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Lewis/Hekki's...eh...'conversation' on ITV...


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#1 pjabyrne

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 12:45

Did anyone see this in the run-up to the GP?

I thought the recruitment of Matt Bishop might improve McLaren's 'heavy-handed' PR (like Ron's public conversation - in civvies - with Alonso last year in front of all the photographers).

But this was a dreadful nauseating piece of TV :eek: :blush: ... The whole thing seemed so rehersed and false. Why do McLaren feel the need to beat us over the head with a stick with the message:
'OUR DRIVERS ARE REALLY, REALLY GOOD PALS. REALLY!!!!'
It was this sort of crap that made them look like idiots last year - have they learned anything?!??

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#2 mclarensmps

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 12:48

wutisthefotocopeer

#3 Josta

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 12:49

Originally posted by pjabyrne
Did anyone see this in the run-up to the GP?

I thought the recruitment of Matt Bishop might improve McLaren's 'heavy-handed' PR (like Ron's public conversation - in civvies - with Alonso last year in front of all the photographers).

But this was a dreadful nauseating piece of TV :eek: :blush: ... The whole thing seemed so rehersed and false. Why do McLaren feel the need to beat us over the head with a stick with the message:
'OUR DRIVERS ARE REALLY, REALLY GOOD PALS. REALLY!!!!'
It was this sort of crap that made them look like idiots last year - have they learned anything?!??


I thought exactly the same thing. Alright matey mate, we really are such great mates and we go down the pub together all the time. It was like McLaren trying to do men behaving badly.

#4 as65p

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 13:05

Well, right there it started to go wrong last year as Alonso wouldn't really play along with all this matey-mate, my dearest pal stuff. Didn't Lewis complain how hard it was to chat with Alonso? He should have been grateful that it wasn't Kimi anymore at McLaren, then he would have felt really lonely.;)

So far this year they really try to give a different impression. Although I still entertain the hope that Heikki is just lulling them and will match Lewis in egocentric ruthlessness if the need and opportunity arises...

#5 Perigee

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 13:09

Not like McLaren to be utterly superficial, is it? :lol:

I dunno, it does seem a bit sad that a team once admired for it's integrity now seems addicted to PR, spin, artificiality etc. and has lead to the perception of a team that no longer knows how to be honest in anything it does.

...that said, I am sure Lewis and Heikki can get along fine as friends....so long as Heikki doesn't get any silly ideas about beating his illustrious teammate, of course...

#6 potmotr

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 13:16

Agreed, it was totally, totally dreadful. I like both drivers but had to turn it off.
I think ITV adopted the wrong approach. They sat Lewis and Heikki on a couch and waited for it to happen, and it looked as though someone was prodding Lewis: "Come on man, be cheeky!"
They should've put a radio microphone on each and just followed them around for an afternoon when they were together and cut together the best moments of their interacton. That way it seems so much more natural.
As for Bishop, if he were responsible I hope he is learning that TV and print are very different animals. I'm sure you could throw together an F1 Racing piece on the interaction we saw, using heavy handed colour writing to illustrate what a great atmosphere there is between them. But TV is far too honest a medium for this Heikki and Lewis show to work...

#7 Tenmantaylor

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 13:46

I agree it seemed like McLaren feel they need to let everyone know (or be told) that their drivers get on really well. Naturally most people see this as "well, why wouldnt they?" and no end of conspiracies evolve.

They did seem like they get on tho. No biggie.

#8 StefanV

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 13:55

During the winter break I saw Hamilton on Top Gear and later at the Parkinson talk show. He was relaxed and articulated, pulled a joke or two and I was quite impressed. The first time. When he basically repeated the whole "show" on Parkinson I was quite surprised and, I must admit, I lost interest in him. It just un-clicked.

Funny BTW how both Parkinson and Jeremy Clarkson asked the same questions.

#9 NineOneSeven

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 14:13

Yes I saw that and thought, gosh this is contrived. I think both Lewis and Kovo were trying hard to kick it a little. Shoot the breeze, knowing a few mill would be watching must have helped.

However I did enjoy the bit when they started talking about racing in Macau. That little bit seemed real.. That they were talking about racing in Macau.. Apparently the best track ever according to LH and HK went on to suggest he’d love to take a F1 car to that track. Unless I got that wrong.

Still I think they should have asked them questions about racing and let them talk about the subject. I’d like to see someone like JYS interview them and talk about racing (not life, just racing), techniques, experiences, favourite drivers, memorable battles.. the limit etc.

