Monday 28 November 2016

LEWIS HAMILTON SHOULD BE SACKED.

One again, I find myself writing about Lewis Hamilton.

In yesterday's F1 season finale, Hamilton's only chance of winning the drivers' world championship was to win the race and hope that his team mate, Nico Rosberg, finished 4th or lower. Given the season-long supremacy of the Mercedes team, this was an unlikely scenario barring accidents, incidents or breakdowns. However, Hamilton has never been one not to look for alternatives.

Leading the race and with Rosberg not far behind, Hamilton began to play a dirty game which could even have handed race victory to Sebastian Vettel's fast approaching Ferrari. Instead of continuing to drive at his previous race-winning speed, Hamilton slowed down, knowing that Rosberg was hardly likely to try to overtake him and, even if he did, Hamilton's equally matched car would make it impossible. The consequence was that Vettel closed in and Max Verstappen, on worn tyres, wasn't far behind either; despite repeated and very clear instructions from his team's management, Hamilton refused to drive any faster in the hope that Rosberg would be overtaken and drop down to fourth place.

Hamilton's objective was clearly to win the world championship for himself though his lack of sportsmanship is plain for all to see; he did everything he could to place his team mate's second place in jeopardy. This negative tactic was distasteful to say the least and is certainly not something that drivers of earlier generations would have contemplated; the likes of Stirling Moss, Fangio, Brabham, Jim Clark and others, would surely have concentrated on their own race performance rather than trying to mess up anyone else's race. Sadly, today's generation do not seem to share the same values as those gladiators of the past.

Thankfully, Hamilton's behaviour did not achieve its desired result and Rosberg did finish second to claim the drivers' title. The atmosphere after the race was icy with Rosberg and Hamilton not speaking; Hamilton's subsequent congratulations to his team mate were uttered through gritted teeth and the play acting between them was painful to see. Rosberg clearly doesn't like Hamilton and Hamilton clearly hates and despises Rosberg.

Hamilton is simply not a team player. He is the Geoffrey Boycott of Formula 1, playing for himself and giving no thought to team mates and the hordes of others who have made his team's success possible. He is selfish and childish in his behaviour; he is like a spoilt child who screams and stamps his foot when things don't go his way and refuses to do what he's told whenever it doesn't suit him. His refusal to follow team orders in Abu Dhabi has caused a degree of unhappiness in his Mercedes team, with Toto Wolff, the team boss, saying that Hamilton's insubordination amounted to 'anarchy'. Clearly, there will be consequences though one has to wonder if Hamilton really cares. It's most unlikely that he'll be sacked or even suspended; a fine would be pretty meaningless given the wealth he's accumulated over recent years. What else is there ?

Formula I racing is a team sport and those who don't want to play it like that don't belong; I'd sack Hamilton and say good riddance. He may be a good driver, almost certainly one of the very best, but his divisiveness is there for all to see. It cannot be good for team morale or performance and they'd be much better off without him.