Hamilton Reveals He Nearly Quit Racing
Lewis Hamilton has spoken of the moment when he considered walking away from Formula One in the aftermath of the Lie-Gate scandal.
The 2008 world champion had been talked into the mistake of lying to the stewards about an overtaking move at the Australian grand prix last year which led to a public apology and headlines about being a cheat.
“It was a feeling of, ‘Shoot, maybe I shouldn’t be in the sport,’ rather than not in my team,” said the McLaren driver. “It was not a desire to leave the team, just stopping racing. For a split second it was, ‘This is too much to take, how do I recover from this?’
“But there was support from my family, team, fans, amazing letters and I thought, ‘You know what? I made a mistake but I am being given a second chance by all these people and their support’.
“Sometimes it is hard to face the music, hard to face people when you know that as soon as you turn your back they are talking about you.
“For a long period of time, for months, I would walk into a room – and I am sure there are some people who walked into the room and they feel cool – but for me I just didn’t feel positive, it was negative energy and I don’t like that.
“Slowly I began to realise that it was not all negative energy and I had a lot of support and respect from people. It made me stronger, a real strong experience.”
With thanks to the Guardian.co.uk
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Hamilton & Button Fear Schumacher
Sir Jackie Stewart reckons Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are living in fear of being “beaten up” by Michael Schumacher in this season’s Formula One world championship.
Seven-time champion Schumacher will be the centre of attention on his return to Formula One at next weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix at the age of 41.
The German’s decision to end his three-year retirement means four world champions will be on the grid this season.
Stewart, Britain’s most successful F1 driver with three titles, said: “It’s fantastic for motor racing that he’s come back because he is now the biggest focus of interest.
“Fernando Alonso driving a Ferrari is going to be tough to beat.
“You’ve got Jenson in there as world champion; you’ve got Lewis, who wants the world championship back.
“To see that occurring with Schumacher back, that’s the extra edge – in my opinion – for them.
“Do they really want to be beaten up by a guy of 41 years, who’s already been out of the sport?
“He’s going to come back and say, ‘I know how to do this, and I certainly know how to thread the needle’.”
Stewart believes Schumacher’s Mercedes team are already playing catch-up to their rivals, with the German manufacturers not taking over Brawn until after this season’s car had been in development.
“Maybe it’ll take him another year to get the car up to speed,” Stewart said.
“It may not be as good a car as Ferrari and McLaren are producing this year.
“Schumacher’s so experienced and he’s so good at co-ordinating people that I think you’ll see the performance improving for him.
“I could see him not being up at the front row to begin with, but you certainly couldn’t count him out.”
With thanks the telegraph.co.uk
Lewis Hamilton Drops Dad
Lewis Hamilton and his dad Anthony Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton is looking for a new manager after he and his father Anthony decided to call time on one of the closest partnerships in Formula One.
McLaren’s 2008 world champion, whose career has been guided by his father since he started out in karting at eight years old, has said that both felt the moment had come for the relationship to change.
“We’ve been discussing it for a while and it’s only just come out now that we are going to be making some changes,” the 25-year-old driver said.
“There’s no need to rush, but at some stage I will find a new manager.”
Hamilton, who will be partnered at McLaren by compatriot and champion Jenson Button when the season starts in Bahrain on March 14, said the decision was more due to his father’s increasing business interests than any desire to strike out as his own man.
“He’s building his sports management business, it’s growing really fast right now,” he said. “I feel he should focus his full attention on that.”
Hamilton senior’s interests include managing Force India reserve driver Paul di Resta and teenage Dutch go-karter Nyck de Vries.
He also has some work in football and is setting up an academy to give aspiring youngsters a taste of Formula One cars.
“For me, he’s done his job. Our goal was always to get to Formula One and be world champion,” said Hamilton. “I couldn’t have done it without him.”
“He’s been to every race in my whole life. I don’t know anyone who could say their dad has been there every single race,” he added.
“Whilst I can drive, there’s no way in this world I would be here if it wasn’t for him – the decisions he helped me make, the routes that he took and the effort that he put into it.”
Hamilton said he would still benefit from his father’s advice but looked forward to being able to just having a beer with him or going on holiday together.
“It’s definitely going to feel weird at the first couple of races but I feel positive about it and I think hopefully in the future it will feel really comfortable,” he added.
So close to the beginning of the new season makes me wonder.
Is Hamilton getting too big for his boots or is it because he thinks his dad cannot keep up with his growing fame?
Courtesy of The Bleacher Report
Button Being Too Idealistic?
Jenson Button trying to keep his World Championship title.
Jenson Button concedes he’s going to need the help of the entire McLaren team, even team-mate Lewis Hamilton, if he wants to retain his World title.
Button clinched the crown last season racing for Brawn GP, but then shocked the F1 community when he left Brawn, now Mercedes GP, in favour of a race-seat with McLaren.
The Brit, though, faces tough competition for this year’s title – and not all of it will come from outside his team.
His team-mate Lewis Hamilton, the man Button dethroned, is also vying for his second Championship, promising Formula One fans an intriguing intra-team battle at McLaren.
Even though Formula One is a team sport, Button is being too idealistic that Hamiliton will cede his place in order for Button to retain his World Championship title.
Hamilton is not Rubens Barrichello, who took the back seat for Schumacher.
It is more interesting is that, at the end of the day, one of them may need the other to help them clinch the crown.
“In Formula One a driver cannot win the Championship by himself. Michael (Schumacher) and Fernando (Alonso) never would have won it by themselves,” Button told Spain’s Marca.
As for the challenges that could arise from outside his own team, Button reckons Alonso and perhaps even Schumacher could be his toughest competition.
“I see Alonso is very happy and that is bad because he is fast,” he said. “We will see if Schumi still has what it takes.”
Courtesy of Planet F1
HAVE YOUR SAY: How well will this team work with two leaders/winners? Will Hamiliton cooperate and let Button take poll position?
Kobayashi Leads in Testing
Kamui Kobayashi is leading in testing in Jerez.
Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber has beaten three former world champions to lead a Formula One testing session.
The Japanese driver, who has competed in two F1 races, set a fastest lap of 1 minute, 19.950 seconds at Jerez Circuit on Thursday to edge Sebastien Buemi of Toro Rosso by less than one-tenth of a second.
Defending champion Jenson Button of McLaren was third, while seven-time champ Michael Schumacher of Mercedes GP was sixth.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, a two-time winner, was seventh.
New F1 team Virgin Racing had another bad day, losing part of a front wing to complete 11 laps after finishing only five Wednesday.
Mark Webber of Red Bull was ninth in the 10-car field.
Unofficial Thursday times from Jerez:
1. Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber, 1:19.950, 103 Laps
2. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:20.026, 121 Laps
3. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:20.618, 83 Laps
4. Nico Hulkenberg, Williams, 1:20.629, 67 Laps
5. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India, 1:20.754, 80 Laps
6. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP, 1:21.083, 124 Laps
7. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:21.424, 129 Laps
8. Robert Kubica, Renault, 1:22.003, 103 Laps
9. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:22.043, 99 Laps
10. Timo Glock, Virgin, 1:29.964, 11 Laps
Courtesy of Formula One
HAVE YOUR SAY: Can he keep the lead? Do we have another F1 Champ contender?
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