Formula One’s newest British star’s reputation is in tatters after lying to get one of his competitors into trouble. He deliberately mislead an official enquiry, only to be contradicted by audio evidence. Under “safety car” conditions (where you aren’t allowed to overtake because of an accident on the track) during a race, he let another driver, Jarno Trulli, past him. Because of this Jarno Trulli was deemed to have overtaken him and was penalised, losing all points in the race. Even though Lewis Hamilton knew this, he told race officials that he hadn’t let him through.
Sadly, even after the recording of a conversation of Lewis Hamilton telling his team that he had let Jarno Trulli through, he still denied it.
This excerpt from the Autosport website paints a pretty sad picture …
An FIA source told AUTOSPORT: “First of all, Lewis heard the radio exchange. It appeared that the strategy was to be extremely vague and not be very direct with the answers. Then the interview where he said, ‘I was told to let him through’ was played.
“At that point they both got very uncomfortable, but still denied that’s what had actually happened.
“It was a bit surreal, this situation where you had the radio evidence and the interview, and they were putting a completely different interpretation on what the words actually meant. But the words were very, very clear.”
FIA race director Charlie Whiting has also revealed that Hamilton denied more than once in the original hearing in Australia that he had let Trulli pass him.
Whiting said: “When asked very clearly, ‘Did you consciously let him past, did you pull over to let him past’, he [Hamilton] said, ‘No’. The question was asked more than once. He was adamant that he hadn’t slowed down and hadn’t let Trulli past.”
What has happened here? Lewis Hamilton is a very fast racing driver, but he has been so focused on this, his vision so narrowed, that he has forgotten to be a human being. Even his fans are deserting him now. Is there a lesson to be learned here?
As the Church changes (yes I am drawing a Christian analogy from Motorsport) and becomes focused on different and new things, it too needs to remember that it’s made up of people, and remember morality, that age-old binder of society.
This isn’t a call to be old fashioned, but to be aware that being relevant to society, something that the church needs to do, isn’t “selling out”, it’s being respected and trusted. Something that the Church has lost and needs to regain.
The Church is having to re-think itself because it abused it’s power and took it’s position for granted. Now it has lost it it has gained something of greater value – humility. Let’s remember that for ourselves and the wider church as we all move forward together.
As for Lewis Hamilton, maybe he’s a lost cause.
