‘I do my talking on the track’ – Hamilton

2015 Bahrain Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton says that he will continue to let his driving do the talking for him ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

After Nico Rosberg’s post-race claims in China that Hamilton’s pace had compromised his race, there is a renewed focus on the relationship between the two team mates.

But when asked in the Thursday Drivers’ Press Conference how his attitude to being in a championship fight has changed over time, Hamilton said he is approaching this season the same as any other.

“It’s not really changed much – I just do my talking on the track,” said Hamilton.

“That’s how it’s always been since I was eight years old. Naturally you try to learn from the decisions you take and the experiences you have and hope that you get better. All the stuff that comes out of the car, I have no particular interest in.”

The Mercedes driver was also given an opportunity to address the criticism aimed at him by some media outlets after he sprayed champagne on the face of a hostess on the Shanghai podium.

“Generally my actions are through excitement,” said Hamilton.

“This is Formula 1. It’s the pinnacle of motorsport and I’d just won a grand prix for the team. It was a fun thing. I would never intend to disrespect someone or try to embarrass someone like that.”

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Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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90 comments on “‘I do my talking on the track’ – Hamilton”

  1. “It’s not really changed much – I just do my talking on the track,” said Hamilton.

    Let`s not get ahead of ourselves shall we. Hamie does plenty of talking off the track too. It just happens to be he`s still fast enough on raceday too.

    1. The Blade Runner (@)
      16th April 2015, 15:46

      You beat me to it!

    2. Was going to write the same.. Not just on track, he speaks a bit too much off it as well.. And that too when he wins.. Don’t want to think of the times when he went overboard when on a losing spree..

    3. LOL I’m a huge HAM fan, but the first thought that came into my head when I read the headline was: “Then shutup and drive this weekend”. :)

      I mean, seriously…I understand that he feels like he has to say something and respond especially when reporters will keep asking them questions. They all get that temptation because there is always a mic stuck in their faces with someone saying: “So, how do you feel about xxx nasty situation or yyy statement said about you”?
      So if they really want to stay out of it, do like Kimi usually does and say something bland followed by you’ll race hard this weekend. Otherwise, you really do want to get attention and run your mouth.

      1. That came off a little harsher than I intended. I think it would be more accurate to say I appreciated the way he handled it when Nico started the whining in the post race press conference.
        Nico: whine…Lewis not helping me…whine…Lewis mean to me…whine…Lewis is selfish…whine.
        Reporter: Lewis, would you care to respond to that?
        Lewis: (smiling) Not really.

        Now THAT was funny.

    4. yea at least he can back it up.. unlike nico ratkid.. who wanted a fight with ferrari and invite vettel to the merc garage and later he was whining that vettel was too close.. haha

      “It’s not the same to call the devil than to see him arrive”

  2. He sounds like an immature child to me. Seriously, this is pathetic.

    1. Could you elaborate? I’m no Hamilton fan but I don’t really see how anyone can criticise what he’s saying here.

      1. You beat me too it!

      2. @mazdachris @sinnr The way he is saying this, playing “mind games” or whatever, it is just pathetic. If he does his talking on the track then there was no need for that comment to begin with.

        We need more Kimi Raikkonens in Formula 1

        1. “then there was no need for that comment to begin with.” – Errrm..but he was asked a question. Or did i miss something??

          1. He could have just said a normal answer, such as:
            “It’s not changed much. I do my best every weekend”, or whatever

          2. I don’t understand this response. You want him to reply to questions wiht a really dull stock answer. But you also say that you want more Kimi Raikkonens – Raikkonen who has built up a large fanbase by speaking his mind rather than just giving bland stock answers. This is why you come across as if your problem is simply that you don’t like Lewis Hamilton – on one hand, you say you want more drivers who speak their minds in interviews, and on the other hand you say that Hamilton is immature and pathetic for doing exactly that. I can almost guarantee that if Raikkonen made exactly the same statement, not one person would criticise him for it.

        2. So someone asks him whether he’s got any comments about Rosberg, and he says he’ll do his talking on the track. That’s immature, is it?

          Is it not exactly the sort of thing that Raikkonen would also say?

