General Chat

Apparently, Lewis Hamilton wants to gag older people because of a remark passed by Nelson Piquet (and I’ve just heard a small excerpt where Hamilton mentioned giving voice to younger people and not older ones).

I know NP should have not made the comment he has since apologised for but I find LH’s comment odd. It makes me wonder whether he thinks prejudice against older people is not prejudice at all.

Maybe I am becoming a little touchy in my old age!

Lewis Hamilton's comment was because Bernie Eccleston had said that Hamilton should just ignore the comment and Hamilton was simply saying that times have moved on in sport and Formula 1 isn't the same sport as when Bernie was in charge.

He is right in thinking that younger generations won't put up with the sort of comment that Nelson Piquet made, nor should they.

Kath. x

Hamilton is hardly a 'spring chicken'! He's 37.

There are idiots in every generation.
Some older people say silly/racist/offensive things, as do some younger people.

Just because someone of a certain age says something ridiculous, it doesn't mean ALL of us of a similar age would say/think the same way - so yes, Hamilton's comment is ageist.

Hamilton's pointed out Piquet's comment, all agree it was wrong, Piquet's being 'punished'.
If Hamilton carries on complaining about older people, I'm sure someone will turn around and call him out as a whingeing waste of space.

The poor lamb should try being a female in sport - then he'd have cause to complain!

As you say, Kathleen - times have moved on in sport - women now have to put up with trans women - most of whom didn't change until well after puberty - therefore have the muscle build of a male - but insist they're now female and should compete with women!

I'm sorry, but I think Lewis was right to call out Piquet and Eccleston. If I'd had to put up with racial abuse most of my life like he has then I would complain too if I was in a position where my voice could be heard as he now is.

If women in sport have cause to complain then men should have too. I also disagree with trans women competing against other women. There should be other sections of sport just for trans women or men so that everything is on an equal footing.

Kath. x

I’d not heard anything about Eccleston so I can’t comment on that.

However, sledging occurs in most if not all sports - some members of my family have experienced that to some degree as, I expect, almost every sports competitor has done at one time or another.

I agree with the recent judgement about trans-women because their muscle mass must surely give them an edge.

I just don’t think it was at all wise of LH to use NP’s comment in order to then bring ageism into the equation. He’s rather muddied his own pool and because of that I think he’ll get many more comments about his own prejudice.

Edit:

By the way, I have no idea what the word was that NP used. I took umbrage at what Hamilton said about older people. :-0

Edit again:

And now I’ve caught up and read what the word was I don’t think NP can come up with any excuse for using it no matter how hard he tries as he is a world traveller and, presumably not an ignoramus, so he must have known it was wrong.

Kathleen, I too think it was right for Eccleston and Piquet to be called out, but it's wrong of Hamilton to assume all older people would say the same sort of thing, and bring ageism into it.
You don't fight prejudice by being prejudiced..

Just like to add, before my hair turned silver and my skin colour faded, I put up with various racial abuse - and sexism, and it's neither to refer to Hamilton as a whingeing waste of space. :-D

I think the mention of older people was only aimed at Bernie Eccleston meaning that the sport of Formula 1 was for younger men than Bernie and the sport had to change with a younger demographic and as time goes on all older generations have to give way to youth. I personally don't think that is ageism.

Piquet used the "N" word and should be ashamed of himself.

Kath. x

It would have done Hamilton’s cause more good not to have mentioned age at all, I believe, but simply to have called out Piquet for using the word.

Maggie, the worst I have experienced is almost 40 years ago - and I suppose it could be down to nationalism - was when an Irish man and a German both had a go at me, one joining in after the other had started it. I did not retaliate as they expected me to but I clearly stated my case again, more firmly.

I was pleased after I left the room when another Irish man approached me and said he thought I’d kept my cool and behaved impeccably by simply re-stating my case.

Like you wrote, idiots in every generation - and everywhere!

