Why we see Lewis Hamilton as more chump than champ: Analysing what stops F1 star from becoming national treasure

He’s hailed as the greatest driver of his generation,
clinching his fourth Formula One championship on
Sunday night.
On the surface, Lewis Hamilton has all the elements
of a national treasure: the 32-year-old has gone from
a modest Stevenage schoolboy to a rich and
successful sporting superstar.
But the British public somehow don’t seem to have
taken the Mercedes golden boy to their hearts in the
same way they have other sports stars.
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Despite his phenomenal achievements as Britain’s
most successful driver in the history of the sport, he
is frequently mocked for his lavish lifestyle and loud
outfits, and has only won BBC Sports Personality’s of
the Year once in his career.
Here, agent to the stars Jonathan Shalit helps us
unpick why the the British public has never truly taken
Hamilton to their hearts – and why we might have got
him all wrong...
His lifestyle
Hamilton never tries to hide his lavish playboy ways,
frequently posting pictures of himself to his 5.3
million Instagram followers at high-end fashion shows
with A-list pals including Kanye West, Will Smith and
Jack Nicholson.
He also likes to keep fans updated with his partying,
showing off his antics on one of the world’s biggest
private yachts in Monaco with bikini-clad ladies and
bars full of champagne.
Jonathan says: “People get very jealous if they see
someone who has got it all, like Lewis.
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“That’s the British way. But why shouldn’t he have
this lifestyle? He works very hard, he’s the world
champion. I don’t begrudge him anything he’s got – I
think, ‘Good on him’.”
His love life
It’s hard keeping up with the F1 ace’s love life, from
on-off ex-girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger to rumoured
flings with Rihanna, Rita Ora and singer Lionel Richie’s
18-year-old model daughter Sofia.
Jonathan says: “Lewis has gone out with gorgeous
Nicole, drives expensive cars and has everything he
wants so people are jealous.
“If there are two guys in the room and one of them is
Lewis, the other is going to lose trying to pull the hot
lady.”
His fashion
Hamilton’s taste in clothes often turns heads – but
for all the wrong reasons. He tends to favour loud
colours and expensive-looking designs topped off with
sunglasses, even if it’s raining or dark.
He wore a pair of salmon pink trousers with a blue,
white and red shirt to London Fashion Week.
At the equivalent events in Paris and New York he
sported a pink, bird-embroidered jacket and a shiny
velour number.
Jonathan’s view: “The Americans love him for being
proud of his success and his wealth – but the British
hate it. Why shouldn’t he visibly show off what he’s
got?”
His attitude
For a star sportsman, his approach has sometimes
been called into question.
He has fallen out with team-mates and rivals alike and
been accused of appearing arrogant.
He was blasted for spraying a hostess in the face with
champagne after winning the Chinese Grand Prix.
Jenson Button described him as a “weird team-mate”
and Nico Rosberg barely spoke to him while both
were at Mercedes.
But Jonathan says: “To be the best in the world, like
Lewis, you really have to focus.
“You don’t have time for all the small talk and the
extra trappings that can make you likeable.
“It’s not that Lewis is not a nice guy – he could not
be more polite and charming. But you don’t get dilly-
dallying with him.
“If you want to be the best in the world, if you want
to win, you must have a ruthless streak.
“If Lewis was too much of a Mister Nice Guy he
wouldn’t be as successful. He is an awesome talent
and should be celebrated for his achievements.”
His sport
Jonathan says if Hamilton could be compared to any
other sportsman in the UK, it would be runner Mo
Farah. But while Mo is universally well-liked, perhaps
F1 is a less accessible sport for the general public.
A report by the RAC last year found that driving as a
whole is falling out of favour, with car journeys down
and fewer teenagers taking lessons.
With most other sports there are instantly
recognisable winners and clear thrills at the end. But
despite another year of huge feats, Hamilton lags
behind boxer Anthony Joshua in the bookies’ odds for
BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Jonathan cites the example of diver Tom Daley, who
was overjoyed to win bronze in the London 2012
Olympics while the Chinese were devastated to get
silver.
He says: “Lewis won’t hang around at events like Tom
would.
“Tom’s focused on being a nice guy, but he’s not the
world’s best at his sport.”
Tax avoidance
Hamilton moved to the tax haven of Monte Carlo in
2007, having previously lived in Switzerland.
The move sparked accusations that he was a tax
exile – though he has always insisted that he still
pays “a lot” in the UK.
He has also been rapped for being less than flattering
to his home town in Hertfordshire, calling it “a not-so-
great place”.
Jonathan agrees that this may tarnish his image,
saying: “I don’t think people would warm to someone
who avoids tax.
“It’s an unattractive trait to dodge social
responsibility to your country.
“We can all be savvy about our lives to lessen our tax
bill, but to deliberately base yourself in a tax shelter
to avoid paying contributions in the country you’ve
been brought up in – I don’t think that’s tasteful to
the British public.”

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