11/10/2008
NEWS STORY
In a move which will not go down well in certain quarters, particularly the British media, Robert Kubica has questioned Lewis Hamilton's on track ethics, accusing the Englishman of having a cavalier attitude towards the safety of his rivals.
The Pole, who first raced against Hamilton in Karts, when both were knee-high to grasshoppers, claims that the McLaren driver is too aggressive, and at times bullies his rivals into submission.
Asked who he thinks will win the title Kubica replied: "My head tells me Hamilton but my heart hopes Felipe," he admitted. "I know that Lewis is seven points ahead of him but I would prefer Felipe."
When asked to explain precisely what he meant, the Pole told reporters: "There are two different ways to drive. You can be aggressive but stay fair. Or you are too aggressive and too self-confident.
"What Lewis did in Monza for example, that was too much," he continued. "He cut up Timo Glock and forced him to go on the grass. And Fernando Alonso had to lift the pedal on the straight because Lewis had crossed his line. "That was too much by far. It was too dangerous. When the front and the back wheels touch, you simply fly away.
"We did mention this at a drivers' meeting," he revealed, "and I think everybody has a similar opinion. But in the end we can talk as much as we want. If somebody is convinced he has the right to do what he does, we have no chance of stopping him. In Monza they should have given a penalty to Lewis."
While some might see Kubica's comments as sour grapes, much like Luca di Montzemolo's criticism of the Singapore GP after his team had seemingly blown both titles, there are some who feel that Hamilton is getting too big for his boots too quickly.
While some might say that his reference to fellow drivers as 'back of the grid monkey's' was tongue in cheek, others believe the English youngster to be just a little too arrogant, a little too above himself.
Then there is concern at the McLaren driver's refusal to join the Grand Prix Driver's Association - the racers' trade union - and even his laissez-fair approach to such things as drivers' parades and briefings where his tardiness with regards his punctuality has earned him a number of fines. Then again, few will have missed his comment in front of the FIA's Court of Appeal, when he told Ferrari's QC Nigel Tozzi that he saw himself as "the best in the business".
While a driver needs to be confident, indeed arrogant, there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what isn't, and while Kubica's comments might be perceived as sour grapes they reflect the views of some other drivers and certainly many of the thousands of fans that inhabit the ether's various forums and message boards.
Asked by the Daily Mail about Kubica's comments, Hamilton no doubt further fanned the flames when he replied: "At the end of the day there are always going to be people you are beating who aren't particularly happy about things, but that's motor racing."