I am a fan of Hamilton the driver.....not necessarily Hamilton the person....
Which is strange because I used to like him as a person. His problem is that he has totally gone off the deep end in some areas. I think it all started once he started dating that Pussycat Dolls singer. Hamilton is a lot like Kaepernick. He was a normal, likeable and talented guy until the wrong woman screwed his head up and he was unable to self-correct.
Anyways....I think people are "over reading" into Hamilton's stance/statement.
The following are assumptions on my part, based off what I've read online:
1. He isn't saying that he isn't going to come back unless they take the title away from Max and give it to him. What happened wasn't Max's fault....Lewis has said that. Max was simply the beneficiary of, at best, a questionable application of the rules.
2. He is saying that what happened in the final race was BS and it cost him not only a title, but a record 8th title that would essentially establish him as the most successful F1 driver of all time. He is asking that the FIA review the incident and come up with equitable rules that prevents something like this from ever happening again. If the FIA decides their stance is "What's done is done. No further action.", then he might decide to ride off into the sunset and not return for 2022 (which I doubt by the way).
Try to put yourself in his shoes (the shiny ones with rhinestones on them....sorry....just had to...ha ha ha).
Here's a hypothetical that might bear a little witness with you:
If you were one of the best two or three biathlon shooters in the world.
You already have 8 gold medals, tying you with the dude from Norway. If you win this gold medal you would be the most decorated biathlete of all time. You are competing in the winter Olympics in the very last event. You are in a very comfortable lead over the up and coming new guy who is a stud (and will likely be the "next you" when you retire in the next couple of years). You are about to cruise to a record-breaking 9th gold medal as long as you don't royally screw up. The young stud is behind you in time and in shooting score for this final event. The gold is minutes from your grasp. You are not only representing yourself, but also your country....and let's face it....you stand to rake in some major money and fame if you win this 9th gold medal. Then, something 100% outside of your control happens to a fellow competitor (not even in contention for a medal, by the way) that causes the entire event to be paused. During this pause, the younger "future star" stud, who is your only real competition, is given a massive advantage by the Event Manager for the IOC (either by bias, ineptitude, or even simple mistake) that quite literally puts him ahead of you when the event resumes and you have no chance to catch him or outshoot him. You aren't at fault. The young newcomer isn't at fault. He is awesome at what he does, but the decision handed him the gold when he was a distant silver right before the incident happened. The decision literally handed the victory to 2nd place finisher and there were no more events/heats remaining in this Winter Olympics to "recover" from the damage. The Event Manager is who is really at fault, and by extension, the IOC who gave him the authority is at fault.
How would you feel?
Upset? Betrayed? Confused?
Wouldn't you want an explanation? Wouldn't you want to hear from the IOC what their plans are to ensure something like this never happens again, not only to you, but anyone else who comes after you? At the twilight of your career, would feel disillusioned? Maybe willing to toss in the towel?
I'm not always 100%, but I usually try to see things from someone else's perspective.....walk a mile in their shoes, so to speak.
I totally get what Hamilton is feeling.....doesn't mean I have to like him, or to hate Max.
Hamilton had major money, record books, and recognition on the line. He did everything he was supposed to do to be victorious in that race, but a stupid decision by a 3rd party pulled it from him.
You can call him a cry baby....maybe he is.
But perhaps his "crying" will cause the FIA to re-look at the event and rewrite some rules that prevents something like this from ever happening again. Next time, it could be your favorite driver who has a world championship pulled from his grasp. Would your stance still be the same?
Let's face it:
a. If this situation had occurred in the 8th race of the season, no one would care, because the decision wouldn't have altered anything.
b. If either Max or Lewis had an 8 or 9+ point lead heading into the final race, no one would care, because the decision wouldn't have altered anything.
People only care because this incident literally changed the outcome of the World Championship.
Just a little food for thought.
