10/01/2012
NEWS STORY
An interview and photoshoot with GQ has Pitpass fearing that Lewis Hamilton might not have learned his lesson from 2011.
It was the Spanish philosopher and humanist George Santayana who suggested that; "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it".
And these are the words that went through our minds when we received a press release from GQ magazine regarding its January issue.
"Formula 1 is soon to be returning to the U.S., and the sleek and stylish racing champ, Lewis Hamilton, sat down with GQ to share his thoughts about what he thinks of the States, what he believes could help America catch the F1 "bug", and his openness to being put on the big screen," it proclaimed.
"I love it in the States," says Lewis when asked his thoughts on America. The roads are big, the food is big. If it was possible to be in L.A. and still live my racing life, I would move now."
When asked if he would ever consider a movie role, the McLaren driver responded: "I'd love to hear any ideas."
And as for how he thinks America will react to F1 this time around. "It's really a matter of getting the car in front of people," he said. "Once you hear it and see it, feel the noise, then maybe they'll turn out for a race.
"I don't quite know how F1 will play in Oklahoma and places like that," he admits, "but every time I'm in California, I swear more people recognize me... genuine fans."
All well and good you might say, but then comes the photoshoot.
What drivers, or indeed anyone else does in their private life is up to them, however, if it impacts their professional life that's another matter entirely.
Having come through his annus horribilis, a year in which he admitted to taking his eye off the ball and allowing matters outside his professional life to affect him on track, is this really the way Lewis should be preparing for the new season?
In the past he has allowed himself to be distracted by friends and acquaintances in the music business, leading to Bernie Ecclestone to describe him as "star struck", now it appears Tinsel Town has have him enthralled.
This has the mark of Simon Fuller's XIX Entertainment - Lewis' management company - all over it and it is extremely worrying.
After the disappointment of 2011, 2012 is, in many ways, a make or break season for Lewis. All eyes will be on him as he seeks to come back from a year in which his own teammate out-performed him and he usually made it into the headlines for the wrong reasons.
While we've come to expect this sort of thing from David Beckham, who is at the end of his career, it doesn't suit a man who has already admitted to allowing himself to be distracted by matters not F1 related. What next, The Only Way is Woking?
Get a grip mate. Better still, get some serious management.
Photo: Peggy Sirota/GQ