Hamilton close to signing new contract (If he gets to keep his trophies?)

[tfp]

It isnt just the driver that won the race, its the team that produce the equiptment capable of winning the race....

[I am evil Homer]

Yes they do....but the team also gets a trophy for being the winning constructor. At the moment McLaren is keeping 2 trophies per race win.

TBH I think Hamilton is more than within his rights to say "i'll have the original, you have the copy in your trophy cabinet".

[ShiftingGears]

I can't see McLaren changing their traditions now.

Perhaps not while Ron Dennis is around.

[Hawkmoon]

Only McLaren would come up with a policy like that. Or perhaps I should say only Ron Dennis would come up with a policy like that. Never has there been a more anally retentive figure in the history of sport.

[ArrowsFA1]

Never has there been a more anally retentive figure in the history of sport.

Very successful though

[Hawkmoon]

Jean Todt gave him a run for his money but Dennis wins it.

Todt wasn't even close. Todt would stop at nothing to win, sure enough, but I never got the impression that he cared whether his drivers grew a beard or got tattoos. Dennis on the other hand would have blown a valve if his drivers tried it on. Just ask Kimi and DC.

Very successful though

True enough. There's no denying the man knew how to run an F1 team and I respective him for it but you gotta admit, he was a bit of a w_nker.

[Knock-on]

Calling Ron anally retentive is not exactly an insult; more of a compliment.

This man has been a figurehead, an inspiration and a mantra for McLaren since he joined the team in 1980. His singleminded detirmination, workaholic approach and desire for perfection is legendary and has helped galvanise McLaren to be the globally envied outfit it is today.

Walking around the MTC you can see that strive for perfection in every facet whether it's in the presentation of the historic and current cars, the trophy lined corridors, the assembly of the new road cars or the preperation of the F1 cars. McLaren is a large corporation but more than just about any other organisation, is associated, identified with and inspired by one man.

Yep, if that anal, then I think that's a compliment.

As for the trophy issue, then that's something between McLaren and Lewis but personally, I love the fact that the real ones are held at Woking. I was lucky enough to get my mits on the 88 Hungrian GP drivers and constructors trophy a few years back and just holding and moving them scared me sh&tless because I know this was the real thing. However, I can also see Lewis's point of view. He won the drivers trophy and it's therefore his.

This wont be a big sticking point no matter how people want to blow it up. Lewis will re-sign with McLaren. He was never going anywhere else and long may it continue.

[F1boat]

For me the situation is very funny, two big kids (Ron and Lewis) want to keep their toys at all cost. It will be funny if their successful partnership ends because of that silly argument.

[The Black Knight]

Well, the way I see it there is the constructors and drivers trophies. The team should keep the constructors and the driver the teams. It's a team effort and that's why the constructors trophy is there but the driver is the key and they put their lives and everything on the line for both themselves and the team. They deserve to keep the drivers trophy at the end of the day. That's what it is there for.

[kfzmeister]

I would love to see McLaren not budge and neither Lewis. That would leave Lewis without a drive. Then where would he go?