          Hamilton demonstrably IS getting it done on the track. He’s hammered Rosberg in just about every race since the middle of last year. Rosberg is the one looking immature, going around complaining to anyone that’ll listen that he’s being unfairly treated, while Hamilton just seems to laugh it off and keep on beating him. I’ve been very critical in the past of how Hamilton has conducted himself, but this 2015 spec Hamilton is just doing everything right.

          1. Yes, I’m not denying that.

            The immaturity is just how he is trying to play all these mind games with his comments. It is ridiculous. He is doing his talking on the track, no need to brag about it.

          2. So when he’s asked a question what should he do. Smile and nod? Shrug his shoulders? emit a low frequency humming noise?

            Fact is, F1 is about mind games, always has been. A drivr needs to break his teammate, needs to get in his head and make sure he’s psychologically beaten before he even does a lap. Rosberg is beaten and broken. He’s shouting and wailing, but it’s all for nought because he simply can’t beat Hamilton and he knows it. All hamilton needs to do is just keep reminding him of it. Yeah, I just do my talking on the track – i.e. you can kick and scream all you like Nico, I’m just going to smile and keep beating you. It’s not immature, it’s gamesmanship. It’s using your opponent’s weakness against him, to ensure you keep winning. It’s how you beat someone. It’s how Hamilton will win his third, and possibly future titles, and eventually secure his position among the all time greats of the sport. Because for so many years, he’s been the one flapping, unable to harness his potention and repeatedly coming apart in front of the media. Now though, he’s got himself together, and he’s using his talent to devastating effect. So yeah, he’s reminding us, and he’s reminding Nico. Everything is going brilliantly, he doesn’t need to make long winded statements about his teammate. He’s in a good place and he’s going to keep on winning.

          3. +1@mazdachris

            I can feel it in my bones that Nico will be looking for a drive soon ,
            Or it’s just the onset of the Australian Winter? :)

            Recent onboard footage shows a smooth Lewis compared to slightly ragged Nico ,

            I also feel Toto and Niki might tire of the antics and hire a compliant No.2

        3. Kimi, the guy who screams on the radio get the McLaren out of the way, Kimi? Just pass them. For goodness sake. If he is incapable of dispatching the McHonda without pit assistance, he does not deserve to be driving a Ferrari.

          As for Lewis, he just upped the ante on the silly game that Nico foolishly started.
          As I said, I believe there is a big chance that Nico will attempt a crazy suicidal pass on Lewis this weekend and a collision will ensue with huge fallout.

          1. Maybe, but I thought Todt’s sharp remark about Mercedes maybe having to make a ‘tough decision’ this season was a very clear warning shot to the drivers – and Rosberg in particular – that the kinds of scraps and incidents seen last year could have much bigger consequences. Taking Hamilton out again could well see Rosberg demoted to number two very quickly.

          2. @svianna He’s capable of passing them but he’d still love it if he’s lucky enough to have 2 cars let him past.

            You also would if you were him – let’s face it.

          3. @svianna If you listen again to that radio and the following one where he says: “get these two cars out the way” you can clearly hear he is joking as he laughs after that one… it is just his humour.

            Anyway they were backmarkers and the rules say they must get out of the frontrunners way within 3 blue flags or get a penalty.

          4. Yep, probably my favourite kimi moment tbh. Love the laughing at the end.

        4. @strontium

          If he does his talking on the track then there was no need for that comment to begin with.
          We need more Kimi Raikkonens in Formula 1

          Exactly! When in doubt (Formula 1-wise anyway), I always ask, what would Jim Clark do?

        5. @strontium
          I found the comment unnecessary as well, but then again…he WAS asked a question.

          So, I think you’re going a bit over the top by calling it pathetic. Everyone’s going to have an opinion on what drivers should and shouldn’t say, but it’s not like he called for more gimmicks in F1 or whined about someone not being fair to him…or pulled a Bernie and buddied up to Putin or admired oither disgusting dictators who kill people.

          1. @daved haha fair enough, but it seems like every other day there is something new, like this, from Hamilton

        6. How do we need more drivers who seriously underperform in their car (Kimi 2014), can barely raise a smile despite being in one of the world’s most exciting sports, is one of only two surviving world F1 champions not to turn up for the 60th anniversary F1 champs team picture, leaves a team two races before the end of the year for money reasons (despite being hugely wealthy)? Less drivers like Kimi is what we need.

