[Other Sport] Lewis Hamilton the greatest living British sportsman?

[JJ McClure]

Just a one year deal, I reckon he'll get title number 8 to have the outright record over Schumacher and then retire before the new regs come in to focus on his fashion / music / saving the world

 

[crodonilson]

A cool £35m for his contract alone and retains the rights to market his overalls and helmet to any sponsors for his own personal use which will blow his £39m estimated earnings from last year out of the water.

Well done Lewis.

 

[goldstone]

He's not a sportsman, he drives cars. He has chosen not to live in the UK so is, in my mind, ineligible anyway.

 

[Hampster Gull]

He's not a sportsman, he drives cars. He has chosen not to live in the UK so is, in my mind, ineligible anyway.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

He's not a sportsman, he drives cars. He has chosen not to live in the UK so is, in my mind, ineligible anyway.

Other than that what do you think?

 

[FatSuperman]

Good to see the same tedious idiotic arguments at full flow.

You can argue whether you think racing is a sport or not, whether it's 'easy' in comparison to other activities or not. But none of that makes any difference to Hamilton's achievements. LH doesn't make the rules up, he just extracts as much performance from his team and equipment as he can. Just like every other top competitor in every sport on the planet. I bet marathon aficionados don't bang on about cyclists not being proper sportspeople because the bike does some of the work. Sir Steve Redgrave wouldn't have done quite so well if he hadn't had the best equipment he could get his hands on. At the end of the day, every competitor is operating under the same rules in their field, and those that rise to the top and stay there for so long (Schumacher, Hamilton, etc) are clearly incredible competitors.

It doesn't matter if some people don't think it's a sport, or if other think he is a hypocrite or the wrong colour... the fact is that Sir Lewis Hamilton is officially the best formula 1 racing driver that has ever existed. The stats say so and so do all sensible commentators.

 

[Swansman]

Worthy of such a title?

Sorry not for me, it has to be the full package, ie both in the chosen sport and away from it, and whilst he’s a superb driver off the track he’s an idiot.

For me it’s one of three, Sir Steven Redgrave, Lord Botham or a bit left field but look at his life journey and his achievements within his sport, Tyson Fury.

Graham Potter.

 

[rogersix]

Good to see the same tedious idiotic arguments at full flow.

You can argue whether you think racing is a sport or not, whether it's 'easy' in comparison to other activities or not. But none of that makes any difference to Hamilton's achievements. LH doesn't make the rules up, he just extracts as much performance from his team and equipment as he can. Just like every other top competitor in every sport on the planet. I bet marathon aficionados don't bang on about cyclists not being proper sportspeople because the bike does some of the work. Sir Steve Redgrave wouldn't have done quite so well if he hadn't had the best equipment he could get his hands on. At the end of the day, every competitor is operating under the same rules in their field, and those that rise to the top and stay there for so long (Schumacher, Hamilton, etc) are clearly incredible competitors.

It doesn't matter if some people don't think it's a sport, or if other think he is a hypocrite or the wrong colour... the fact is that Sir Lewis Hamilton is officially the best formula 1 racing driver that has ever existed. The stats say so and so do all sensible commentators.

it's interesting to me that all three pastimes you mention are all done sitting down, fat superman

 

[Easy 10]

it's interesting to me that all three pastimes you mention are all done sitting down, fat superman

Like driving an F1 car for a couple of hours at 200mph, typically pulling 6g's in the corners is a piece of cake because they're sitting down ? Drivers typically lose between 2-3kg's in a race, sometimes double that in the ones in the desert.

What a doddle eh. Like driving to Tesco.

 

[rogersix]

Like driving an F1 car for a couple of hours at 200mph, typically pulling 6g's in the corners is a piece of cake because they're sitting down ? Drivers typically lose between 2-3kg's in a race, sometimes double that in the ones in the desert.

What a doddle eh. Like driving to Tesco.

whoooooosh!

 

[Easy 10]

whoooooosh!

Sorry. A lot of people seem to be falling over themselves on this thread to deride or demean his achievements. Yours didn't particularly stand out as being one of irony/humor.

 

[rogersix]

Sorry. A lot of people seem to be falling over themselves on this thread to deride or demean his achievements. Yours didn't particularly stand out as being one of irony/humor.

soz! (emboldened "fat")

 

[Weststander]

So does that mean, just because you've haven't won lots of trophies doesn't mean you're not the best?

