Lewis Hamilton's driving

[Muddytalker]

we have someone who fights back good for you!

of course our lewis had some good races, but so far the overall picture is full of ups and downs. i am waiting for the next one. we'll see what he comes up with next.

and yes, other drivers yell at the team too. but this is lewis hamilton. he has a whole team built around him! last time we had anything remotely like that was ferrari and der michael although i assume jean todt did have a pretty strong say in matters too. at maclaren even this does not seem the case. so there is a marked difference there. there is nothing in that team lewis does not have a say in and there is nothing that does not have his approval.
but back on topic.... his driving does seem to improve, but i am not at all sure if this is natural progress or forced by rule changes. for me the jury is still out on this one.

I'm far from becoming a member of the LH fan club, but do you really think Lewis had a say in Button joining McLaren, or a veto on any other driver? Do you really think he was part of the decision making process that led to Mercedes becoming a non-partner, and eventually ceasing to be an engine supplier?

And as for ups and downs, he has 4 finishes in the top 6 this season, a consistency equalled only by Nico R. Button has been more up and down (in Bahrain he barely raised a blip on the radar), but has taken advantage of mixed conditions and a smart, confident attitude to win 2 races. It's here that (I feel) Lewis needs to step up, and have more belief in what he is feeling in the car, and make his decisions rather than rely on the team. If that is his weak link, then it's not a bad one to have as it will come with experience and the reinforcement of getting it right.

He's quick, he's young, he overtakes better than most on the grid, get over it.

 

[snowy]

Lewis made the call and chose intermediates in China and got it completely wrong! This would be quite a blow for any driver's self-confidence. He may or may not get stuck in a loop of second guessing himself. I hope he is able to find a way of making these crucial decisions for himself but it is going to take a number of correct calls and every wrong one is going to make it that much more difficult.

 

[Brogan]

I've made the point in the past that more column inches are written about Lewis Hamilton, both what he does on and off the track than any other driver.

What is completely overlooked or ignored when it comes to other drivers, is dissected down into the minutest detail and debated ad nauseum when it comes to Lewis.

Take his <gasp!> wheel spinning in Australia when he left the circuit.
How could he do something so heinous?

What you didn't hear about was Alonso and 2 other drivers having a little race back to their hotel, reaching speeds well in excess of the speed limit in a busy city street.
I saw the video on YouTube, not sure if it's still there.

 

[snowy]

Yes, though Fernando doesn't get as much wheelspin and only caught on camera not by the boys in blue.

 

[FB]

I am constantly surprised at the polarising opnions about Lewis Hamilton. Is it because he was "over hyped" before coming into f1? Well, he was runner up in the WDC in his first season and Champion in his second so the hype appears to have been justified.

Is it because he was the first "academy" driver to be succesful in F1? He was certainly Mclaren's first academy driver but Schumacher, Wendlinger & Frentzen all came into F1 via the Mercedes academy and most of the most succesful French drivers came via the Elf school.

Is it because he is the first black or mixed race driver? He's certainly the first succesful "non-white" driver which, given the rather white, middle class face of motor sport across the world, is something of a novelty.

Is he a car breaker, which many appear to suggest? The statistics certainly don't bear this out but many still seem to think that he is.

Is it because he is a tax exile? Aren't all F1 drivers, perhaps with the exception of Mark Webber & some of the lower paid guys, so what's the beef there? Jackie Stewart scampered off the Switzerland many years ago to avoid paying UK taxes I don't recall him being pilloried for this.

All in all I think Lewis Hamilton is probably the most exciting driver to enter F1 since Ayrton Senna and much of the press coverage is excessive and unfair. But since when has the British press ever been fair? Regardless of what you think of him as an individual I would hope all true motor racing fans can enjoy his never say die attitude to driving. He never seems to me to be a "win at all costs" sort of driver in the way that Schumacher was but he never seems to know when he is beaten and accept the position he has, in the mould of Villeneuve and Senna.

Ultimately he is a winner and, as we all know, Britain loves to knock down a winner - shame really.

 

[Brogan]

It's not just the British press though FB.

As I posted elsewhere, the whole press room (except the British press) were cheering and jumping for joy when he slid off in China.

He hadn't even completed his first season in F1 and yet he was already the most hated driver amongst the press, fans and other drivers.

As you say, there doesn't seem to be any justification for it but perhaps Brundle was right when he said he's just too good/fast and people don't like it.

 

[snowy]

Another example of skewed perception and reporting of Lewis Hamilton.

An article on Lewis Hamilton's win in Turkey at PlanetF1 begins with the line:

After a trying start to the Championship, marred by mistakes from both himself and his McLaren team

http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/6190389/Hamilton-More-Race-Wins-Still-To-Come

I'm racking my brain trying to think of all these mistakes Lewis is supposed to have made...

The team have made a number of poor judgements, unfortunate pitstop strategy in Aus, the unfortunate strategy call in Qualifying for the Malaysian GP. Then there was the puncture in Spain. I would hardly call that a trying start ... marred by mistakes.


... a piece of boisterous driving leaving the circuit in a hire car! Of course that must be it! How could l have been so stupid as to miss this tragic piece of idiocy and glaringly obvious mistake by Lewis?!!

 

[Enja]

Ah, yes, "mistakes".. er.. well, if you're going to be harsh, I suppose you could count Australia qualifying when he misjudged the warm up of the tyres for his qualifying run. That's about it.

 

[snowy]

Fuel draining:

The FIA overreacting to a Lewis Hamilton pole:

With immediate effect, if a sample of fuel is required after a practice session the car concerned must have first been driven back to the pits under its own power.

Now anyone who happens to break down or have an accident before the end of qauli gets their time scrapped.

 

[Brogan]

It was inevitable and expected.

The FIA have a habit of changing the rules as a result of something Lewis does.