Lewis Hamilton - Unlucky, Unskilled or Unsupported?

[Il_leone]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/28864982
Murray likens Hamilton to Senna and Rosberg to Prost

Before this get antagonistic like some stupid childish 606 debate

Unskilled - certainly not behind the wheel of the race car he is just about the fastest man over 1 lap and has traits of both Mansell and Senna with the racer's instinct and commitment

- where he probably is not so good is he is not as methodical as Rosberg who analyses all the variables to help him to become quick ... Hamilton races with his heart on his sleeve and at times allows his emotions get the better of him


Unsupported - Mercedes paid a lot of money for him to prize from Mclaren at $20m a year so to not support him would be stupid waste of money. He certainly has not done what ALonso did and stab the team in the back . The team orders call last race was the daftest decision ever made given


Unlucky - most definitely - he's had two mechanical failures in races and then two mechanical gremlins in quali which has put him on the back foot . To be 11 pts down is a good achievement


If Lewis can keep his head down and focus on racing ... I hope there are no distractions with his management wanting to some stupid promotion or issues with his family or Nicole which could upset him

A totally focused Lewis Hamilton would be unbeatable

 

[soccerman17]

Well its certainly not unskilled, and he's certainly not any more or less supported than Rosberg. So that only leaves one option.

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

Lewis and pitstops ... I was watching the last couple of races after this came up ... and on at least one stop he missed the mark by about half a wheel ... camera was perfectly placed to capture this ... I guess if Nico is a metronome when stopping then it will add up over time ...

The true answer to the OP question .... irrespective of his fault, team fault or plain dumb bad luck ... it is HOW he HANDLES these situations that are key ... John Watson wrote an article a few weeks back that kinda sums it up for me about LH ... if he knuckled down and toned it down and simply focused on racing with no distractions perhaps he will take down his second title ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...er-needs-loved-Mercedes-says-John-Watson.html

With Hamilton, they have a driver who is psychologically fragile. Then they have another guy, in Rosberg, who is a more complete and rounded person. Hamilton is the most naturally gifted driver out there - he isn’t the best driver, Fernando Alonso is - but in terms of his person, he is an incomplete and immature man and he needs to be babied and loved.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I can almost see the contract now.

Right then, so we're agreed,

That's 2 million per race, another 5 million for image rights, 20 percent of the prize money plus other bonus payments. A company car. Regular team hugs, a comfort blanky and Susie Wolff will tuck you up in bed each night and read you a story.

 

[Mephistopheles]

And comfort blanky in the car at all times.

 

[marksawatsky]

I think I have an honest view of Lewis and acknowledge that he makes some silly mistakes and is too affected by his emotions. I think Alonso is actually a better driver but I like Lewis more, although all his lame tattoos and hip hop style sometimes make it a challenge. Anyways, I was just curious what other peoples take was on Lewis's troubles. I hope he sorts it out because I think he deserves more than one championship

 

[Il_leone]

my concern for Lewis is if he has relations troubles with Nicole again or that idiot Simon Fuller decide to make a big thing about him being a great racing driver and pulling him left and right to do stupid unnecessary promos

I hope his Dad gets him to focus on what is important

 

[Lewywo4]

Lewis was probably upset, understandably so, as a result of disasters during qualifying for the races at Germany and Hungary, but still managed to finish on the podium in both races. So it seems that this so-called emotional fragile, tatoo wearing, hip hop fan racing driver, isn't that sensative, and supposedly those negative characteristics aren't having any affect on his track performance this season.

Pit stops, I don't believe is the most serious concern that Lewis has now, but strategies which call for him to move aside for Rosberg as Hamilton said, " He ddn't get close enough to overtake, I was not going to lift off and lose ground to Fernando and Daniel, so it was a bit strange.".......This is a problem which Lewis needs to address with the team now.

 

[Shogun]

Those characteristics Shogun, aren't just limited to Hamilton fans, but well also can be applied to fans of Alonso.

That kind of goes with driving for Ferrari though. Some F1 fans think Ferrari can do no wrong.

 

[Shogun]

IAssigning percentages to anything before the season is over is a foolhardy task though. There's nothing to gain by complaining of unfairness now when things can drastically change from round to round. Save the analyzing for after the year and just enjoy this season for what it is, an absolutely epic battle for the Championship.

We've certainly had plenty of races to form an opinion. I dont think anyone can deny that Lewis has been unlucky this year. 2 catastrophic brake failures and a fire? Really?

