Twenty years worth of Formula 1 drama packed into twenty seconds. In a sport where guessing the amount of petrol that gets pumped into a car constitutes stimulating debate, it’s a wonder that F1 fans could handle the excitement of the closing laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Going into the final corners Lewis Hamilton was a choker for throwing it away, a couple of arcs of the steering wheel later and he was a calculated genius who did exactly what was required to achieve his goal. He may want to sort out a present for Timo Glock - an evening alone with the Pussycat Dolls might be fitting - but the history books won’t feature a footnote that cites the German’s tyres as the reason for Hamilton’s maiden Championship win. Claiming 5th place was the final brick in the wall, but the foundations were being laid since Australia in March.

Hamilton is the best driver and deserves it. In an era when technology means the impact of the driver isn’t always tangible, his presence behind the wheel seems to generate speed and audacity that few of his team-mates dare to match. He may feel hard done by at the hands of a governing body that seem to favour Ferrari, but that should only make the victory sweeter. Having become the youngest champion in the history of F1, he now looks well placed to start a dynasty that could rival Michael Schumacher.

If he does want to turn one victory into domination, Hamilton needs to deal with being unpopular in certain quarters. Senna and Schumacher cared little about making friends in pursuit of excellence. Their single-mindedness rarely endeared them to the rest of the grid, but behind their expressions of detached indifference, there was genuine indifference. You get the impression the twenty-three year old is, to a certain extent, craving acceptance amongst his peers and the sporting public. When his campaign for the Drivers title was struggling in the early part of the season, Hamilton went on the attack against the bad press he was getting. As we’ve seen with almost every British sporting talent, the press are as prone to heaping excessive praise on prospects as they are to knocking them down when everything doesn’t go to plan. Lewis needs to accept that he may not be the darling of the media and he doesn’t need to be.

Hamilton’s poor relationship with Fernando Alonso is well documented and he isn’t especially popular amongst the other drivers who claim some of his overtaking manoeuvres are overly forceful and dangerous. There was little sympathy for the fate he suffered after the Belgian Grand Prix as many of the drivers felt it was a trick he tried too often in the past, but it shouldn’t matter to him. Rather than going about the business of making friends, Hamilton should focus on the business of winning races. You get the impression that whilst Schumacher found celebrity an irritating by-product of his success, Hamilton genuinely enjoys being papped with a supermodel or popstar on his arm. There are very few twenty-three year old men who would feel differently, but in the interests of fulfilling his wells of potential, is it the wisest course of action?

However long his career lasts, Hamilton needs to remember that it’s about winning, not winning people over.

This entry was posted on 4:45pm Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 4:45 pm and is filed under Motor Racing, Sportsbook. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. By commenting on this site you agree to abide by our terms and conditions.

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