Read an article published in www.crash.net, in which Fernando stated - "Don't Call Me Indifferent".
He said:
“At points in the past, when I said I was going to win, people said I was arrogant,” the 26-year-old reasoned, “and now it is said that I am indifferent if I am in the opposite position.
“If this is the case it is because I try to be as honest as possible with the public.”
He said:
“At points in the past, when I said I was going to win, people said I was arrogant,” the 26-year-old reasoned, “and now it is said that I am indifferent if I am in the opposite position.
“If this is the case it is because I try to be as honest as possible with the public.”
The full article is available in the following link:
I can only imagine how frustrating it is to have your every eyebrow twitch, every sneeze, every word uttered analysed and have conclusions (particularly the wrong ones,) drawn publicly.
However, in the case of Fernando, it is almost a blessing and a curse to have such constant strong interest in him. Compare him to Fisico, for example. Who has the time to write about Fernando's ex-team mate?
The blessing is that, it keeps Fernando in the limelight. As a public personality, it just shows how strong his personal brand is. It shows what an asset he will be to any potential sponsor, because if he decides to become an Ambassador for any cause (i.e. Renault,) it ensures that the name Renault will get the most optimum exposure to the public each time he gets mentioned anywhere.
This enigmatic quality, the "IT" factor, has to be carefully managed and controlled, if it were to be utilised in a way that ensures a win-win situation, both for the Brand Ambassador and the Brand he represents. Not everyone captures THIS much media attention, and Fernando is indeed special in this respect.
However, the personal cost can be significant. It can lead to this no-win scenarios, which leads to a lot of frustration. In Fernando's case, it is even more stressful as there does not seem to be room for grey areas. There is no ambivalence in the court of public opinion for him. The fans that love him can see him do no wrong. But for every fan, there is also a detractor, convinced that he can do no right.
I empathise with Fernando. He must be thinking - "all I want to do is race to the best of my ability, can people just PLEASE give me some room to be human?"
My hope is that Fernando knows that he can only be true to himself. If he allows himself to be judged in the court of public opinion, he can never do anything right.
Having said that, control and restraint is very much the order of the day. Do not play into the hands of the media. Do not give them more ammunition than necessary.
No comments:
Post a Comment