Hamilton, the “crash kid” of McLaren according to Helmut Marko
After Lewis Hamilton's chaotic weekend at Spa, Helmut Marko refers Martin Whitmarsh back to his statements from exactly a year ago about Sebastian Vettel, whom he had then labeled as a "crash kid."
Just a year ago, after the Belgian Grand Prix won by Lewis Hamilton, Martin Whitmarsh did not mince his words regarding Sebastian Vettel, who was responsible for a collision during braking at the old Bus Stop Chicane, resulting in Jenson Button’s retirement. “Sebastian is picking up bad habits; he’s a ‘crash kid’. This wasn’t what one would expect to see in Formula One, it was more akin to junior formulas,” the McLaren director had then remarked, adding that he would have preferred “that he collided with his own teammate rather than with one of his drivers.”
One year later, after his protégé’s victory in the Ardennes, Helmut Marko, Red Bull consultant, has not forgotten Martin Whitmarsh’s words and does not hesitate to throw them back at him, as Lewis Hamilton was involved in two collisions last weekend, which add to the list he has had since the beginning of the season: « Back then, the “Crash Kid” was part of McLaren’s media strategy, now, [at Spa], they had a kid who crashed in their own team! » the Austrian retorts sarcastically in AutoBild.
Marko, responsible, among other things, for scouting young talents, takes the opportunity to recall the journey taken by Sebastian Vettel since the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix, winning the world championship and returning this season more relaxed, more mature, and dominant.
Asked this week in The Guardian, Martin Whitmarsh reflected on the incidents that marred Lewis Hamilton’s Belgian weekend: « I think Lewis makes F1 a more exciting place, so we should all hope that Lewis will continue to be one of the most exciting drivers we’ve ever seen. I don’t want him to change. […] I think he’s learning and evolving, but he’s a competitive driver. I’m sure this was often said, if not always, during Ayrton’s career or Schumacher’s: actually, I think it’s always said. I think with these competitive drivers, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. »
One thing is certain, then: if Martin Whitmarsh had followed the same reasoning last season, he wouldn’t have had to endure Helmut Marko’s sarcasm, even if it is only fair for each to defend his protégé.