 

[KekeTheKing]

You pretty much just repeated the first part of my original post.

 

[FB]

Lewis could do a lot worse than going back to McLaren (even with the unknown of a Honda engine) and be a true No.1 for Ron Dennis. It's a little harsh for Watson to say he needs to be "babied" because if the way to get the best out of probably the fastest driver in F1 is to build a team around him then that is what someone needs to do.

 

[Kewee]

This is a problem which Lewis needs to address with the team now.

The problem has been addressed during the mid-season break though you can guarantee it hasn't been resolved. Expect even more fireworks during the second half of the year but relax Lewywo4, your boy will win his second title this season.

 

[teabagyokel]

I find it baffling that anyone could contest that Lewis Hamilton is psychologically fragile. He is very, very evidently more psychologically fragile than the likes of Alonso, Rosberg or Button. If he wasn't, he'd never lose to any of them.

I'm in total agreement with Wattie.

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

Lewis could do a lot worse than going back to McLaren (even with the unknown of a Honda engine) and be a true No.1 for Ron Dennis. It's a little harsh for Watson to say he needs to be "babied" because if the way to get the best out of probably the fastest driver in F1 is to build a team around him then that is what someone needs to do.

To build a team around someone with the frailties that are mentioned and have been explained / defined comes with significant business risk ... esp. if the team managing your prime driving asset / promotional figurehead want him for ancilliary earning opportunities and face time with camera's and "famous" people ...

I like LH ... he wears his heart on his sleeve ... you know when he is happy ... you know when he is pissed off ... and the more shrewd operators out their will try to use that to their advantage .... Lewis ... I know you are reading this .... mate ... knuckledown, tell Easy E and the Rap Kids that you will take a rain check right now ... but will fly them down to the islands after the race in Abu Dhabi where you are crowned WDC for the second time for a party to end all parties ... let Simon know that being the spokesperson for Itchy Trigger Finger vodka is not high on the radar / agenda right now ... let's wait until December ...

 

[cider_and_toast]

FB it's a policy that worked well for Schumacher and Ferrari.

 

[KekeTheKing]

very evidently more psychologically fragile than the likes of Alonso...

That's certainly debatable. 2007 was the last time he has had to deal with a challenge from within his own team, and that was obviously an unmitigated disaster in large part to his inability to cope with the completely unexpected scenario of a rookie challenging the 2x reigning WDC. His response to the extremely difficult situation was to eschew a chance at the title in 2008 in order to be molly-coddled by Flavio again in the uncompetitive Renault. His Ferrari tenure has been one of complete subservience from within the team. It's been the Fernando show since he arrived in Maranello and there's no doubt he takes great comfort in that. Judging from his lone season at McLaren, Alonso would have undoubtedly struggled under the crucible that the Woking outfit can become during trying times had he continued there.

At this point in Hamilton's career he has experienced nearly everything Formula One can throw at a driver. Certainly there were some times where he didn't cover himself in glory, but overall they've been few and far between. Most recently his ability to bounce back after consecutive Q1 mechanical failures has been quite reassuring and I think his head is in a very good place in 2014. The only fragility that Lewis needs to worry about is the one that afflicts the Merc on occasion.

 

[Mephistopheles]

At this point in Hamilton's career he has experienced nearly everything Formula One can throw at a driver

What a load of crap!!! How on earth can you justify such a ridiculous statement like that? Massa had his scull smashed open by a spring from another car, Hill had to take the lead roll of a team when Senna died, Zanardi had his legs ripped off and came back to race again, what the hell are you talking about?

Lewis hasn't even had to spend a full season in a car that was incapable of winning a race..

 

[Lewywo4]

The problem has been addressed during the mid-season break though you can guarantee it hasn't been resolved. Expect even more fireworks during the second half of the year but relax Lewywo4, your boy will win his second title this season.

It seems as though the problem may not have been resolved Kewee, because Rosberg according to Hamilton has asked the team for a sit down, although Lewis feels that it's in the past, and as he say's, " done and dusted.".......hardly the comment of a fragile individual.

I hope that you're right about my boy securing his second WDC this season.

 

[Shogun]

Perhaps he says its done and dusted because he has decided that he doesnt like Rosberg, Rosberg doesnt like him and theres nothing to work out? You know, the gloves are off, anything goes and may the best man win.
I fully expect the rest of the season at Merc to be a constant soap opera with lots of whining from Lewis if things dont go his way. IMO, Lewis is the biggest drama queen in F1.