Doping in UK vs elsewhere

Yeah agreed. Popped there for a day when i was in the area and didn’t like it at all. But once you get out and about, it’s a gorgeous area to be in (especially if you actually have money!! :rofl: )

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Brixham does though, and it’s really not far!

Do you doubt the scale of achievement it takes to be competetive at motorsport when your beginnings are from a council estate? Why do you keep mentioning Stevenage as if it mocks the difficulty in that because it’s not some kind of slum? I’m from a relatively poor background and raced motor sport, even if I had the talent my achievements were capped against my competitors, I’ve witnessed it first hand and it makes Hamiltions achievements to me so much more impressive as the odds were so stacked against him.

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We spent the day watching the Tour prologue in Monaco in 2009, a week after IM Nice. Unless you’re living on your yacht in the marina, I don’t think you would choose to live there over anywhere else on the Riviera other than to avoid tax.

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Perhaps not, but I hope people think better of me now then some of my actions 10-15 years ago, and I didn’t have the world of fame, unlimited money, celebrity girlfriend with a tricky relationship to navigate which I’m sure would have led me to even more mistakes then I did make growing up.

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Years ago the Riviera may have been nice but I really don’t get the attraction these days (taxation aside). I explored a bit after IM Nice and have toured by motorbike along the coast and around to Italy. The whole area is overcrowded and overdeveloped. There are way nicer place to head for.

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I don’t follow GP or LH at all really; some previous comments made me wonder what his personal situation is. Is he married, attached, kids? I’m pretty sure no to the latter.

He’d need a bigger car

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Nope. Otherwise I would have said so.

I am not sure of his motivations for calling Stevenage a slum, but I think his achievements stand up extremely well without this rather disingenuous at best statement. I know of lots of slums, but 1980s Stevenage doesn’t register.

He was knocking hips with Nicole Scherzinger a few years ago. They had an on again off again relationship and I think his driving took a dip when they were apart.

I have no idea these days.

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Absolutely - oddly enough, that’s one of the reasons I am critical of younger people assuming they have the answer to the worlds problems. Hopefully we all mature with age and, in so doing, increase our knowledge and understanding and put it to better use.

Yep, life can really throw tough obstacles at us all at times…

I’ve found the actual quote for you, it was at the SPOTY speaking to one of the presenters, Gabby Logan, he said: "It really was a dream for us all as a family to do something different. For us to get out of the slums, we would say.

So it was an off the cuff remark talking about internal family dialogue about their situation. That is not exactly the same as calling Stevenage a slum is it?
Probably an I’ll advised thing to say & he realised it himself pretty quickly & backtracked but it’s a fine example of why anything Hamilton says needs to be ‘on message’ & pretty sterile as any crack is guaranteed be used against him just as you have done.

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An off the cuff remark live on TV to a world wide audience. Are these not open to scrutiny? Your comments on here are open to scrutiny by such audience as TT gets, as are mine. Hamilton’s are open to scrutiny by a far wider audience.

I don’t expect him to be on message and sterile…just honest and open to feedback and criticism when he feks up. He fekked up. In fact, I think in this case having now ‘seen’ the dialogue, he was sharing his opinion.

Which slums were they referring to?

I grew up, for the most part of it anyway, in Lincoln. I lived on a huge council estate that was known within the city as one of the rough areas. TBH, it was fine and in reality is an example of decent planning in terms of green space, paths away from roads and so on. I moved to Leeds as a student and my first thought of student/bedsit land was “Is this Leeds or Beirut?”

For the Hamiltons, Stevenage might have seemed rough but had they lived in a true inner city environment their views would likely have been different. It’s all relative based on experience and perception isn’t it?

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I’m calling it a day at this point EJ, if you’ve got a specific point to make that you think justifies the hatred directed at LH then make it but give over with the … I’m an avid F1 fan & as I said watch all the content, Lewis is a decent bloke with incredible talent and has conducted himself extremely well given the circumstances.

Most of the criticism against him IMO is racially motivated, casual observers pick up on stories, titbits etc from social media & form an opinion that doesn’t really reflect the reality & jump on the band wagon.

LH should be celebrated by us for the superb British sports star that he is & you can rest assured there won’t be a sniffle of an EPO story to dent his achievements.

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Motorsport in the main, at least at the pointy end is the domain of the wealthy. When your not very wealthy and you are competing for your career against such, these things are relative.
When I was racing at brands hatch for the 1st race of the season and sleeping in a tent with ice on the inside & it’s bloody snowing & my competitor is 10ft away in a luxury motorhome to me I was slumming it. Kent is not really a slum is it?
LH lived in a council house, his competitor Nico Rosberg was a F1 world champions son. These things are relative.

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I was just happy to see someone actually mount a challenge this season, be good if George Russell can kick on next year with the change of car and we might have a three driver season maybe

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Many years ago, I called an asian guy a “prick”. I could have called him anything, but I chose this word. He called me “big nose” and insinuated I had a small penis before telling me he would “ruin my day”. At this point I saw the futility of the situation and walked off.

Does that make it racially motivated?

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Yes, will all be interesting stuff but a 3 way fight for the title would be bad for Merc splitting the points. We might get to see Russel with less to lose making some Max like banzai moves on Max though :slight_smile:. Will Russel make Lewis look average as suggested above, I doubt it but look forward to finding out. Norris could be in the running too if they can make a step with the car & benefit from the new rules. Ferrari are likely to be in the mix too next year, both great drivers.

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Of course it doesn’t @Jorgan but it also doesn’t any bearing the things that have made me arrive at the opinion I have after observing the situation over the last decade.