225 lines
6.2 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
225 lines
6.2 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sport
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motorsport
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formulaone
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lewishamilton
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7535629
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-----
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# David Coulthard: Lewis Hamilton needs a father figure in troubled times
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## Something is not quite right with Lewis Hamilton. That much is clear after
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an eventful weekend in Australia saw McLaren's former world champion once
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again held up to intense public scrutiny.
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![Lewis Hamilton][1]
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Troubled times: David Coulthard says former world champion Lewis Hamilton
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needs a father figure to help him during these trying times Photo: REUTERS
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By David Coulthard 7:00AM BST 30 Mar 2010
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[Comments][2]
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**[Hamilton's][3]** brush with the law last Friday was followed by a poor
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qualifying session on Saturday. And even though he drove brilliantly in
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Sunday's race he then lost his rag with his team for bringing him in for a
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second pit-stop and a change of tyres when his near rivals made only one stop.
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His behaviour was in stark contrast to that of his team-mate Jenson Button,
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who reigned serene in Melbourne, and it just strikes me that something is
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amiss.
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All sorts of questions arise from the incident when Hamilton was stopped by
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the Melbourne police. What has happened to Lewis' relationship with his
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father? Why was he in such a "distressed" state on Saturday? Come to that, why
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did everyone get so worked up about it all in the first place?
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I know I'll get accused of being irresponsible here, but I really don't see
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the big deal about Lewis indulging in a little burnout for the fans. In my
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view, the reaction to what was essentially a minor incident was completely
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over the top.
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I understand the road-safety issue, but Lewis is one of the best drivers on
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this planet. There is no one I would trust more to burn a bit of rubber and
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keep the car under perfect control.
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## Related Articles
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* [Button: best is yet to come][4]
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30 Mar 2010
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* [Webber 'undermined' campaign][5]
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29 Mar 2010
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* [Rain adds spice to F1][6]
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29 Mar 2010
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* [Police grab 'boy racer' Hamilton][7]
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27 Mar 2010
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* [Hamilton rues second stop][8]
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28 Mar 2010
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A minor slap on the wrist would have sufficed, although it would have been
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even more constructive to commit him to some sort of road safety project in
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Melbourne schools for next year. Impounding his car and releasing statements
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as to his poor character helped no one.
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Then there was Lewis's own reaction. We all awoke to pictures on Saturday
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morning of Lewis sheltering behind his trainer, Clayton Green, in the car as
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if he had something to hide. It looked to me like he was scared of the
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opprobrium that he sensed would follow.
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I have seen Lewis grow up and the young man I know is not only a brilliant
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driver but a streetwise, well-rounded character.
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His startled, anxious response to both the lying scandal he was caught up in
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last year -- which was in no way his fault -- and now this have been out of
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all proportion.
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Where is the reassuring arm around his shoulder? Where is the sound advice
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coming from? Where is his father?
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Lewis's decision to dispense with Anthony's services as his manager last month
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was hailed as a coming-of-age move on his part. But the folly of not
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appointing a replacement showed over the weekend. Having no manager is like a
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top tennis player having no coach. It's fine when you are playing well but as
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soon as you are struggling people will point to it as a weakness.
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I don't know if they have had a bust-up but it does strike me as odd that
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apparently they did not speak to one another in the aftermath of Friday's
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incident. Either way, Lewis needs to appoint a replacement soon so he can
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concentrate on his day job.
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One final point. I notice I have been criticised in some quarters for being
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biased towards Red Bull during the BBC's coverage on Sunday. I take exception
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to that.
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I am not lying when I say they have the quickest car out there. They should be
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winning these races. That they are not is a worry for everyone at Milton
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Keynes.
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A car without reliability is like a golfer who has the biggest drive on earth
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but who cannot actually get the ball in the hole.
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Sebastian Vettel is so far remaining calm -- at least publicly -- as he knows
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he has been the quickest car and driver combination in the opening two races
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and it is easier to make a quick car reliable than a reliable car quick.
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But Red Bull need to sort it out before it's too late.
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[![][9]][10]
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**David Coulthard is writing on behalf of Red Bull Racing, for whom he acts as
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a consultant. Have your say and send your questions below for DC.**
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[X][11] Share & bookmark
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[What are these?][12]
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* Share: [Share][11] [ ][13] [ ][14]
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[Tweet][15]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/lewishamilton/7535629
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/David-Coulthard-Lewis-Hamilton-needs-a-father-figure-in-troubled-times.html
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Telegraph
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## [Lewis Hamilton][3]
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* ### [Sport »][16]
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* ### [Motorsport »][17]
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* ### [Formula One »][18]
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* ### [McLaren »][19]
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* ### [F1 News »][20]
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In sport
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[![Formula One 2011: drivers' and constructors' world championships standings
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- Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton][21] ][22]
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### [F1 2011: standings][22]
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[![Formula One, 2011: Team by Team guide: Red Bull][23] ][24]
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### [F1 2011: team-by-team guide][24]
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[![][25] ][26]
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### [F1 2011: full race schedule][26]
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[![Follow Telegraph Sport on Twitter][27]][28]
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### [Follow Telegraph Sport on Twitter][28]
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[X][11] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][12]
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Share:
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* [ ][11]
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* [ ][13]
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* [ ][14]
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* [Tweet][15]
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* ## [LEWIS HAMILTON ACTION PHTOS »][29]
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Lewis Hamilton action photos: The best full-colour Lewis Hamilton action
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photos.
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Advertisement
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![][30]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][31] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][32]
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Advertisement
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Formula 1 Drivers' championship: Latest standing in the Formula One drivers'
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championship.
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## LEWIS HAMILTON LINKS
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### [Lewis Hamilton on the web][3]
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[Lewis Hamilton][33] | [SecretLewis.com][34] | [@SecretLewis][35]
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Advertisement
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Classified Advertising
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* [Motoring][36]
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* [Engineering Jobs][37]
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* [Property][38]
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var puffs_8257595 = new Array();
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