Wolff defends his driver Hamilton after popularity poll
Nov.4 - The significance of Lewis Hamilton's achievements will probably only be widely lauded once he has retired from Formula 1.
That is the view of Toto Wolff, responding to the fact that despite his unprecedented success, the seven time world champion has only been voted the third most popular driver in F1 by fans around the world.
"I think Lewis isn't regarded as well here as he should be," Mercedes boss Wolff admits, "but for many reasons.
"He had a lot of success immediately with McLaren, and the story of his earlier life, the financial struggles, the racism he was exposed to, is not something that was ever in the public eye," he told the Daily Mail.
"What people saw was a young man coming into Formula 1 and being successful from the get-go. And because he is also an extravagant person, that polarises further. People can't cope with it."
One of the 'people' Wolff is referring to may be the well-known British journalist Jeremy Clarkson - who has a different view as to why Hamilton is not as popular as Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
"The problem is that Lewis has changed," Clarkson wrote in the Sun.
He said Hamilton was initially "normal, bright and talented", but "then he decided to go woke and more politically correct than a student union AGM".
"All that might work well on social media but in the real world, where people live, it doesn't work at all. Instead, we all just want to throw something at him," said Clarkson.
Wolff, however, thinks simple jealousy plays a role.
"I think more importantly all of us lose more than we win, every day, and it is very difficult then for people to cope with a person they think has it all, who wins all the time," said the Austrian.
"The more you win, the more people cheer for the underdog.
"Only when he retires, I think, will people comprehend the magnitude of his achievements," Wolff added.
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I see, so as Lewis haters, as we are affectionately called, we are jealous, and to stupid to understand Lewis, Clarkson as ever has got it spot on...
And thanks Toto but , what else were you going to say
As for Lewis's financial struggle , the house he lived in till 11yr old is worth 1m quid and by 14yr he was being financially supported/sponsored by Ron.
Yes, Clarkson is on it. Just keep your politics to yourself Lewis. Let yor dribing do your talking.
As usual, Professor Shrop' is spot on. We respect HAM's abilities and hated it when he drove into the gravel on rags in China back when, but he has changed and we just don't like the metamorphosis. Simple, we don't like him anymore. RAI is gone and ALO is boring, bring on the young guns.
..lived in till 11 is worth 1m quid, 20 years later and after massive updates including buying and mergeing the house next door. But then why why put a story into context eh shoddypost.
The POINT is....., he wasn't in poverty at that time, no matter how hard Hammy snr, the media and Toto try to tell us he was, it just fits his story that's all
Don't remember poverty being mentioned, I do remember stories about several jobs and re-mortgaging the house. The POINT is you make things up in your quest to discredit LH every day
Don't wet yourself f1, or at least change the the Tenapad, poverty/financial challenges/needing 3 jobs/call it what you like/awww my heart bleeds, and the house was remortgaged to pay off mrs Hammy snr in the divorce.and yes the house he lived in is worth a 1m + now but it wasn't "the slums" as BillyBullshitLulu makes out either
Stories are stories, but don't forget they are embellished by all parties in the discussion .
It was so tough for Lewis to live until 12 in his shoddy 1M quid home with his white mother. Awwww... Poor Lewis.
That isn't true.
The house he lived in until he was 12 is a council house not far from me, and is not worth anywhere near £1m. The house he bought his family when he got his McLaren contract aged 12 is worth close to £1m.
If you don't know who is telling the truth, look up house prices for 3 bed terraced council houses on Peartree Way, Stevenage. Or read the article about this in the Daily Mail, where the couple who live in the £1m home state quite clearly that Lewis moved in when he was 12.
Nothing wrong with uk council houses AT ALL.
Whether people pay rent to live in them or own them, it does not mean you are poor...!! And buying his family a house at 12yr means they were definitely not financially struggling, more interesting is
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6510391/Lewis-Hamilton-makes-grovelling-apology-fans-branding-hometown-Stevenage-slum.html
I'm surprised he chose the jealousy card. Isn't the racist card the go to one when you dislike a twat who happens to have a darker complexion?
Just because you are not the most popular does not mean people do not appreciate your accomplishments. In the past Lewis has made a lot of excuses for not winning specific races but if you think he isn't talented and smart for making the moves he has you are not paying attention. And I am NO fan of Lewis.
Lewis didn’t have a popularity problem until he started dictating how people should think. Is he the greatest driver, only time will tell. His competition wasn’t the same as past drivers. Lewis needs to drive and stay out of politics, save that for when he retires. Using the race card to excuse everything is getting a bit old.
Mr. Hamilton has been superior to the other racers he has driven against for many years. He did not choose the other racers driving in F1 but has clearly been superior to the lot of them. And it grows very tiresome when someone always say it was better in the past. Hamilton will always be mentioned as one of the all time greats perhaps the greatest. So many people post, with any real knowledge of F1, just to make a vicious racial remark.
Lol. I swear it never gets old watching snowflakes bitch about their dislike of Sir Lewis. Nothing triggers emotion like the truth. Gotta love those closeted undertones. Entertaining as hell. More popcorn please.
🍿😎.
Looks like another case of "Novak Djokovic syndrome"...
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