I would love them to take both LH and HK to the Nurbergring and let them loose in a manual C-Class AMG something or other.
I wonder if they can heel-toe, left foot brake with 3 pedals?? I am sure they can.

#10 HoldenRT

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 14:13

Originally posted by StefanV


Funny BTW how both Parkinson and Jeremy Clarkson asked the same questions.

Ziiiing.

#11 undersquare

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 14:32

I could see it was on but avoided listening, too embarrassing . McLaren should just give up on PR, they are so useless at it. They looked a lot worse than they needed to last year, saying nothing when they should have been putting their side, and saying the wrong thing at every other time. Stick to the racing, Ron.

#12 Jackman

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 14:53

I thought it was alright, oddly enough: they're both nice lads with good personalities, and enough of that made it through the cheesy set up to make it worthwhile. I particularly liked Heikki getting a mad twinkle in his eye and throwing a bit of a spanner in the works:

Lewis: Yeah, I stopped off in Hong Kong for a few days on the way over, just to chill out a bit.
Heikki (smirking) : Come on, tell them the real reason.
Lewis (pulling back) : Um ... what?
Heikki (smiling broadly) : You know, the real reason you stopped there!
Lewis (looking around madly) : Er, you mean, er...
Heikki (openly laughing) : Yeah, you went there for ... the casino!
Lewis (stops) : Oh ... yeah, that was great! (thinks: phew, the press only just stopped writing about my HK based ex-girlfriend a few months ago...)

#13 Anomander

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 15:09

Ow look a McLaren bashing thread :rolleyes:

#14 Apocalypse

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 15:17

Well... everybody says that Heikki Kovolainen is really likeable chap... and according to the interviews this seems to be true. I don't think it's completely impossible that they actually ARE good friends. I think they knew eachother quite well before Heikki joined McLaren.

Everything in F1 isn't always a conspiracy.;)

#15 Fatgadget

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 15:19

So what did you expect them to say?....His momma so ugly she looks like the back of a bus?

#16 NineOneSeven

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 15:24

I didn't think anyone is bashing in this thread.. some criticisms of Macs PR but not bashing.

It was just a cheesy moment but I think everyone is just highlighting the cheese factor and also highlighting the bit they did like.

I personally would find it hard to have a natural conversation with my best buddy in front of a TV camera. So it came off a bit cheese ridden but overall there were good points. I like both the drivers and enjoyed some parts of the conversation.

#17 kar

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 15:28

Originally posted by StefanV
During the winter break I saw Hamilton on Top Gear and later at the Parkinson talk show. He was relaxed and articulated, pulled a joke or two and I was quite impressed. The first time. When he basically repeated the whole "show" on Parkinson I was quite surprised and, I must admit, I lost interest in him. It just un-clicked.

Funny BTW how both Parkinson and Jeremy Clarkson asked the same questions.


My girlfriend coined the term dial-tone after seeing him on Parkinson. He was about as pleasant to watch as terrier and box jellyfish in a wading pool.

#18 Chiara

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 15:30

Originally posted by Apocalypse
Everything in F1 isn't always a conspiracy.;)


Shush! don't spoil the illusion ;) some people aren't happy unless there is a good conspiracy.

It could have been just as much or if not more of ITV's idea than McLarens. Just a thought.

It did appear a tad contrived, but it would have probably been just the same if you'd stuck Raikkonen and Felipe Massa into that situation, or any other driver pairing for that matter. Sticking two guys down on a sofa in front of camera to be aired to millions and contrive a conversation where they can show their friendship is never going to come off natural is it? They would have been better off taking them off to do an activity and watch how they get on.

Probably isn't any need to 'advertise' the fact they get on really well, as that would become pretty apparent over time anyway. Nevermind.

#19 Welsh

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 15:36

What was interesting was how natural Heikki seemed on camera and how forced Lewis looked.

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#20 mowaru

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 15:49

any one has a link to that ITV great moment ?

#21 Rubens Hakkamacher

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:00

Where is a link to this "dreadful" interview?

I saw the TopGear interview - he seemed fine on that, wtf?

#22 jonpollak

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:09

I enjoyed the bit where Heikki told Lewis that Hip-Hop was bullshit
Need a real drummer not some machine.

Bonhomie,genuine or otherwise, does not sit well with you British does it?
Jp

PS..and kar...Dial Tone?
We ALL know who the dial tone is, at least to the press...unless you are Tamara ;)

Jp

#23 kar

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:18

Originally posted by jonpollak
PS..and kar...Dial Tone?
We ALL know who the dial tone is, at least to the press...unless you are Tamara ;)

Jp


Haha, it wasn't me that came up with the term for him but the missus, I just liked it so much I use it so often :)

The other driver you might be referring to as a 'dial-tone' can't possibly be, as that would mean he has more than _one_ tone, which we know for a fact is not true :-) A dial tone usually warbles between two :)

#24 Kpy

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:18

Originally posted by mowaru
any one has a link to that ITV great moment ?


