Hamilton still sparks debate in the paddock
The McLaren driver did not extinguish the fire of criticism in Canada.

At the end of the last two Grand Prix races, where Lewis Hamilton has partly stood out due to his on-track maneuvers and his words off-track, the British driver is under heavy criticism, while Jean Todt stated last week that a six-race suspension had been considered.
Some explain this behavior by a maximum risk-taking approach by Lewis Hamilton, compelled, in a way, to overdrive in order to compensate for the performance gap still separating the RB7 from his MP4-26. Nevertheless, even before the Monaco Grand Prix, the 2008 Champion had declared himself the only one capable of competing with Vettel, in the excitement following his thrilling Spanish Grand Prix: “At the moment, the only person who can take it to Sebastian is me, and in a car that is not as good as his, and I’m quite happy about that.”
The great Stirling Moss, freshly retired at the age of 81, gave his comment: « He sometimes goes a bit too far. He is a tremendous driver, very aggressive and exciting, which is important because F1 is now a spectator sport. But the way he behaves is not as good. His father is no longer his manager, which is a problem. If they could work together again, it would be a good thing. »
Niki Lauda, who is never short of comments, also joined the crowd of critics: « What Hamilton did goes beyond the limits. He is completely crazy. You can’t drive like that and someone is going to end up getting killed. »
Jackie Stewart, who had already been critical of Lewis Hamilton following the Monaco Grand Prix, however, moderates the harshness of the Austrian’s words: “I think Niki is being a bit harsh with Lewis, but he is a man who deserves to be listened to. To finish first, you must first finish and not crash into others all the time. Lewis has too many accidents with too many drivers, and he cannot blame the stewards because they are different at each race.”
In Canada, it was indeed Emerson Fittipaldi who succeeded Alan McNish as the 4th commissioner. Before the Grand Prix, the double Brazilian world champion commented on the controversy surrounding Lewis Hamilton following the Monaco Grand Prix: « I think Lewis is an exceptional talent, a world champion, but sometimes he is too aggressive when he tries to overtake » the Brazilian told the site Totalrace. […] « I think there must be a limit to aggressiveness, […] one can be aggressive but must respect others. »
And the compatriot of Felipe Massa returns to the comparison between Lewis Hamilton and Ayrton Senna: Ayrton was a very aggressive driver, but I don’t remember seeing him do what Lewis did, not only in Monaco, but if you go back three years ago at the Belgian Grand Prix [editor’s note: says the Brazilian who seems to have a selective memory]. I think he is spectacular. From the spectators’ point of view, it’s cool to have a spectacular driver on the grid, it’s part of the show, but you have to respect the other drivers. When you lack respect and put others in a dangerous position, it’s wrong.
Although critical, the former McLaren driver nevertheless states that he would not have imposed a penalty on Hamilton for his clash with Massa in Monaco, unlike Alan McNish: « We know it’s complicated to overtake in Monaco, and if someone doesn’t want to let you pass, then it’s hard to avoid a collision. […] It’s a difficult situation to be perfectly honest, you will always find differing opinions on this matter. »
Lewis Hamilton has also received the support of his team, through Martin Whitmarsh, first of all: « I suppose I’m not the most impartial, but I want to see Lewis attack, and obviously, I don’t want him to crash with other cars. But at the same time, if he holds back for fear of an accident, then he won’t be the great driver he is and he won’t do his job as he does. I’m sure he’ll continue to be a very tough driver and many successes await him in his career. »
Same message from Norbert Haug, the head of Mercedes: « He’s a good driver, a friend, and I don’t share the criticisms about him. […] Of course, he is criticized, but that will only make him stronger. »
For his part, when invited to comment on the subject by the Press Association, Jenson Button states: « Lewis is making a lot of headlines right now, largely because he’s damn good. He’s a competitor, a fighter. That’s why I wanted to be [at McLaren], against and with a driver who is super talented, one of the best we’ve seen in Formula One. »
The two drivers have indeed often had run-ins on the track, but for the first time, in Canada, they collided while Lewis Hamilton was attempting an overtaking maneuver on Jenson Button: « We have a lot of respect for each other, we’ve often fought each other this year, and last year, and we’ve never touched, we’ve always given each other enough space » [editor’s note: the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix is indeed one of the most obvious proofs]. « So, I don’t agree with what Niki [Lauda] said. Sometimes, Lewis is right, sometimes not, but the same goes for all of us. He just finds himself in these kinds of situations more often than others. »
The winner of the Canadian Grand Prix also thinks, like his boss, that it would be useless to chase away the natural: « You can’t really change as a driver. I did an interview with Alain Prost, in Monaco, and he said that the way you drive reveals your character and the person you are. When you hear him speak, he is very calm and that’s exactly how he was on the track. »
To read Lewis Hamilton’s statements, we understand that his enthusiasm and passion sometimes lead him off course, whether verbally or in sports.