Mercedes deny Hamilton said he "blew Rosberg away"
- This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 6 months ago by
.
- Posts
Several British newspapers carried the following quote from Lewis Hamilton about Nico Rosberg in their reports of yesterday’s race:
I learned a few things in practice but it is a different thing learning from it and applying it, but today I applied it and that’s why I blew him away.
However Mercedes and Hamilton have denied the quote is accurate:
Was anybody else surprised to hear @LewisHamilton say he "blew away" @nico_rosberg in yesterday's race? So were we! His actual words were…
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) March 31, 2014
… "today it worked and that is why I was pulling away." A rather unfortunate case of Malaysian whispers. But now you know :) #PriMaxPower
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) March 31, 2014
Want to clear up reports that I claimed I blew Nico away yesterday. I actually said "..I was pulling away" @MercedesAMGF1 #greatweekend
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) March 31, 2014
It’s difficult to imagine how a person could mishear “blew” as “pulling”, much less several people all making the same mistake. But it’s not hard to see why, in the interests of team harmony, Mercedes would want to put the record straight.
Some newspapers appear to have already revised their copy. A search for the quote reveals the following for The Telegraph and The Guardian:
However the text in both articles now reflects Mercedes’ version of the quote:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/lewishamilton/10732607/Malaysian-Grand-Prix-2014-Lewis-Hamilton-secures-maiden-victory-in-Sepang-as-Mercedes-complete-one-two.html
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/mar/30/lewis-hamilton-wins-f1-malaysia-gpSeveral others are still running the original quotes as I write this – we’ll see if they also decide it was wrong and choose to amend it:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-2592644/Malaysian-Grand-Prix-Hamilton-eases-victory-Mercedes-secure-wins.html
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/467777/Lewis-Hamilton-shines-in-Malaysia
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/lewis-hamilton-malaysian-grand-prix-3303319
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/other-sports/372159/Lewis-Hamilton-delighted-with-Malaysia-win-as-he-gears-up-for-world-championship-assaultIncidentally, though Hamilton may not have said this about Rosberg, it is a line he’s used before about another of his team mates:
But Hamilton did smash Rosberg. :)
However Hamilton did say he wouldn’t want to win like Vettel last year. Yet he was obviously quite happy yesterday. Was there any difference? Wonder how Mercedess will deny it.Hamilton did smash Rosberg, just like Rosberg smashed Hamilton in India and Abu Dhabi last year. There’s no need to be so PC about it.
I’ve been sent a copy of an audio file of the interview by Mercedes. Unfortunately because of rights restrictions I can’t upload it for you. But having listened to it to my ear it does sound more like he said “pulling away”:
It is one thing learning it but being able to apply it doesn’t always work. But today it worked and that is why I was pulling away.
That doesn’t match up word-for-word with the revised Guardian/Telegraph quotes but I think it’s a bit clearer what his meaning was.
As always in F1 it seems that something is controversial if a driver says it but it is ok for the press to say it. In this Sky article they have no issue saying that Hamilton “crushed” Rosberg, though they don’t appear in the list of links Keith provided in the OP.
It’s a storm in a teacup, you have to love this sport. :)
@LewisHamilton @MercedesAMGF1 apologies Lewis, was difficult to hear on the recording, we were in the wrong!
— Daniel Johnson (@danielt_johnson) April 1, 2014
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.