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[FRAFPDD]

From Planet F1;

In the face of constant criticism of his driving style, Lewis Hamilton says he 'couldn't give a toss' what some of his detractors think of him.

Hamilton has faced the wrath of the race stewards on a number of occasions this season and was involved in two collisions in Montreal and Monaco, a record that has seen him come in for some harsh criticism.

Eddie Irvine suggested that Hamilton is 'losing the plot', Mark Webber said the Briton was 'finding ways to trip over [his] own shoelaces' and Nikki Lauda went as far as to say Hamilton was a danger to other drivers.

While many have had their say on the matter, Hamilton reveals he isn't fazed by what others say.

"You get tough. It's like if you fall down and bruise your knee, you get up and get stronger," he told the Evening Standard.

"But it doesn't affect my life what people say - it has no bearing. What Niki Lauda thinks about me, I really couldn't give a toss about it."

The 2008 World Champion says that criticism is part and parcel of the job and that when you're not at the top of the pile you'll come in for some stick.

"It's the way the world works, everyone loves you when you're doing well," he said.

"If Michael Schumacher was winning races now, everyone would be praising him, wanting to be around him, the same if it was Heikki Kovalainen or whoever. At the moment Sebastian Vettel is winning and so everyone's loving him. Just because of what people say and how they act, that doesn't make me any worse a driver."

Hamilton admits that he has made mistakes this season, but contends that it has been poor judgment rather than an overly aggressive driving style that has tripped him up.

"My judgment could be better maybe," said the 26-year-old.

"I don't think it's my aggressive style that gets me into trouble. Sometimes, maybe, I don't have the best judgment and sometimes maybe I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time. But the reality is that my priority in F1 is to be the best driver of all time and that takes dedication," he added.

LOVE.IT, so much for a PR robot, only driver with Webber and Kobayashi thatll speak his true mind everytime.

And hes so generous too, look how many sour grapes hes giving out to all the haters!

[andrew]

That's the problem, not giving a toss. Been there, done that, come off worst.

[myownalias]

He shouldn't care what others think of him but the way he acts in post race interviews is unacceptable sometimes with the name calling and the because I'm black thing was outrageous; this is what gets him in hot water 90% of the time, if he conducted himself better in post race interviews, maybe he wouldn't have so many detractors.

[FRAFPDD]

But the thing is the detractors are going to dislike him anyway, and whatsmore, he doesnt care. At all.

I love this sort of attitude especially when he directly takes on the haters face on like that. What a quote.


Its why people love Mark Webber as a personality, its why people love Kobayashi as a personality, its why people hate Lewis?

How many times do we see Lewis DOMINATE the articles in newspapers, websites, interviews, tv, in every language and every country. Nobody comes close, and thats because Lewis is one of them once in a generation drivers, im almost certain his fanbase is as big as Schumachers, and his haterbase bigger. Thats what makes him special, hes like every great of F1 history.

[vaptin]

I'm sceptical, if he truly didn't care, would he bother saying it?

[LewEngBridewell]

He shouldn't care what others think of him but the way he acts in post race interviews is unacceptable sometimes with the name calling and the because I'm black thing was outrageous; this is what gets him in hot water 90% of the time, if he conducted himself better in post race interviews, maybe he wouldn't have so many detractors.

Absolutely. The bollocks that Niki Lauda spews is a load of , but Lewis does himself no favours in interviews. He should take a leaf out of Jenson Button's book with regards to interviews... he knows how to handle the media properly and professionally.

But he's right in not caring about what some shrivelled-up old fart says about him. The best he can do is ignore it, keep his chin up, and work on getting a decent result....

[racechick]

Good on him!! Im glad he doesnt care, Id be disappointed if he let people like that affect him. Just keep doing what you do best Lewis. And the post race comments... love then too. Better than a PR robot. Now let me see...how long ago was it his detractos were calling him a PR robot???

[andrew]

Actually what Niki Lauda said was bang on and his true comments were twisted and edited by the gutter press.

What he basically said was that he is a fan of Hamilton but the guy needs to calm down. Nothing wrong with that at all until the tabloids got the hold of it, then it became pure .

[LewEngBridewell]

Actually what Niki Lauda said was bang on and his true comments were twisted and edited by the gutter press.

What he basically said was that he is a fan of Hamilton but the guy needs to calm down. Nothing wrong with that at all until the tabloids got the hold of it, then it became pure .

Well yes, that wouldn't surprise me. Tabloids will be the death of mankind one of these days.......

[FRAFPDD]

Actually what Niki Lauda said was bang on and his true comments were twisted and edited by the gutter press.

What he basically said was that he is a fan of Hamilton but the guy needs to calm down. Nothing wrong with that at all until the tabloids got the hold of it, then it became pure .

