Hamilton criticizes “plastic” trophies
The trophies for the British Grand Prix of Formula 1 - provided by Santander, the race sponsor - apparently did not convince Lewis Hamilton, the winner, who did not hesitate to criticize them.
Winner of the British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton had the opportunity, for the first time since Spain, to lift the victory trophy on the podium this Sunday. However, the one he held up in front of an enthralled crowd did not actually convince the Briton.
“Where’s the gold trophy, man?” he teased David Coulthard, who played the role of interviewer on the Silverstone podium. “This thing is falling apart, look!” he added when the base became somewhat detached from the rest of the object. Santander, which sponsors the race and provides the prize, will appreciate this public jab.
The 2008 Champion didn’t let it go after the race during the traditional press conference, where he brought the famous Golden Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) that he had the chance to lift during his previous home victory: « Well, yeah! This one is much nicer. I mean, I grew up watching Formula 1, you’d see trophies like this. Real trophies, you know? And the trophies we have now, even though it’s a real privilege to be on the podium, mine was falling apart. »
« The base fell off the one we had, » he continued. « It’s plastic, it must cost 10 pounds! It’s so lame. I could just take the plaque, which is probably the most expensive part of the trophy, I think. »
« Before, they really, really made the trophies. And it’s the special thing when you’re on the podium and you win. These trophies mean something – for me, I don’t know about the other drivers – but it’s what we have to show for a lifetime of achievements. I hope we can have better ones in the future. » It is remembered that one of the highly discussed clauses between him and McLaren during the contract negotiations concerned the trophies, which the Woking team kept while the driver also wanted them.
For several seasons, traditional trophies have indeed been replaced by less conventional awards at the initiative of race sponsors, to highlight their brand a bit more. Sometimes, the trophies showcase original initiatives such as promoting the recycling of plastic materials.
Following his jab about modern trophies, Lewis Hamilton joked to the journalists: “Don’t write anything bad about that, after all.” “Too late!” Valtteri Bottas shot back, before the Brit concluded, laughing: “Yeah. That was off mic!”
