...stories of wearing huge dark glasses inside MTC or pulling out a mobile phone when walking down corridors, rather than becoming engaged with factory staff coming the other way, are sadly believable.
The article is well worth reading, discussing as it does the future of one of the stars of the sport.
The question of whether or not the Mercedes link is a ploy by Lewis's management to increase their client's bottom dollar at McLaren is becoming increasingly irrelevant at this stage; I think that we, the fans, just want this matter sorted out once and for all, regardless of the number of column inches it still has the power to generate.
The second interesting story comes from Formula 1 Blog, posted by Negative Camber, and scrutinises a quote of Lewis from a Reuters story:
"I'm not really focusing on next year, I want to focus on this year. This is one race at a time and I'm trying to take this team to the top,
"I'm trying to help them as they are trying to help me to win both championships. It is an incredible team and I have a great relationship with them so I'm really looking forward to the future..."
Negative Camber saw something in the above quote that nobody else picked up: Lewis is making a distinction between himself and the team. He talks about "them" and "me" rather than "us". In the past it has all been about the team, now it's about him helping "this team".
This language would mean nothing in isolation, however in the context of the current negotiations it my be telling.
Certainly James Allen and Eddie Jordan (EJ) are convinced that Mercedes will be Hamilton's new home. With JA stating that:
some signs were there from McLaren’s side that there was not only a reluctance to meet the financial terms, but also a weariness with the whole pantomime of ‘Life with Lewis.’ The tweeting of the set up sheet in Spa was a symbolic watershed in a relationship which has veered off track since the wide eyed enthusiasm of 2007
If that is the case then it's time for Lewis to come out and say so, in order to give the team that has given him everything he has achieved an opportunity to find a suitable replacement. regardless of the final outcome McLaren are not going to jeopardise their good chance of winning the Constructor's Championship and, being one of the most professional outfits in the Pits, will not interfere with Lewis's opportunity to win the Driver's Championship.