Now now now Andrew lets not have our cake and eat it,

If what Lauda said was bang on and true, then you accept that Lewis is, and i quote word for word " he is best driver" from the mouth of Niki Lauda.

More then a fan if you ask me!

[andrew]

Actually what Niki Lauda said was bang on and his true comments were twisted and edited by the gutter press.

What he basically said was that he is a fan of Hamilton but the guy needs to calm down. Nothing wrong with that at all until the tabloids got the hold of it, then it became pure .

Now now now Andrew lets not have our cake and eat it,

If what Lauda said was bang on and true, then you accept that Lewis is, and i quote word for word " he is best driver" from the mouth of Niki Lauda.

More then a fan if you ask me!

He's not right all the time.

But Hamilton's attitude towards those who know what they are talking about who are only giving him constructive critism is pathetic. He should listen to the voices of experience, learn to keep his soundbites sensible and just get on with racing. I seriously think he needs to relieve Simon Fuller of his script writing duties.

[racechick]

Actually what Niki Lauda said was bang on and his true comments were twisted and edited by the gutter press.

What he basically said was that he is a fan of Hamilton but the guy needs to calm down. Nothing wrong with that at all until the tabloids got the hold of it, then it became pure .

Now now now Andrew lets not have our cake and eat it,

If what Lauda said was bang on and true, then you accept that Lewis is, and i quote word for word " he is best driver" from the mouth of Niki Lauda.

More then a fan if you ask me!

He's not right all the time.

But Hamilton's attitude towards those who know what they are talking about who are only giving him constructive critism is pathetic. He should listen to the voices of experience, learn to keep his soundbites sensible and just get on with racing. I seriously think he needs to relieve Simon Fuller of his script writing duties.

Only giving him constructive criticism?? I dont think so. And he's a racing driver not a professional speaker. If people ask his opinion, guess what, they'll get it.

[FRAFPDD]

Actually what Niki Lauda said was bang on and his true comments were twisted and edited by the gutter press.

What he basically said was that he is a fan of Hamilton but the guy needs to calm down. Nothing wrong with that at all until the tabloids got the hold of it, then it became pure .

Now now now Andrew lets not have our cake and eat it,

If what Lauda said was bang on and true, then you accept that Lewis is, and i quote word for word " he is best driver" from the mouth of Niki Lauda.

More then a fan if you ask me!

He's not right all the time.

But Hamilton's attitude towards those who know what they are talking about who are only giving him constructive critism is pathetic. He should listen to the voices of experience, learn to keep his soundbites sensible and just get on with racing. I seriously think he needs to relieve Simon Fuller of his script writing duties.

But to some people, lets include Hamilton, its not constructive criticism, its a full frontal attack on his 99 percent successful driving-style a few bad races ( one dnf and a sixth place) and hes losing his marbles, that how good Hamilton is, and how good Hamiltons performances are that the moment a DNF happens or a lower then podium finish everyone shouts APOCALYPSE!!!, its BS for me.

I like him speaking his mind like he is doing even more the Webber and anyone, and i love his driving better then i ever have done, and im happy that Lewis has decided he is never changing any aspect of it.

[andrew]

Only giving him constructive criticism?? I dont think so. And he's a racing driver not a professional speaker. If people ask his opinion, guess what, they'll get it.

Yeah, but it is always best to think before you speak isn't it? Lest you look like you suffer from foot in mouth disease or come across as an arrogant mouthy prat. Everyone has and is entitled to an opinion, just some opinions sound screwed up.

F1 driver soundbites and PR crap really annoy the bejesus out of me. I'm old fashioned, they should do their talking on the track and not on Twitter or through the press.

But to some people, lets include Hamilton, its not constructive criticism, its a full frontal attack on his 99 percent successful driving-style a few bad races ( one dnf and a sixth place) and hes losing his marbles, that how good Hamilton is, and how good Hamiltons performances are that the moment a DNF happens or a lower then podium finish everyone shouts APOCALYPSE!!!, its BS for me.

It's the same in pretty much any walk of life. When we do something wrong there is often someone there to give and opinion and advise us. Generally it is the only way we learn if someone points out our mistakes and tell us how to sort it out. Do we like this advise? Not initially, no. But when you think about it, and it usually comes from the voice of experience, it is bang on.

I can honestly say, if I had taken Hamilton's stance in my last job I can guarantee you I would not have been there for 5 years! Some of the things I was told I didn't like and I did have thoughts of "oh p*ss off", but once I had calmed down and thought about what was said, I realised that what I had been told was exactly what I had and needed to hear and it helped me improve. Same idea in this debacle.

[geetface9]

I thought his ali g remarks were hilarious! He was only kidding, I think a lot of people took that more seriously than anybody should. I really don't think that he believes his race has anything to do with the stewards. Nobody looking at him in full race gear would know he's black anyway, they just see the yellow on his helmet so one might guess he's...nevermind I'll get a warning for that, i think!