    2. Somehow, I get the feeling you’d say the same thing no matter what Hamilton said.

      1. Not at all, no. I am not a hater, I have a huge amount of respect for him when he drives, as is evidenced by loads of my previous comments since I joined F1 Fanatic. I find it extremely difficult to warm up to his personality though, due to things like this.

        1. Just sounds like bashing to me @strontium. What’s ‘immature’ about it? Specifically.

          1. @lockup It seems like he is boasting about himself

          2. Well to me @strontium it just sounded like he didn’t want to talk about Rosberg or the champagne. He can be a bit immodest sometimes, and a bit contradictory, but other times he can be modest and very expressive. Why not just have a smile? Why would you want him to be ordinary?

            Kimi’s allowed to be extra-ordinary isn’t he? In fact quite rude sometimes…

          3. @strontium It’s not boasting if it’s true is it. He IS doing his talking on the track. And hey, what’s not to boast about? He’s one of the most naturally gifted drivers on the grid, he’s the world champion, he’s in a car that could probably beat every other car on the grid driving backwards, and his teammate is slowly imploding and isn’t able to beat him. All he has to do is just sit back and let the success accumulate. It’s a position very very few F1 drivers ever get to be in, so I see no reason why he can’t be allowed a little bit of smug satisfaction. Being boastful is only a bad thing if you aren’t delivering the results to back it up.

          4. If he’s boasting, then so was Kvyat earlier this year (slightly unfortunately). Doing your talking on the track/pitch/court/course/rink/etc is standard sport-speak for ‘I don’t want to answer questions like that because I know you’re just trying to stir things up.’

          5. @mazdachris

            It’s not boasting if it’s true is it

            Actually, true or not, it is still boasting ;)

        2. If you don’t like what Hamilton has to say how about being mature in yourself and just ignoring it? If somebody asks him a question should he remain silent just to please you? It’s his job to drive and speak to the press. He get payed millions to do it. He is a double world champion, so ye,s he does his talking on the track.

          1. I can express my opinion on here.

            However, that said, I do wish I had said nothing now as it has clearly caused a lot of chaos and arguments, which I did not intend.

            I do apologise to anybody who I may have offended, etc. I am just stating my opinion.

    3. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

      1. Haha very constructive viewpoint there ;) @edmarques

        1. Your comment didn’t deserve anything better than that.

    4. He’s a driver, not a public relations officer. Who cares about the finer details of what he says?

  3. Lol, it’s a Hamilton ‘story’.

    He’s just the most interesting guy out there :)

  4. Everyone talks off the track – but the “talking” that really matters is done on it; and in this area, no one can fault Lewis. He was asked a question, to which he gave an extremely mature and measured answer. However, human beings will always be human beings. They will ALWAYS find something wrong – if they want to.

    1. Testing

    2. For some reason my first comment did not show up. Hence the testing above.

      I won’t bother to write it all again but the jist of it is this:
      If Hamilton wasn’t such a fan of doing his talking off track as he is, I would agree with you. Seeing as he is though I think it’s very hypocritical of him to say such a thing. And a rather far cry from a mature and measured response.

  5. As any true champion does.

  6. The real test comes when one loses.. We have seen Lewis’s statements post Monaco etc..

    1. We have seen Lewis’s statements post Monaco etc..

      He made a big statement post-Monaco by winning over double number of races the races Rosberg did.

      1. Nico cheated!

        Nico hit me on purpose!

        Not really Hamiltons finest moments.

        1. I’m guessing not exact quotes either. The latter, at least, I remember he said ‘basically Nico said he did it on purpose’ (no exclamation mark). Tone changes everything. So instead of a still annoyed Hamilton making his own blunt summary to the media of what Rosberg said after the team talk, you make it sound like a petulant squeal. And his summary was, going by the other team remarks, pretty much accurate. So not a fine moment in what way? Rosberg decided to ‘teach Hamilton a lesson’ by being deliberately cavalier in his attempt to pass, costing Hamilton the race. Why shouldn’t Hamilton make that known publicly?

          It’s really fairly pathetic how people treat this issue. Imagine the outrage if Hamilton had done what Rosberg did (and said) last year. Rosberg was completely in the wrong both times and went unpunished by the stewards. Hamilton was fully in his rights to turn that round as best he could.

