No 'truth' to Hamilton F1 quit threats according Red Bull
Jan.31 - Lewis Hamilton's post-defeat "silence" was all "part of the drama" of the incredible and intense 2021 world championship climax, finale and aftermath.
Those are the words of Red Bull team boss Christian Horner - and he is backed up by his Austrian colleague Dr Helmut Marko.
They both commented on speculation Hamilton's post-defeat silence was a sign the seven time world champion might be considering retirement.
"Normally there would be great unrest if there was any truth to that," Marko told f1-insider.com.
"The wires would be running hot behind the scenes to replace Lewis. But there was nothing - no calls, no messages, not even internal speculation. Neither here nor anywhere else," the 78-year-old insisted.
Mercedes' Hamilton, 37, has just resurfaced with paparazzi shots in Los Angeles - and sources report that he is now preparing for the 2022 Formula One season.
"The silence was part of the drama," Red Bull boss Horner smiled.
However, Hamilton's 2021 teammate Valtteri Bottas insists that the pain of the defeat to Max Verstappen really did take a toll on the British driver.
"I saw him a few days after that race and it still felt like a funeral," the Finn told Finnish journalist Oskari Saari.
"Even when you know that it wasn't your fault, you were robbed, it is still extremely difficult to accept," Bottas added.
"I think you just need to wait and he will return even stronger than before."
Bottas says any perception that Hamilton no longer takes Formula 1 so seriously given his long and unprecedented success is wide of the mark.
"If Lewis finds out that I was at the base for two days, he would go there for three," he smiled.
"He was in the simulator almost every week last year, which he had never done before. His commitment is something I have to take my hat off for.
"I think Formula 1 now means even more to him than any other driver," Bottas said.
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Lewis is a drama queen. It's all about Lewis. And when it's not, he pouts and plays the victim. Look at me, look at me...
Exactly so. Perhaps us American F1 fans don't come with the inherent pro-Lewis bias of the Brits or the inherent pro-Merc bias of the Germans and other non-Dutch Europeans. Let's just hope Haas ditches the Russian colors for this season!
Adrian, do you believe you wouldn't be 'biases' if there were actually an American driver in F1? Just curious. :)
Well, funny you should ask, because, as you know, there is an American team (I was a fan of Scott Speed and am a fan of Alexander Rossi, but was never particularly biased in their favor, as neither were with competitive teams during their brief stints in F1), Haas. However, since they fly the Russian colors and seem to take orders from one of Putin's mafia toadies, they have become quite literally my least favorite F1 team, Mick S. and their dismal performance notwithstanding.
If I'm not mistaken, Lewis said that he is waiting for the outcome of the FIA inquiry before deciding what is future will be in F1. Why do so many people feel it necessary to second-guess what he might do? Why do the media go into a feeding-frenzy when they don't have anything to report? The media create the 'drama' in my opinion.
You either want to race or you don't....!, anything else is just Bollox.
ShroppyFly, I have no doubt that Lewis wants to race but in a sport where the rules don't get arbitrarily changed in the middle (or very end) of a race. That seems pretty understandable to me.
Except as I (and, more importantly, those far more expert in the arcane FIA and F1 rules than I) understand it, the rules as written and in effect gave race director Masi precisely the kind of discretion to make the decision he did, like it or not.
That is how i understand the scenario yes
Adrian and Shroppy... yes, technically the rules did not state that the Race Director didn't have the authority to interpret them in the way that he did in Abu Dhabi, I cannot deny that. But races and championships shouldn't be won and lost on the 'discretion' of the RD. Just my opinion. :)
well then, to continue with the double negatives, you cannot deny that "the rules" were NOT "arbitrarily changed in the middle (or very end) of the race" - and hmmmm, races won and lost on (at?) the discretion of the race director - what about the stewards/race director's discretion that allowed Baby Lewie to win at Silverstone notwithstanding his clumsy, overly ambitious move at Copse that put Max in the hospital? Is discretion ok when it works in your boy's favor?
Yea, Masi and RB have said that next year if LH is leading by more than 5 seconds on lap 10 and it gets cloudy he alone has to do an extra 2 laps. All at the discretion of race director and within the rules
its LL decision at the end of the day,, but if he hasn't made his mind up yet , id still be at the factory every day till testing starts, instead of sunning himself in California grabbing ice coffees with his minder, personally i still say he will do a Nico .
Whose LL and what has his minder got to do with it. May only have a minder to protect him from haters like you anyway.
I had to laugh about this and I know I shouldn't, but it somehow reminded me of last seasons f1
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-60203582
Adrian, the double negative was intentional (I actually commented on it in my first draft but then took it out for brevity) and I totally agree that the rules didn't prevent the RD from doing what he did, but teams and drivers need to 'know' what the rules ARE not what the RD might decide to do because the rules 'don't' preclude it. And I'm the first to accept that Lewis should have given the place back when he went off. But that's just another example of how the RD made it up as he went along! No-one can operate with that kind of inconsistency.
Well then, if the rules give the RD and/or stewards (still not clear which of those actually governs) discretion in matters that should really be the end of the discussion. And while we might agree that the rules have been applied "inconsistently" it is quite clear from a review of the season's officiating that most of the "inconsistency" worked in Lewis' favor - at least until the very end.
Dunno, maybe MB should have called in LH just like RB called in Max in those final laps. May not even be discussing all this to death... *shrug*
Folks, are we still doing this? Good, bad or indifferent, 2021 is OVER and just days now until testing. Time to get on with it and look forward to a fresh season with some some exciting prospects for young lions. I like NOR and LEC to be looking for wins and MSC to get his first points.
Be happy to Ror, except the media just wont let it lay down, in ref to the thread title.whatever the Fia do , or don't do, it'll never please every driver/team manager or fan .
I think it's so funny, if Lewis was actively up and about on social media saying he was robbed and this and that everyone would be on his back telling him he's "a drama queen", so he stays silent, says nothing and stays out of the spotlight entirely. He's allowed Max to enjoy being number 1 and hasn't commented on the farce of the last race and so now he's still labelled as "a drama queen"?
Damned if you do and damned by the same people if you don't.
Lewis was the mature one here by staying off social media and keeping quiet. I take my hat off too him for his silence.
Unfortunately Andy, that's the price for being a global superstar with mayb 25M followers you don't get one without the other...
The Media can build you up, and can knock you down
Had he maintained his normal public appearances and social media presence, while not constantly bitching and moaning and whining about the way the last race ended (we all know he's upset and disagrees with Masi's decision), I might agree with Andy. But no, it has been, as they say, "radio silence" - the public, modern, social-media-age equivalent of a petulant child standing still, stomping its feet, holding its breath, all as part of a tantrum to get its way (in this case, retribution against poor Masi) - Veruca Salt comes to mind - frankly, it's disgraceful imho, and if the Queen is paying attention, I suspect she might want to revoke that knighthood if she could.
Naw she only removes the titles given to members of her own family.... too close to the bone.. maybe but heh, if LL returns ,hell be his normal smiley face, and how blessed he is... etc etc .and no doubt the Journos will suck it all up
Indeed.
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