The roads minister of Victoria in Australia has called F1 driver Lewis Hamilton a "dickhead" for getting stopped for improper use of his vehicle on the roads of Melbourne.
Hamilton was arrested on Friday evening and is expected to be charged with improper use of a vehicle after being caught wheelspinning his Mercedes road car.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/248486/
Minister Tim Pallas was speaking while launching the new "Don't Be a Dickhead" road safety campaign.
Asked whether Lewis Hamilton met that description, he said: "OK, I'll say it. He's a dickhead." After the incident Hamilton admitted: "I was driving in an over-exuberant manner and, as a result, was stopped by the police. What I did was silly, and I want to apologise for it."
However Australian driver Mark Webber has defended his fellow competitor, saying his homeland had become a nanny state, with ridiculous parking and speeding rules.
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Re: Roads minister attacks Hamilton
Phil McAvite is quite right. Don't knock the local culture and customs or try and compare them with the UK. There has been a growing problem for many years of 'Boy Racers' as they are called this side of the Tasman sea (NZ). It is now an offense to drive a car with 'sustained lack of traction'.
The unfortunate thing here is that drivers as young as 15 (legally - though soon to be raised.....to 16) can obtain high performance cars (Jap allsorts and Aussy V8s etc) for little deposit and Insurance is NOT compolsory. Recipe for disaster in many cases and city/rural areas being mobbed by unsociable behaviour.
The fact that politicians use more direct language is partly culture and partly an attempt to get the 'lower levels of the food chain' to understand. As a pom living here I find it quite refreshing compared to much of the pompous piffle delivered from UK politicians.
When the world F1 circus comes to town and one of its stars is caught being stupid then they have every right to be critical in a fashion that hopefully gets the message across.
Re: Roads minister attacks Hamilton
So a government minister goes on record to call another person a dickhead!! Makes you wonder who the dickhead is.
Surely they need to think before they comment and as has been said earlier Hamilton was in no doubt in full control.
However, the response from any other government official in other countries will no doubt be similar (without the name calling). Sometimes government should remian silent.
Governments, know your place!
Re: Roads minister attacks Hamilton
We shouldn't knock Oz too much just because they have the odd dodgy politician (don't we all ?) and a few thick policemen.
There is a wonderful story told about motorcycle ace Joey Dunlop, riding across Australia just to see the place. Surprise surprise he gets pulled for speeding and the cop says "Who do you think you are , Joey Dunlop ?" Anyway the cop writes-up all his particulars and off Joey goes. When he arrives at his hotel that evening , there is a message awaiting for him to report to the police. When he does so , he finds every motorcycle cop for miles around is there waiting for his autograph , and there is a barbecue laid on in his honour.