          1. The fact a very experienced drivers actually thinks an other one, his teammate no less, would crash into him on purpose is beyond me. They have no idea where there front wing is to the level of touching it so only hamilton would get a flat. We’ve seen plenty of examples even in that very race where people touched and it was the guy at the back who had to pit for a new wing. I’m not even saying Rosberg was right.

            It’s really fairly pathetic how people treat this issue.

            It is indeed failry pathetic how Hamilton handled this issue.

          2. Rosberg apparently said ‘I could have avoided the collision but chose not to in order to make a point’. So purposefully chose not to avoid collision. When you’re the one trying to make the pass and the other driver is on the racing line, and hasn’t made a defensive maneouvre, that’s equivalent to deliberately causing an accident. As Hamilton reported.

        2. @xtwl but certainly some of the lowest points in Rosberg’s career.

          1. @jerseyf1 I definetly agree on the Spa incident (just poor driving and bad judgement) but I’ve never been fully convinced about Monaco.

        3. Au contraire @xtwl Lewis was magnificent in Monaco. “I’m not saying anything.” Just stood there refusing to play ball while the circus dishonestly whitewashed that flagrant cheating. It was superb.

          And didn’t you notice the team agreeing with Lewis in Spa? And how he used the print media pc to tell everyone what Nico had said, off-camera? Very deft, and honest.

          These are among his finest moments.

          1. @lockup I remember Lewis being quite clear about what he thought in the interviews after the session in Monaco.

            And didn’t you notice the team agreeing with Lewis in Spa?

            Again, I never said I was agreeing with anyone. You’re often reading more in my posts than is actually there.

            If you accuse a driver of cheating you should have some decent evidence and Rosberg mocking him in a debriefing only showed how mentally unstable Lewis was at that time. Luckily, and hopefully it continues, we don’t have those episodes right now because they are a small part of F1 which I dislike thoroughly.

          2. @xtwl Lewis did not say “Nico cheated!” as you claimed. Did he? Be honest.

            On top of which he did have decent evidence in the tyre load data. All the drivers knew Nico cheated. Need the link again? I don’t know why you think he ought to have kept quiet about it. Unless he should have been grateful to be in F1?

            Rosberg did not mock him in a Spa debriefing either, Nico admitted to Toto and Paddy that he did it to make a point, as a Merc PR person confirmed. Need that link? Or the link to the pic of Nico steering into the tyre?

            I didn’t say anything about you agreeing eiither. No need for you to be ‘misunderstood’ ;)

  7. What’s strange to me is, media outlets were fast enough to report on this whole Lewis Hamilton has been called a sexist, idiot etc… But most have been very silent when the women herself comes out and says it was no big deal. I’m guessing because that doesn’t generate as much click bait traffic for them. Many also seemed to forget to mention that many other drivers do this while celebrating, It was a favourite act for Vettel.

    In terms of letting driving to the talking, well Lewis has been known on more than one occasion to do some talking off the track, although not lately. Last time I can remember was Monaco, where most said he had a reason to talkative. The benefit for Hamilton is, excluding a few media outlets, usually his driving talks louder than he does off track. The Lewis Hamilton of today is not the same Lewis Hamilton that was around a few years ago. So while I don’t agree he has consistently let the driving do the talking since he was 8, I would agree he has lately and very much did last year.

    Also was it me or was it a very short press conference today? normally it’s about 30 mins plus, this was about 20. I’d love to know what Max said to make Lewis & Ricciardo chuckle so much as well. On the subject of Max, when he is in the car you can’t really tell at all that this is his first season and he is 17, he is very impressive. When he is in a media situation though you can very much tell he is 17 and in his first season, You can tell from his body language he isn’t comfortable, that’s to be expected of course but he will need to work on that, as it’s part of the job, unless your name is Kimi of course and then the normal rules don’t apply.

    1. to be*

    2. “Generally my actions are through excitement, this is Formula 1. It’s the pinnacle of motorsport and I’d just won a grand prix for the team. It was a fun thing. I would never intend to disrespect someone or try to embarrass someone like that.”

      I think that’s a fantastic answer to the criticism.

