He's forgotten who he is. How dull would that be. Keep it up Lauda, and Lewis - give us more to argue about, it's fun

[Scott]

I'm with Monty - Hamilton should take some lessons from Kimi on how to behaved p*ssed off on camera.  Now that's character.