I've had the weirdest racial mistakes. :-S

Children insisting my blonde haired, blue eyed brother can't be my brother, as I had black hair and brown eyes

A teacher asking if me and my friend (Chinese Mauritian) had the same father - we had different surnames. True, we both had dead straight black hair in a similar style (there's not much you can do with dead straight hair)., we both wore glasses, and, as it was Summer, I was quite dark - but I bet she didn't ask two blonde girls the same question!

My own daughter, aged 6, asked me why there was a photograph of me on the wall - we were at an Anne Frank exhibition. :-D

This ethnicity mistake still occasionally happens. Sometimes, I've corrected them, by pointing out my dad was a Moslem. Having said that, dad was a convert when I was 12 (I wasn't). His 'ethnicity' was 100% Cornish!

'Males' - one, who, when I turned down his invitation to go out, told me a n**** like me should be grateful he'd asked me out. Yea, right!

The 'best' one was when I had an afro, was walking home, one night, got kicked on the head, and was told to 'go back to where I came from'. When the cyclist responsible turned to spit at me, he noticed I wasn't quite as dark as my hair implied - and he fell off his bike.
We had quite a long conversation with him lying on the floor, and my foot on his head!

Even my ex, when he first met me, didn't realise I was my sister's sister, (he knew her boyfriend at the time, later her husband) he thought I was Spanish.

When I visited mother in Portugal, the number of people who assumed I was Portuguese was embarrassing. Especially as I didn't speak Portuguese :-S

In some parts of Europe my blue eyed blond haired( when he had some) was always thought to be German :-S :-S :-S

Frankly, I was in agreement with Hamilton when he said that it was time for younger voices to e heard.

Hamilton's comments came after a) Piquet's n* comments.......... he repeated the word more than once in an interview he was giving to a TV host, and then it has been reported that he repeated the word again in a later interview., and b) after Bernie Ecclestone said Piquet had done nothing wrong, and made some more insulting remarks, including I understand some homophobic about Hamilton.

Hamilton insulted twice in 2 different ways, and shouldn't have said anything?????

Of course he should have!

Ans he was quite right, a 93 year old and an over 60s are the only ones have said anything.

It is time for younger voices to be heard! if the oldies are going to be using insulting names for the drivers.

But fighting prejudice with prejudice doesn't work.

Ecclestone has always been a self opinionated old f*rt, but to imply all older people are like him is ridiculous!

'Younger voices' in the Grand Prix world could have voiced their opinion, but I haven't heard them. Why not?

I wonder if they are scared of losing their positions, as people like Ecclestone, as well as the owners of the cars are still so vociferous??

I mean I read last night that Hamilton was facing being banned by F1 because he had a nose stud. He was trying to keep it, but last night it was reported that he had removed it.

That's ridiculous, but does speak to the degree of control there is over the "younger voices" who are the drivers.

I expect there was a health & safety issue over the stud.

They're not difficult to remove and replace - he'd have to remove it for an X-ray - the same as I have to remove my 'sleepers'.

Imagine if he had a crash and needed an X-ray on his head - he'd be the first to complain if it was delayed while they tried to remove the stud from a (perhaps) severely smashed in face.

Gosh, I've never had to remove my earrings for an Xray, though I must admit that I've never had one on my head!

I didn't have to remove them for a full body scan for bone density, when I did have to remove any metal objects in my clothing, including on my bra.

They don't seem to have asked Hamilton to remove his ear studs!

The other thing to consider is that Piquet's daughter is in a relationship with Max von Verstappen, and the first comments by Piquet were regarding an apparent move that Hamilton made on the rack that stopped Verstappen from winning.

There's been rivalry between those 2 drivers for years.

It appears there has been a long-standing ban on jewellery at F1 races, but the ban hasn't been enforced.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/breaking-lewis-hamilton-jewellery-silverstone-27375592

When I've had a body scan, I have to make sure I have absolutely no metal below the neck. One can only presume that if a scan on the head is required - like, say, after a 200mph crash, no metal should be on the head!

Perhaps Hamilton should be advised about WHY jewellery shouldn't be worn, to stop his tantrums, and his blaming of everyone else for this apparent assault on his 'individuality'.