O/T:- Lewis Hamilton

[ncfcog]

I've got no interest in Formula 1 or Lewis Hamilton but hasn't he been a tax exile for a while now? If so that would confirm the perception that a lot of people have about modern day activism - namely that it often means self-aggrandisement, token gestures, but little serious thought or concrete action.

As far as I'm aware in the last few months Hamilton has:

Worn BLM t-shirts
Knelt
Called other drivers racists for 'only' wearing generic anti-racism t-shirts
Driven a black car

According to Google he earns around 50 million pounds per year. Given that even BFP has now seen the light regarding there being more than meets the eye to the ' the cops are racist so only kill black people' narrative in the US, and has accepted that a large part of the problem is that, for a number of reasons, economic and therefore social deprivation.

Let's say the UK chancellor has had 200 million pounds less to spend over the past ten years because of Hamilton's decision to move to Monaco. That money could have kept a lot of youth clubs open during austerity.

Would he have made more difference to young black lives by saying nothing but paying his taxes, rather than engaging in all the symbolism but going to great lengths to avoid paying tax in his country of birth? That's an interesting hypothetical question.

Here's a quote from one source online when asked about his charitable commitments:

"He is a major contributor to Great Ormond Street hospital, Unicef, The Honeypot Children's Charity and Children of Africa. Many times after a race, instead of leaving the country immediately, he will stay and visit children in poor villages (India) and slums on behalf of UNICEF.

He has unified all of his giving under the Lewis Hamilton Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to provide grants and donations to help with disabilities, Education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, prevention or relief of poverty, and general charitable purposes throughout England. Lewis Hamilton Foundation"

I like F1 and have enjoyed watching LH over the years but I was getting to a point where I wished he played things down a little as I was starting to find him extremely irritating, but it does seem he is highly respected by his peers and seems to be doing what he can to help others, maybe spending a large sum of that tax money which most likely, knowing the way governments and councils are run in this country, would not have got anywhere near where it was needed most.

[The_Don_ORiordan]

I've got no interest in Formula 1 or Lewis Hamilton but hasn't he been a tax exile for a while now? If so that would confirm the perception that a lot of people have about modern day activism - namely that it often means self-aggrandisement, token gestures, but little serious thought or concrete action.

As far as I'm aware in the last few months Hamilton has:

Worn BLM t-shirts
Knelt
Called other drivers racists for 'only' wearing generic anti-racism t-shirts
Driven a black car

According to Google he earns around 50 million pounds per year. Given that even BFP has now seen the light regarding there being more than meets the eye to the ' the cops are racist so only kill black people' narrative in the US, and has accepted that a large part of the problem is that, for a number of reasons, economic and therefore social deprivation.

Let's say the UK chancellor has had 200 million pounds less to spend over the past ten years because of Hamilton's decision to move to Monaco. That money could have kept a lot of youth clubs open during austerity.

Would he have made more difference to young black lives by saying nothing but paying his taxes, rather than engaging in all the symbolism but going to great lengths to avoid paying tax in his country of birth? That's an interesting hypothetical question.

Absolutely agree driller with everything except him calling other drivers racist which I’m fairly sure he hasn’t. Like nearly all other F1 drivers and many top sport and industry leaders he’s a tax exile and that tax could surely have done a lot to help (used in the right way of course).

Still doesn’t mean I could see how you (not you personally chap) would celebrate him not winning.....

[drillerpie]

Here's a quote from one source online when asked about his charitable commitments:

He is a major contributor to Great Ormond Street hospital, Unicef, The Honeypot Children's Charity and Children of Africa. Many times after a race, instead of leaving the country immediately, he will stay and visit children in poor villages (India) and slums on behalf of UNICEF.
He has unified all of his giving under the Lewis Hamilton Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to provide grants and donations to help with disabilities, Education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, prevention or relief of poverty, and general charitable purposes throughout England. Lewis Hamilton Foundation

I like F1 and have enjoyed watching LH over the years but I was getting to a point where I wished he played things down a little as I was starting to find him extremely irritating, but it does seem he is highly respected by his peers and seems to be doing what he can to help others, maybe spending a large sum of that tax money which most likely, knowing the way governments and councils are run in this country, would not have got anywhere near where it was needed most.

Well that's true I suppose but somebody still has to pay for the boring stuff.

I've found a website which shows the Lewis Hamilton Foundation's accounts as being in the low six figure region, but it didn't have the look of a very reputable website. If anyone can shed any light on his giving I'd be genuinely curious to know.

I see he gave half a million to help with bushfires in Australia, which is nice, but bearing in mind what the top rate of tax would be on £50m a year, I think a few more donations of that size would be needed to get anywhere near his real obligations.

[ncfcog]

Well that's true I suppose but somebody still has to pay for the boring stuff.

