It goes back to my theory of the Beer Test: you're down at the pub when who should you see, but a Formula 1 driver. You offer to buy him a pint and he accepts, but he's had a bad day and doesn't want to talk about motorsport. So, which driver is it? (For me, Jenson Button.)
I think we're in an age where we look for more than just skill in a driver. We want to be able to relate to them, to see them as ordinary people capable of extraordinary things. In the case of Vettel, it was easy to dismiss his titles as being down to the car and his relationship with the team - but then he moved to Ferrari and without so much as batting en eyelid, started doing exactly what he was doing at Red Bull. In turn, I think people revisited his titles - particularly 2010 and 2012 when he really had to work for it - and asked themselves whether it really was all down to the team and the car.
As for Hamilton, I think that it was
@Famine who once said that he seems more interested in the lifestyle of an R&B star than being a racing driver. In terms of his attitude and personality, he has been on the backslide; remember in 2007, when he was shaking hands and hugging everyone before getting into the car? Compare that to 2011 when he clearly didn't respect any of the other drivers except for Button. And now in 2015, he clearly doesn't care much for Nico Rosberg. He seems to live most of his public life in the tabloids, and of course, I see a lot of bias in his favour in the British press. You can acknowledge his talent, but I think people struggle to respect the man under the helmet.
smdh.
) going into turn one at Melbourne.
