Lewis Hamilton says that both he and Fernando Alonso are too good to be fighting over fifth place at the end of a Grand Prix.
Hamilton just held off his former McLaren team mate in Korea, but was unable to do anything about Nico Hulkenberg up ahead.
“It’s strange, you know,” he said. “Me and Fernando in fifth and sixth at the end, and having our own little race, we are of a higher calibre than that, we should be further ahead, and fighting with the World Champions at the front, and with Sebastian. I guess that just shows where the sport is today.”
Hamilton was clear frustrated with the way his race unfolded.
“It wasn’t that exciting for me. Going backwards and defending for a position is not so much fun, and when I was behind Grosjean at the start, that was it, there was no way to get past him. Those guys up ahead of us just had too much traction today, that’s really where I was losing out to everyone.
“The car was feeling pretty good, I was quick. If I was in the lead for example, I think I would have been able to stay there, apart from the graining phase that I went through. We were just not that quick on the straight, and things just didn’t go our way today.”
Adam Cooper F1 
If you can not keep your tires alive, you can not fight for the podium! Nico could, but he was stopped by his front wing…
Astonishing comment, “we are of a higher calibre than that” Hulkenberg earned fourth place with a fantastic drive. Before I read that comment Hamilton was my driver of the day. His immediate retaking of position lost to Alonso was sublime, and the way he harried the Sauber of Hulkenberg, despite it superior traction out of the corners, was all class. Pity he had to spoil his brilliant performance on track with these comments off it. I really admire Hamilton’s talent but his occassional outbursts of self entitlement grate.
I guess Lewis was hugely frustrated. Most people accepts that there are three top drivers, with a couple of others knocking on the door and yet we can’t see them going neck to neck because of silly tyres or whatever. I don’t think he meant any disrespect to Hulkenberg or grosjean. Lewis often says things and they don’t come out how he means them.
Lewis has been in F1 since 07 and it’s not as if McLaren did not prepare him with media training prior to his debut. If after all this time he can’t come across as spoilt, self centred and negative of others success……. maybe he should chose to do a Kimi and say little if anything.
Sorry, I don’t buy the “it’s not what he meant ” argument, I’ve heard his woe is me too many times. In fact, there is a lot of Ron Dennis in the sanctimony from which Lewis so often whines.
Something completely different. Have you noticed? On the thermo footage looking back on a Redbullcar it is also very hot in the middle under the car? I have not seen that on other cars. Can you investigate?
Was it on both RBs or just Sebs? May be this was what Manardi was talking about.
It was on Webbers car. I only saw thermo pictures from his and Buttons car.
Gary Anderson (on the BBC) was showing some images of the Red Bull using a thermal camera this weekend. He was demonstrating how hot the wooden plank gets as the front of the car is so close to the ground. He said this is the key to their speed as the downforce is massively increased. However, the trick is to be close to the ground and yet not wear the plank away.
Having said all of that I would take GA’s words with a large pinch of salt – preseason he said this years McLaren was a step forward on the 2012 car!
Getting more than a little tired of Hamilton’s “woe is me” routine and his continued comments that imply he and Alonso are the only worthy champions. Like it or not, Vettel is crushing the field, and Webber, at this point. Interesting to me that so many are claiming Vettel’s dominance is solely his Newey designed car; and yet, when Schumacher was equally dominate the press, and drivers at the time, did not detract from MS’s achievements by saying it was all Ferrari (Barnard/Brawn) and not him.
More and more people are recognizing Vettel’s talent and will just take time. Schumacher showed his considerable talent for about a decade and was clearly regarded as the best before he had a car and team capable of dominating.
Hamilton should be grateful he at least has a car that can fight for poles and wins. I would like to hear what he would say if he was stuck in the Mercedes the 3 years before.
Just imagine if Schumacher would have said this in his Mercedes years…
Well that’s how it goes with that car most of the time. Start at the front and get passed in the end. Nico is already used to it.
Note to Lewis: Never go full retard.
Further note to Lewis: See Fernando Alonso’s comments about his car and team, or in other words how to lose with grace.
Well done, you made me laugh out loud. FA may be many things, but a graceful loser? Really? Btw, not defending LH, his comments were crass.
Glad to provide some levity but I wasn’t intending my comment as a joke. See Alonso’s description of his race day Adam posted earlier. No racer wants to wallow in a slow car and obviously they have to answer questions as why they are off the pace; but you don’t imply you “deserve” to be fighting for titles at the front.
As I have mentioned already, I thought LH comments were inappropriate and am not defending him at all. But (you knew there was a but) to describe FA as a graceful loser is hilarious. This is the same man who tried to blackmail his team into giving him #1 status, was complicit in a race fixing scandal, and has been publicly rebuked by his team President for moaning about his car and how slow it is. Hardly a good example of a graceful loser.
Sorry Mit911, that is a false comparison and won’t cut it. if FA wants to give his employer a public kick in the backside to motivate Ferrari to lift their game, he has every right to do so as a World Champion.
What he does not have the right to do is to list which drivers are of the correct “caliber”, who should be permitted to compete at the front, and who can drive behind him in the “lower caliber”. LH’s comments were arrogant and show his sense of self entitlement. If he is a WC he should be able to handle (and defeat) any driver on the track.
What kind of excuse was that…….”we are of a higher caliber than that, we should be further ahead and fighting with WC’s”
BTW, Button was behind him, he is a WC, should he to not be required to fight from his position in a under performing MM? He is, by LH’s rules of engagement, “a higher caliber”. Why does LH confine his complaint to himself and FA? Does Button not figure in his formula?
peterg
I am unsure why you are directing your post at me. I have twice said that I am not defending LH or his comments, which I felt were inappropriate.
My only gripe, was using FA as an example of a graceful loser.
He is 28 and still is a child, grow up, man!