I've found a website which shows the Lewis Hamilton Foundation's accounts as being in the low six figure region, but it didn't have the look of a very reputable website. If anyone can shed any light on his giving I'd be genuinely curious to know.

I see he gave half a million to help with bushfires in Australia, which is nice, but bearing in mind what the top rate of tax would be on £50m a year, I think a few more donations of that size would be needed to get anywhere near his real obligations.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but as with everything there's always more than meets the eye in every scenario which is why for some time I've chosen not to get involved in political threads on here, it's like a merry-go-round, maybe shouldn't have got involved in this one either

[drillerpie]

Absolutely agree driller with everything except him calling other drivers racist which I’m fairly sure he hasn’t. Like nearly all other F1 drivers and many top sport and industry leaders he’s a tax exile and that tax could surely have done a lot to help (used in the right way of course).

Still doesn’t mean I could see how you (not you personally chap) would celebrate him not winning.....

It was a while ago now but I think there were some veiled accusations when they refused to kneel. Silence is violence and that makes them complicit (even though they had anti-racism t-shirts on), or whatever it is they say that makes the easily led fall into line.

I'm afraid the last time I got excited about a British driver winning at car pointing it was Damon Hill at the wheel! Nowadays I occasionally use it for background noise to my Sunday afternoon snooze but no more than that!

[TSANHO]

We should celebrate LH, not berate him. The man is an absurd genius behind the wheel with maybe only one or two people in history belonging alongside him in the upper echelons of the sport.

Supreme speed, skill, judgment and racing intelligence, he has everything. The ultimate racer. I understand why people get annoyed with his perceived mardyness, but I like it. I like the fact he has that hard determination and drive to always want to win, and continue to improve.

He is the bar and there’s no one currently in the sport who can match him, or even get close to his skill level. Verstappen could, maybe, but he still has much to learn.

[Old_pie]

We should celebrate LH, not berate him. The man is an absurd genius behind the wheel with maybe only one or two people in history belonging alongside him in the upper echelons of the sport.

Supreme speed, skill, judgment and racing intelligence, he has everything. The ultimate racer. I understand why people get annoyed with his perceived mardyness, but I like it. I like the fact he has that hard determination and drive to always want to win, and continue to improve.

He is the bar and there’s no one currently in the sport who can match him, or even get close to his skill level. Verstappen could, maybe, but he still has much to learn.

Agreed, as a racer he is brilliant. His awareness of what is going on around him, on the whole, is up with that of Fangio and I watch F1 on TV as an interested spectator and not to have political or social messages thrown at me regardless of how admirable. The "knee" thing is cringeworthy and had he been an Albon or Latifi I doubt that he'd have as many supporting his stance on the track. I wonder how much all this has played a part in his recent errors, missing the pit lane closure, doing practice starts in the wrong place, and a couple of others.

At the race track please stick to racing Lewis.

[upthemaggies]

I don't think I need to clarify which side of the fence I'm on regards the cult of woke but I think we have to recognize there is a degree of hypocrisy here. I don't watch F1 but from what I have seen of it, I'm struggling to think of a more in-your-face promotion of capitalism. ie advertising and sponsorship, which is often morally questionable (gambling, booze, environmentally unfriendly products). And why we do play the national anthem ahead of non-international games? (cup finals - and play offs I think).

[BigFatPie]

According to Google he earns around 50 million pounds per year. Given that even BFP has now seen the light regarding there being more than meets the eye to the ' the cops are racist so only kill black people' narrative in the US, and has accepted that a large part of the problem is that, for a number of reasons, economic and therefore social deprivation.

Let's say the UK chancellor has had 200 million pounds less to spend over the past ten years because of Hamilton's decision to move to Monaco. That money could have kept a lot of youth clubs open during austerity.

Would he have made more difference to young black lives by saying nothing but paying his taxes, rather than engaging in all the symbolism but going to great lengths to avoid paying tax in his country of birth? That's an interesting hypothetical question.

Whoa, steady on Tiger. I haven’t changed my position on this subject at all, and I’ve no idea why you think I have. Obviously crime is closely linked with poverty. That’s basic stuff. To be fair, I don’t even remember poverty being mentioned in our previous exchanges, but it’s a key reason why proportionately more black people are involved in crime.

As for Hamilton, very rich people do tend to live in places where they’ll reduce their tax bill, and F1 is no exception, though the extent of the wealth of those drivers is pretty exceptional. Does that preclude him from making political statements, and engaging in symbolism or activism ? Of course not, unless you subscribe to the view that Gary Lineker can’t have sympathy with refugees unless he puts one up, or that I can’t express a view about a poverty amongst black people unless I’ve given money to a black person. I’m sure you’re too clued up to agree with all that nonsense?

Do you think the animosity both on this board and elsewhere toward Hamilton is solely down to his perceived arrogance and tax avoidance, or do you think there might be an element of something else?

[Woodypie]

A bit like Enzio?