  8. Hamilton has to answer for spraying a grid girl with champagne like he is the first person to do that. Like he did it with thuggish flair somehow. Good grief. Any normal person would tell the reporter off. But he just gives some kind of talking point answer. The man has serious restraint. I don’t know how these guys really deal with the press. If you call them out for inventing issues and misquoting you, then you have an attitude problem for them to report on. There should be a reverse presser where the reporters are on the dais and drivers get to ask them, say, if they have anything to say to those who question their accuracy, tone, and ethics on various subjects.

    1. I put it down to mild flirting actually (now Nicole is out of the picture). It’s kind of ironic that the woman was seen to be more ‘objectified’ by being included, very briefly, in the celebrations as someone living and breathing, rather than simply acting as decorative wall paper. (On that point, I agree with Keith’s article that Formula 1 needs to dump this 1970s archaism.)

      1. ColdFly F1 (@)
        16th April 2015, 18:33

        “included (..) as someone living and breathing'” by spraying her wet with champagne! seriously?

        1. Not very! I just meant it was at least some kind of interaction. Most of the time it’s stand still, look pretty, go away. And that’s not the objectified bit?!

    2. iv seen alot of drivers do this, the whole world is ful of pc people and its getting worse, it russles my jimmys

  9. I can’t help feeling that regardless if Lewis is talkative or quiet, happy, miserable or completely calm and neutral, there will always be unfair criticism of him as evidenced by posters here and in the media generally.

    Other drivers, Vettel, Rosberg, Kimi and Alonso could all be criticised pretty much for anything that Lewis has done “wrong”, but it would seem that some are more guilty than others in this peculiar sport.

    You really do have to wonder why.

    1. Because if you’re not white in a white dominated sport, you have to be 100% perfect – or else. Applies generally. The lash-back is that much greater.

      1. Absolutely true! But you will be asked of proof of this; because proof mean guilt *sarcasm*. People ALWAYS have to find something wrong with whatever Lewis Hamilton says, does, wears…..or does not say, do or wear.
        It is like they WANT to decide what he says, does or wear. How sad is that??

      2. I’d really hate to think this is the real reason… but sadly, sometimes I do wonder.

    2. COTD.
      But you know, people will deny that up to their graves.

    3. It’s his birth burden as is “Still I Rise”.

  10. Way to go Lewis! That Rosberg guy is totally out of his mind, complaining and all that .. Soon you’ll see him posting confidential telemetry on Twitter and stuff like that. Crazy.

    ..oh wait. ;)

    1. Yeah, that genuinely wasn’t one of his finest moments. I think that was a sign of Button getting to him behind the scenes in the ‘team popularity wars’ (remember that?) Check out Button’s advice to Rosberg the other day on how to beat Hamilton…

    2. Way to go Lewis! That Rosberg guy is totally out of his mind, complaining and all that .. Soon you’ll see him posting confidential telemetry on Twitter and stuff like that. Crazy.

      ..oh wait. ;)

      His single mea culpa that year which he followed up by taking pole in Monza, winning Monza, taking pole in Singapore and being en route to Singapore victory before his McLaren broke down.

      This is the same season in which he got demoted from pole to 24th because his team forgot to put fuel in the car and he still finished in front of team mate making one less stop and the season where he lapped JB (on pure pace) en route to Canada victory.

      Oh and let’s not pretend that all the other drivers are squeaky clean. I remember Jenson signing for Williams for 2005 even though he was already signed for BAR for 2005. Not the most shrewd tactic, his move was rejected by the FIA contract review board and he had to fulfil his contract, his first one. Alonso’s role in Spygate; Vettel calling his team mate nuts after hitting him in Turkey. Senna hitting Prost; Prost hitting Senna. Drivers are egotistical, sometimes it clouds their logic.

  11. Nothing much has changed since Roman times. The drivers are the Gladiators and we are the excited blood thirsty spectators with Lewis the hero we love to hate or hate to love. The Chariots are replaced by McLarens

    1. R8man times?

    2. I think you’ll find the Roman chariots were a tad faster than this season’s McLaren…

    3. The Chariots are replaced by McLarens

      LOL. Just imagined chariots getting lapped

  12. Come on, Lewis, get it together! It’s called “rapping”, not “talking”. And that track of yours wasn’t that good anyway. Definitely didn’t get good bling for my buck. I mean, bang for the buck.

