Barring cries of “Yes we can”, the homecoming of Lewis Hamilton to McLaren
headquarters last week could have been mistaken for another notable
celebration across the Atlantic. The production was every bit as glitzy and
stage-managed as Barack Obama’s acceptance speech for the American
presidency in Grant Park, Chicago, a few hours before.
McLaren cannot let the mask drop for a second, so the whole workforce was
dressed in fluorescent orange tops and Steve Rider was imported to
choreograph the press conference. There was even a radiant first lady,
Nicole Scherzinger, reduced from chief Pussycat Doll to part of the chorus
line for the day. And throughout the show, the youngest-ever Formula One
world champion did not put a foot wrong or let a syllable slip out of place.
Ron Dennis, the team boss who had invested millions in developing his
potential, who had insisted that the 13-year-old should spend more time with
his books than at the go-kart track in preparation for his anointment as
world champion, had a right to feel proud.
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