Lost motivation: HAM.

[Maritimer]

By his own words he wants to keep racing for a few years so I wouldn't be expecting anything too out of the blue

[Jolle]

As far as I have witnessed over the years, HAM has three settings:
- when he, the car and the tires are in tune: happy bunny, sociable, funny and unbeatable.
- when he or the team f's up: grumpy, grrrr and vocal
- when he and the car are not in tune: quiet.

At this moment it looks like the last one, he can't find the sweetspot of the car every race. Could be the car, could be the tires and it could be him. In the past ten years it has been rarely him (for anymore then a few races)

[Brenton]

By his own words he wants to keep racing for a few years so I wouldn't be expecting anything too out of the blue

Not reading much into that but I'd expect a driver in that situation to say many years, not a few. A few could quickly change to wanting just one last year right now imo

I'm surprised to read this thread, considering Hamilton is still favorite for the wdc this year, but at the same time he seemed really demoralized after a recent qualy session... I forget which race it was for a few races ago but he seemed surprised and really concerned that the session showed to him that his car doesn't have what it needs to be champion. I don't know tho

[Phil]

I think some of the problem is with todays racing. He cant always show his aggressive driving. Do that, and you ruin the tires or go over fuel limits. Some races you can do this better than others. At canada, it didnt look like it, more like he was nursing an issue with the car.

I personally dont think it has any thing to do with motivation.

[wesley123]

considering Hamilton is still favorite for the wdc this year

While I certainly don't disagree, the position he is in now is largely because of the failures, misfortunes of other drivers.

[Just_a_fan]

I'm surprised to read this thread, considering Hamilton is still favorite for the wdc this year,

Really? He's going to need something to start going well for him for that to be the case. The Ferrari is the better car and Vettel is definitely more than capable of making full use of it.

[Ennis]

As far as I have witnessed over the years, HAM has three settings:
- when he, the car and the tires are in tune: happy bunny, sociable, funny and unbeatable.
- when he or the team f's up: grumpy, grrrr and vocal
- when he and the car are not in tune: quiet.

At this moment it looks like the last one, he can't find the sweetspot of the car every race. Could be the car, could be the tires and it could be him. In the past ten years it has been rarely him (for anymore then a few races)

I agree entirely. Mentioned before, he seems to handle a lack of inherent pace ok as long as he feels at one with the car. He simply doesn't seem at one with this year's car, and its showing in both his relative performance and his general vibe.

[marmer]

His recent behaviour with is similar to how he struggled with the bad McLarens he had on occasion. Button who is famed for only getting good results out of perfect car setup didn't have the same negative attitude and generally got more out of the car.

I am fairly confident if he had been at McLaren instead of Alonso he would have quit the sport

[Webber2011]

I don't think he's lost his motivation at all, I reckon he's bored shitless like the rest of us.

We carry on about fuel saving, tyre saving, pu and all it involves saving, gearbox saving, overtaking etc etc etc
The list goes on

Imagine what it's like for the drivers ?
They must get sick and tired of all that after a while ?

I'm sure if Lewis got to really flog any car round a race track his motivation would still be there

[astracrazy]

I don't think he has lost motivation to win or to race, but bored with F1? Yeah I think so. The lack of possibility to over take is one thing but I also don't think he likes the direction of the sport. A lot of comments and interviews he has given over the past 12-18 months has been criticising the sport now and the future.

Its easy to say its easy to moan when he isn't in the most dominant car, but he has always said he wants to fight to win. The trouble is, F1 doesn't let you do that at the moment.

[PlatinumZealot]

I don't think he has lost motivation to win or to race, but bored with F1? Yeah I think so. The lack of possibility to over take is one thing but I also don't think he likes the direction of the sport. A lot of comments and interviews he has given over the past 12-18 months has been criticising the sport now and the future.

Its easy to say its easy to moan when he isn't in the most dominant car, but he has always said he wants to fight to win. The trouble is, F1 doesn't let you do that at the moment.

Agree 1000%!!

As for Canada performance i think the engine was what cost Lewis the Pole. He's always quiet like this when the car is poor. He never blames car.

[Gaz.]

I am fairly confident if he had been at McLaren instead of Alonso he would have quit the sport

But he wouldn't have painted himself into a corner like Alonso has, so he'd have had options to leave and drive for another F1 team.

[Andres125sx]

I am fairly confident if he had been at McLaren instead of Alonso he would have quit the sport

But he wouldn't have painted himself into a corner like Alonso has, so he'd have had options to leave and drive for another F1 team.

What a load of BS. Repeating that ad nauseaum will never make it real. The other top F1 teams don´t want him because they have other top drivers, that´s all. I´d bet before 2013 you were stating similar things about Alonso and McLaren, but he´s driving for them again, and they even are trying everything to keep him happy, supporting his career outside F1 at Indianapolis and now LeMans

Be sincere please, what did you think about Alonso and McLaren joining again before 2013?

[Gaz.]

I am fairly confident if he had been at McLaren instead of Alonso he would have quit the sport

But he wouldn't have painted himself into a corner like Alonso has, so he'd have had options to leave and drive for another F1 team.

What a load of BS. Repeating that ad nauseaum will never make it real. The other top F1 teams don´t want him because they have other top drivers, that´s all. I´d bet before 2013 you were stating similar things about Alonso and McLaren, but he´s driving for them again, and they even are trying everything to keep him happy, supporting his career outside F1 at Indianapolis and now LeMans

Be sincere please, what did you think about Alonso and McLaren joining again before 2013?

I said many times I thought hell would freeze over before Alonso went back to Mclaren. If FA had options, why is he still in that POS Mclaren after four years?

https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/pa ... o+a+corner

It can't always be somebody else's fault.

[Andres125sx]

And you didn´t learn the leasson?

He has no options because Ferrari has Vettel, Mercedes Hamilton, and RBR Max and Ricciardo apart from they rarely hire outside drivers, but you´re assuming he painted himself into a corner (I got it at first, but thanks for the link anyway), even when he´s driving for a team you did assume would never hire him again.

He´s very demanding, ok, but only because he always perform and he want his team to perform similar. Nothing a top team would be afraid about if they´re aiming the titles