Don't say you weren't warned
http://fr.youtube.co...h?v=cG3VZ9uyM9U

#25 Owen

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:19

Originally posted by kar


My girlfriend coined the term dial-tone after seeing him on Parkinson. He was about as pleasant to watch as terrier and box jellyfish in a wading pool.


Stop being so mean, it's not good to be this bitter. Perhaps admit you just dislike him cos he doesn't (and wouldn't) drive for Ferrari.

#26 kar

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:20

Originally posted by Kpy


Don't say you weren't warned
http://fr.youtube.co...h?v=cG3VZ9uyM9U


Matt Bishop really is on fire isn't he :) His shallow shtick was increasingly alienating F1 racing readers - now he brings that micrometer thin substance to television screens everywhere, yay!

#27 Domination

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:20

Originally posted by Kpy


Don't say you weren't warned
http://fr.youtube.co...h?v=cG3VZ9uyM9U


I see nothing wrong with that.

#28 StefanV

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:23

Originally posted by Kpy


Don't say you weren't warned
http://fr.youtube.co...h?v=cG3VZ9uyM9U

I don't think that was so bad. But yes, someone should have relieved them of the duty of pulling the thing forward.

EDIT: Had forgotten a 'them'

#29 archstanton

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:29

give me a shout when we reach the bottom of the barrell for attempting to hate on hamilton ... all this scraping is giving me an earache.

if the best the combined wit of the atlas trolls can come up with is a couple of pregnant pauses in a sponsor friendly pr videotape, to try and damn lewis and mclaren, then i think we must just about be out of ideas around here. beyond tedious now, sort it out.

#30 Anomander

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:34

ofcourse its going to be a bit forced.

They plonk two kids down in front of camera thats going to be shown to millions and told to act natural.


Strange theres two people there, but its Lewis getting most of the heat....

#31 Perigee

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:37

Originally posted by Owen


Stop being so mean, it's not good to be this bitter. Perhaps admit you just dislike him cos he doesn't (and wouldn't) drive for Ferrari.

I know the reply wasn't to me, but anyway...have faith. Perhaps, like Kimi, he will spend several frustrating years at McLaren before moving on to his finest years at Ferrari, which will forever after be known as the "Lewis wins 6 WDC" period.

Although, after last Sunday, perhaps it's me that needs the faith! :D

#32 undersquare

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:37

Originally posted by kar


My girlfriend coined the term dial-tone after seeing him on Parkinson. He was about as pleasant to watch as terrier and box jellyfish in a wading pool.


But you still watched it? Thanks for sharing that with us, anyway, a cosy domestic scene of two compatible people bitching together, instead of watching something they liked.

#33 snx843

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 16:57

Who cares these men are there to race cars not to be celebrities!

#34 Crazy Canuck

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:07

It was fine. We all know it's going to have PR spin, so just accept it and move on.....it's not a damned home movie!

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#35 as65p

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:09

Originally posted by snx843
Who cares these men are there to race cars not to be celebrities!


Of course. So a big :up: to those among the drivers NOT trying to act like celebrities.

:cool:

#36 Owen

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:09

Originally posted by Perigee

I know the reply wasn't to me, but anyway...have faith. Perhaps, like Kimi, he will spend several frustrating years at McLaren before moving on to his finest years at Ferrari, which will forever after be known as the "Lewis wins 6 WDC" period.

Although, after last Sunday, perhaps it's me that needs the faith! :D


I'm just objecting to the insults flying around here. It's a bit pathetic in my opinion. But hey, if you enjoy it, carry on.

#37 alg7_munif

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:14

Originally posted by Kpy


Don't say you weren't warned
http://fr.youtube.co...h?v=cG3VZ9uyM9U

Lewis- "I need to teach you about soul music man"

Heiki- "Soul music(sarcasm)? You've been listening to all this hiphop, this dude with the ring and stuff. It's not my style man"

Lewis- "Of course not, you're Finnish man"

:lol:

#38 Antonio

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:18

honestly, after reading the whole thread I was expecting to watch something completely different, but what I found was something almost ordinary. I agree with the one who said there's nothing wrong in the clip, i.e. it is for the telly, but they are talking to each other as natural as they can.

#39 Tigershark

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:26

Originally posted by Anomander
ofcourse its going to be a bit forced.

