Hamilton is no more aggressive, Button confirms
Is Lewis Hamilton a more aggressive driver compared to previous seasons? The main person concerned and his teammate, Jenson Button, do not seem to agree.
Involved in a number of incidents this season, starting with the Monaco Grand Prix during which he collided with Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado, the Canadian Grand Prix where he and his teammate collided, and the Hungarian Grand Prix when he rejoined the track in a cavalier manner forcing Paul Di Resta to move off the racing line, Lewis Hamilton is perpetually under criticism.
The Briton, once praised for his driving style at the start of his career, is increasingly being criticized. However, this change in attitude towards him is unlikely to motivate a change in his approach to the sport: « I’m going to keep driving the way I do. I’m just going to do my best to stay out of trouble. I’ll give people extra room when I overtake them! ». A statement that clearly refers to the collision between Kamui Kobayashi and him during the Belgian Grand Prix.
« I try to achieve good results, so I can’t stop the negative stories being written about me. I don’t read them, but I hear there are very bad stories about me, so I think it would be good to give you something positive to write about me, » he adds.
The 2008 world champion thinks that the attention is more focused on him because he is not in the title fight this season: « I suppose I am an easy target at the moment because I am always struggling, so I hope that at some point, I will get out of these spotlights to enter a good light, and people will only have good things to say. It seems like this is the worst season I’ve had compared to the others. In 2007 and 2008, there were a number of incidents, but because I won the championship, they were forgotten. I guess since I am not in the race for the championship now, it’s different ».
About his collision with Kobayashi in Belgium, Hamilton refuses to see a problem of aggressiveness: « It’s just a mistake. It wasn’t because I was aggressive, it’s just that I didn’t know he was there. People blame it on aggressive driving style, but it has nothing to do with it ».
His teammate, Jenson Button, is also keen to defend him: « I think Lewis is Lewis. I don’t think he’s changed compared to previous years. He is very fast, extremely fast, a driver who loves overtaking. I really don’t know what else to say about him ». For the record, Jenson Button is ahead of his teammate in the world championship by three points (149 against 146).
