Lewis Hamilton has been warned to stop ‘waging a war with the media' by former F1 driver turned
ITV-F1 pundit Martin Brundle, who insists the young McLaren-Mercedes ace ‘will lose horribly' should the stand-off continue.
Hamilton has come in for much media criticism in 2008 for his off-track activities [see separate story –
click here], with a pertinent example coming last Sunday when the
News of the World quoted Miss World contestant Vivian Burkhardt as having slated the Stevenage-born star for dumping her – just two days after being seen with her at the Cannes Film Festival – in favour of Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger.
Indeed, in the wake of his disastrous performance in the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours last time out, Hamilton initially refused to speak to the waiting press, prompting Brundle – himself a former
McLaren driver – to write in his regular
Sunday Times column that his countryman is ‘misguided' in ‘waging a war with the media'.
“That's a battle he will lose horribly,” the 49-year old stressed. “[The press] will work with you, but it's reciprocal, and they are better friends than enemies.
“An angry driver will always drive like Lewis did in Magny-Cours, over-aggressively bouncing off the kerbs and sliding around grabbing half-chances to overtake.
“Mega-stardom needs to be put on hold for now, with total focus on this critical and busy mid-season phase.”
Hamilton himself, for his part, has acknowledged that he is concerned about his deteriorating relationship with the press, and the consequent negative reports that are going to print – a far cry from the media love-in he enjoyed over the course of his sensational maiden campaign in the top flight last year.