    1. ..and what he’s doing now is not talking? Wait until his tire explodes again then he will start to talk about chamber restrictions and so.

  13. ‘I do my talking on the track’ – Hamilton

    that’s no different then saying “I do my hair styling on the track”

  14. “It’s not really changed much – I just do my talking on the track,” said Hamilton.
    The highlights of said ‘talking on the track’ include:
    – calling stewards of the meeting ‘racists’ when their ruling didn’t suit him;
    – posting the telemetry of the teammate who beat him in qualifying on twitter;
    – falsely accusing a driver of passing him under yellow, leading to said driver being DSQ’d;
    – accusing a teammate of cheating in qualifying, despite the fact that no evidence of that has ever been found;
    – accusing teammates of deliberately crashing into him;
    – accusing FIA of favouring the other team over his;
    – accusing his team of favouring the other driver;
    – ignoring team orders and slamming his own team afterwards, while fully enjoying team orders from said team when it suited him (i.e. when he was much slower but his teammate was not allowed to pass);
    and so on.
    That’s a lot of ‘track’ action from Hamilton. No wonder he is considered one of the most entertaining drivers to watch. And, according to his own admission, he hasn’t changed much.

    1. You have a good memory…

      Its not a lot of talk over 9 years is it?

    2. I dont think any top driver can have a compilation of their more heated comments taken in abstract and not appear to be “entertaining” as you put it.

      It would be good if you could do a similar list of all drivers comments, it would also be very, very entertaining. Go back to Ayrton Senna, check out his remarks for balance and good temper…

      However, all of Lewis comments were made in the very intense media glare that surrounds him, and some during the very controversial years in F1, especially in relation to widley perceived bias towads the red team combined with stilted FIA stewarding.

  15. If only were Alonso saying those things. Or the charming Jenson Button..
    If you don’t like the guy just say it, don’t need to pretend by trying to analyze his words.
    And yes, if he were blond and with blue eyes people would much more easy on him.

    1. really? maybe it has to do with howmhe has contradicted himself with this comment?

      the guy is a star, but sometimes his comments make me cringe.

      btw, i apply the same critical yardstick to other drivers comments, ie alonso’s whining the other day also turned me off…as in the past have vettel and rosberg , who are aryan…seriously, man, whats with trying to make comments here about racism?

    2. Alonso is blonde and blue eyed? I’ve been watching the wrong guy!

    3. Also, people have been very critical of Rosberg last year and already this year for his comments and actions – EVEN FOR THE SAME RACE AS THIS. He’s even been Boo’d on the podium. So has Vettel, for his actions and comments in the past that are similar to this. They have analyzed his every word and been critical of the smallest detail. As the other poster said, both Blonde haired blue eyed boys. When has Hamilton been boo’d? Never, that’s when. Your comment is insultingly ridiculous.

      1. The ones booing are the fans and people though, Not the reporters and press officers.
        I don’t think most fans are racist. Maybe a few strong hαt_ers since it’s normal in such large sample of people to find a few but fans in the big picture i don’t think so.

        The press was going on a “love Vettel for he is such a nice guy campaign” while he was getting booed and that includes this site as well.

        When they wright about Hamilton though, even when they write about how he awesomely dominate a race or something they still bury the guy by trying to make people feel jealous or cold about him by writing articles in this way: “The two times champion that just separated from his pop idol girlfriend landed in his own private jet in China and dominated from the start. Briton Lewis Hamilton that lives in the tax heaven of Monaco and is rumor to be taking 25 million a year from his Mercedes team, showed a commanding pace”
        Do you see the buIl$*It? Yeah let’s mention Monaco, the pop idol ex, the millions his getting payed etc while we just speak about the nice British sense of humor little Vettel has and how nice of a guy he is.

        All this tabloids are racist bιg0ts that undermine Hamilton every way even when they supposedly praise his performance. But they still wright all the time about him because they know people is interested and it gives them clicks and make many people feel Hamilton is annoying and gets too many articles.

  16. The irony is that the only people who see Hamilton as ‘black’ are the idiots calling ‘racism’. The rest of us see a really talented driver.

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