I've had similar arguments with a Man Und fan about Ryan Giggs. He says because he's won the most trophies therefor he must be the best footballer. My reply was he won the trophies because he was in the best team and we don't know if he would or wouldn't have won as many with a different club. A little similar with Hamilton.
What about people who have won things in different sports? You could argue they maybe the best sportsperson.

Hamilton got the best car, because he’s the best driver. A reward for his brilliance.

Although until he joined Mercedes, there was no certainty they’d be the best, Red Bull and Ferrari all in a tussle to be the best.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Worthy of such a title?

Sorry not for me, it has to be the full package, ie both in the chosen sport and away from it, and whilst he’s a superb driver off the track he’s an idiot.

For me it’s one of three, Sir Steven Redgrave, Lord Botham or a bit left field but look at his life journey and his achievements within his sport, Tyson Fury.

I'd forgotten this part of the OP till Swanny quoted it.

Not sure Tyson's dodgy drug lord connections are what we're looking for in a Peer of the Realm.

 

[Easy 10]

Hamilton got the best car, because he’s the best driver. A reward for his brilliance.

Although until he joined Mercedes, there was no certainty they’d be the best, Red Bull and Ferrari all in a tussle to be the best.

Indeed. Also worth noting that by working with his team, he also helps to DEVELOP the best car, through countless hours of testing. He doesn't just rock up on race day and jump in.
And on top of that, he always far outpaces his own team mate, who is driving the same equipment.

Not sure I particularly like him as a bloke (his preaching to everyone on environmental matters was a frankly stunning moment of lack of self-awareness). But there is absolutely no disputing his genius, or his courage as a race driver. He is a living legend in British sport, and deserves every accolade.

 

[Weststander]

Indeed. Also worth noting that by working with his team, he also helps to DEVELOP the best car, through countless hours of testing. He doesn't just rock up on race day and jump in.
And on top of that, he always far outpaces his own team mate, who is driving the same equipment.

Not sure I particularly like him as a bloke (his preaching to everyone on environmental matters was a frankly stunning moment of lack of self-awareness). But there is absolutely no disputing his genius, or his courage as a race driver. He is a living legend in British sport, and deserves every accolade.

A few years back before LH won his first title with Mercedes so it might’ve been about 2013, I recall a panel of F1 experts, former team owners and respected writers discussing all the drivers out there. The sort of thing that would be on 5live. They were asked who are the most gifted drivers of this generation?

To a man, they said Hamilton, then Alonso. Streets ahead of everyone else.

They looked beyond Red Bull and Vettel dominating the sport. Considering mastery in the wet, performance in inferior cars.

It’s great to see the sporting public including many on NSC lap up LH’s brilliant career in real time, rather than by looking back later.

The concerted NSC interest by a few in his residency and tax status is remarkable, as there was no prior NSC interest in the tax affairs of iconic; Button, Faldo, Poulter, Coulthard, Jagger, Richards, J.Stewart, Moore, Bowie or Connery.

I wonder if a black guy with an opinion has pissed some people off?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

So does that mean, just because you've haven't won lots of trophies doesn't mean you're not the best?

I've had similar arguments with a Man Und fan about Ryan Giggs. He says because he's won the most trophies therefor he must be the best footballer. My reply was he won the trophies because he was in the best team and we don't know if he would or wouldn't have won as many with a different club. A little similar with Hamilton.
What about people who have won things in different sports? You could argue they maybe the best sportsperson.

If I understand your argument it’s that we don’t know how good Giggs was because he was chosen to play for the best team of his era and won shed loads of trophies? Or put another way we don’t know how god he was because of how good he was....I’m sure you can understand how ludicrous this sounds.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Graham Potter.

It won’t be for a few years and probably after he’s left us but I can imagine when it does happen there will plenty queuing up to complain that he lives abroad and isn’t entitled; he’d be expected to commute from the UK to Barcelona every day.

 

[Questions]

Formula 1 ......a sport.........ah bless.

 

[rogersix]

Formula 1 ......a sport.........ah bless.

They do need to do a few hours in the gym to be fit enough to operate their machinery