Why Lewis was right by backing down from Button's triathlon

[internetf1fan]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/others ... thlon.html

Anyone remember this? People on forums were calling Lewis and his dad, then manager, cowards and daddy's boy, he had no life of his own etc.

And now we have seen what has happened to Webber and Kubica.

Hamilton(s) made the right choice and it was stupid that many people couldn't see the risk that a triathlon has.

=D>

[Sebp]

Drivers are grown-ups, not some teams' or fans' pet. They make their own decisions (hopefully), whether it is to go rallying or to take part in a triathlon. All at their own risk. I'm guessing a lot of racing drivers are adrenalin-junkies. So when they can't get their kicks while doing their job, they seek other means to satisfy their needs. It's part of who they are!

[Earnard Beccelstone]

So Jensen is fine to compete in a triathlon, but somehow a triathlon is a risk for Lewis? If Lewis is "right" from backing away from a triathlon, then is Jensen wrong for competing in one?

Having been a keen amateur triathlete for more than a decade, I've been kicked and scratched in the swim, fallen off my bike in the ride and gotten cramps and blisters in the run.

Nothing in that compares to the risk of professional, or even amateur, motorsport though.

[Pandamasque]

One can also slip in a shower, so racing drivers should avoid shower too.

[n_anirudh]

Schumacher's neck injury could have left him paralysed as well. Risks of a triathlon may include over exhaustion and extra stress on an F1 driver.
If Button does it, good for him. But IMHO, there is no right or wrong with a persons choice.

Kubica was not in a triathlon. He was driving a rally car when he was injured. What has that got to do with Hamilton refusing a triathlon?

[ajdavison2]

I'm a self confessed hamilton fanboy, but even i personally see this as a waste of a thread... my opinion i suppose

[doopie2you]

One can also slip in a shower, so racing drivers should avoid shower too.

That's true, but you must admit that there is a higher risk for injuries when you drive a rally car or mountain bike then when you take a shower?

[RH1300S]

What fail to see is why fans of racing get in such a tizzy when drivers take risks. It's in their make-up to compete and to take risks, without that they wouldn't be RACING drivers, some of them MIGHT be able to drive a car fast, but by definition RACING is what they do and to do that they need to be competitive people and need to be able to take risks.

I have no view on the Hamiltion situation (it's a total non-story), but I see no wrong in drivers doing risky activities outside the cockpit. Admittedly sometimes they will let their team down (poor Robert), but in the main it makes them the men they are. Renault were right to let Robert drive in rallies, they understood the risk and also undestood the upside.

Racing drivers need to be competitive people.

[Steven]

Does this thread actually exist?

If you could just try to imagine being an f1driver, and realising why you'd do it (I presume and hope not for the money) than it's easy to understand why you'd seek other challenges outside the sport as well.

Other than that, I find it pretty imaginative to link Hamilton's triathlon with Kubica crashing in a rally, but that may be just me.

Thanks for the input, but since this is probably going to end up in trash and bickering, we're closed!