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I feel like a prisoner, says Lewis Hamilton as he reveals pain over F1 rows
Andrew Hodgson15 May 2009
Lewis Hamilton claimed today he has become disillusioned with Formula One and compared the political storms this season to wrongful imprisonment.
The 24-year-old's defence of the world title got off to a nightmare start this year with Liargate when he was accused of misleading stewards at the Australian Grand Prix.
That controversy followed last season's Spygate when his McLaren team were fined a record £65million for stealing information from Ferrari.
Hamilton is finding it difficult to accept these clashes with officialdom and his comments come on the day that F1 is at the centre of more political strife. Teams are meeting FIA president Max Mosley for showdown talks having threatened to quit the sport unless he drops plans for a budget cap.
"I just feel knocked out by it all," said Hamilton. "It's got to be a similar feeling to anyone who goes to jail but feels they shouldn't be behind bars.
"That is the feeling I have had, although I know what happened in Australia was wrong.
"I want to be a driver - I am not in the sport to be a politician. I used to enjoy Formula One and part of that has been taken away from me.
"I never imagined it would be so much politics when I came into Formula One. It definitely was a shock. There has been too much time taken up with it.
"Unfortunately, it is the way the Formula One world works for some reason. It's much nicer in the lower categories, where all the people are there just to race and the teams are there just to race."
To compound Hamilton's woes, McLaren are off the pace this term, and the world champion was heavily critical of his car during the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona last weekend.
With only nine points this season he is already a mammoth 31 behind championship leader, Brawn GP's Jenson Button. Despite all the problems Hamilton told the Times: "It hasn't affected my driving. I won't allow anything to affect my driving. But it affects your life, it affects the way you are."
While Hamilton spoke out about his personal struggles, Renault boss Flavio Briatore talked of his fears for the future of Formula One, saying that a solution to the budget row must be found "at all costs".
The sport stands at a crossroads, with Renault, Ferrari, Toyota, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso all threatening to withdraw at the end of this season unless fundamental revisions are made to the new regulations.
Central to the argument is the £40m budget cap to be imposed for next year that will create a two-tier F1 as those that adhere to the limit will be given greater technical freedom.
Equally as crucial is Mosley's governance of the sport, described by Briatore this week as "unilateral", as the 68-year-old has acted without prior consultation with the teams.
Briatore maintains no team ideally wants to leave F1, that it is a last resort, but insists motor sport's world governing body and Mosley have to be more flexible rather than dictatorial. The matter will come to a head at today's crunch meeting at a Heathrow hotel.
"The teams are F1 and the international federation should simply be the referee," said Briatore.
"The rules should be written by us. They can't be imposed by Max without him speaking to anyone. That's an unacceptable way to work.
"The FIA throws at us a new thing every week; we've gone from medals to diffusers with embarrassing thoughtlessness and we can't go on like this."
Reader views (8)
The young man is a driver - and current world champion (for the time being) and that's it!
He should do his job and just drive, what hes payed to to.
To compare himself to somebody who is in jail for a crime they did not commit is a complete joke - is he locked in a cell with undesirables, no ... he has golden hand cuffs on - something HE signed for until 2012 with McLaren.
This is what he is really upset with - he cant jump ship to Brawn GP or any other more competitive team.
Its just tough luck that his car is uncompetitive this year - he should take a leaf from Jensen Buttons book, who for years had a rotten car and stuck with it.
Stop moaning Lewis - your coming across as spoiled and ungrateful.
- Mike, London, 18/05/2009 13:37
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I am old enough to have enjoyed motor racing when it was a sport and not a multipound business. Maybe reducing the amount that teams can spend will start a return to it being less commercial and I expect Hamilton and others WILL benefit from the change.
- Frank, BONCATH, WALES, 15/05/2009 18:47
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Is it just me, or does it seem the more he talks the more he comes off as an ungrateful, conversion ally inept *expletive*? Also, ignoring his girlfriend who he seems to share no obvious love with, he's duller than Nigel Mansell.
Now his chances aren't looking good and the praise has died down he's sulking like a 5 year old at his siblings Birthday party.
Don’t get me wrong, I kinda still like him, I’m just finding it hard to feel any sympathy at all for any of his woes.
- James, Camberwell, 15/05/2009 15:31
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People seem to be missing the point here, he is not moaning about the team or car, at least not in this instance, he is saying that the politics in f1 is taking its toll on himj which is quite understandably. hamilton seem to be a great young man with alot of potential ahead of him, i think the only problem is that he needs to have a PR person to accurately represent him because sadly the present of his father everywhere who goes seem to infuriate a few people.
- Latoya, Birmingham, England, 15/05/2009 14:01
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"It's got to be a similar feeling to anyone who goes to jail but feels they shouldn't be behind bars."
I imagine if you are not guilty of a crime and go to jail you're going to feel a little rotten, but Lewis Hamilton is not entirely innocent, regardless of the picture he paints.
Sadly for Lewis Hamilton, he will not win another World Championship for as long as he remains at McLaren, and in his heart of hearts he knows this, leading to his dissatisfaction now.
- Escobar-Alop-Lop, Camden County, 15/05/2009 13:26
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Hamilton shouldn't have lied to try to gain points. And blaming his team was just patheticc
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 15/05/2009 12:54
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Poor dear! I'm sure there are plenty of other drivers who would be happy to be put in the driving seat at what is still one of the top teams.
- Paul, London, 15/05/2009 12:14
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if lewis feels like a prisoner, he should try spending his life stuck at disabled like me ,unable to get out unless someone takes you.
- Steve, woburn, 15/05/2009 11:55
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