They plonk two kids down in front of camera thats going to be shown to millions and told to act natural.

Exactly... it's never going to work. Not in the least because of things like this thread, too much importance is given to something everybody knows was done to say 'look, our drivers actually talk to each other this year!'.

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#40 Jackman

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:28

Originally posted by jonpollak
I enjoyed the bit where Heikki told Lewis that Hip-Hop was bullshit
Need a real drummer not some machine.

Jp

Well Heikki is a drummer in his spare time, so I guess he'd be all over that.

#41 steelyman

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:33

Originally posted by Antonio
honestly, after reading the whole thread I was expecting to watch something completely different, but what I found was something almost ordinary. I agree with the one who said there's nothing wrong in the clip, i.e. it is for the telly, but they are talking to each other as natural as they can.


totally agree

i dont really like lewis and i thought this clip was fine. i was expecting something very different after reading the thread. i did like the part when heikki was telling lewis about playing music with real instruments. :up:

#42 alg7_munif

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:33

Originally posted by Antonio
honestly, after reading the whole thread I was expecting to watch something completely different, but what I found was something almost ordinary. I agree with the one who said there's nothing wrong in the clip, i.e. it is for the telly, but they are talking to each other as natural as they can.

Well there is something odd with the clip but I think that it is normal. You shouldn't expect that two kids could speak to each other naturally when the camera is in front of them, but one thing is for sure, the conversation is not scripted. Maybe they were given the points that needed to be discussed but the whole discussion is itself is spontaneous.

#43 Will

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 17:41

A little bit stilted but they are not payed to be bloody actors, they are professional racing drivers! The lengths that some people go to criticise Hamilton beggars belief, I almost feel like a Schumacher fan!

#44 rolf123

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 18:11

Or maybe he was there for the prostitutes. Apart from the gambling, this is Macau's major pull - the prostitution scene there is huge (forget the GP, much fewer people know about that).


Originally posted by Jackman
I thought it was alright, oddly enough: they're both nice lads with good personalities, and enough of that made it through the cheesy set up to make it worthwhile. I particularly liked Heikki getting a mad twinkle in his eye and throwing a bit of a spanner in the works:

Lewis: Yeah, I stopped off in Hong Kong for a few days on the way over, just to chill out a bit.
Heikki (smirking) : Come on, tell them the real reason.
Lewis (pulling back) : Um ... what?
Heikki (smiling broadly) : You know, the real reason you stopped there!
Lewis (looking around madly) : Er, you mean, er...
Heikki (openly laughing) : Yeah, you went there for ... the casino!
Lewis (stops) : Oh ... yeah, that was great! (thinks: phew, the press only just stopped writing about my HK based ex-girlfriend a few months ago...)



#45 alg7_munif

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 18:26

Originally posted by rolf123
Or maybe he was there for the prostitutes. Apart from the gambling, this is Macau's major pull - the prostitution scene there is huge (forget the GP, much fewer people know about that).


I doubt that he needs to pay someone to have sex with. I'm sure that some girls would even dream about sleeping with him because:
1) He is a successful racing driver, how cool is that?
2) He is rich especially for someone at his age.
3) He is black and normally black people have "something" that is "bigger" :p
(not being a racist but a compliment actually)

#46 Zarathustra

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Posted 18 March 2008 - 18:44

I liked it. I don't know how I'd manage to pretend to have a normal conversation in front of a camera crew. They seem like nice guys to me...the kind of people I'd hang around with.

#47 mclarensmps

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Posted 19 March 2008 - 07:47

Originally posted by as65p


Of course. So a big :up: to those among the drivers NOT trying to act like celebrities.

:cool:


You say it like the drivers actually have a choice in these matters...

... or did you forget the red bull movies?

#48 krferrari07

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Posted 19 March 2008 - 09:27

I think the best way to describe it for me would be to call it "Cringeworthy".

It was absolutely totally uncomfortable to watch.

They might aswell have gone like this :kiss: :drunk: :stoned:

#49 mclarensmps

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Posted 19 March 2008 - 13:37

I'd like to see what the lot of you would come up with if your boss plonked you beside a coworker and asked you to do a 2 minute spot for potential investors, etc.

#50 Chiara

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Posted 19 March 2008 - 13:43

Originally posted by The Big Guns
I'd like to see what the lot of you would come up with if your boss plonked you beside a coworker and asked you to do a 2 minute spot for potential investors, etc.


I'd run for the hills :lol: I really don't know how they manage to cope with all that press attention personally, especially considering how young some of them are as well.