Current Lewis Hamilton

A place to put all the posts from all the other threads primarily but love him or hate him, and even for the indifferent amongst us this is the place to discuss the marmite that is Lewis Hamilton, to learn a thing or two about his rise, talk about those controversial, genius or mad moments and something that i am bemused by, the recent articles that suggest something quite different to my perception of what's going on. Any experiences of meeting LH?

Brundle had to write a Lewis Hamilton article recently and in my tweets (which were probably ignored) I asked him to talk about LH the driver not LH the personality. It seems that you can't have one without the other.

So as a starter for ten, here is a fairly recent LH article. Posts should not be limited to this link but it can get some discussion going. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/13755883.stm

The only banned topic as it is clearly ridiculous involves these four things "Glock" "2008" "Brazil" "conspiracy"

 

[Fenderman]

Lewis owes no-one an apology for anything this weekend. It will be interesting to see if this tempering of his PR style is reflected in his style on track. If it is, he may well start wondering if it's worth staying in F1 just to be remembered as a "one hit wonder champion."

I'm waiting for the overtake thread but in the meantime: Lewis executes the outside pass on Rosberg. One of many similar passes yesterday. Rosberg tucks in without losing position to Massa, who also exercises discretion.

 

[Brogan]

It was like crying over spilt milk

Eh?

He has accepted blame for the accident and admitted the title is out of reach.

How is that "crying over spilt milk"?
Do you know what that phrase means?

 

[Sarinaide]

Eh?

He has accepted blame for the accident and admitted the title is out of reach.

How is that "crying over spilt milk"?
Do you know what that phrase means?

Sorry, I meant that, Sauber and the powers to be are crying over a incident when Hamilton was punished enough by going out, Kamui Kobiyashi was more like the guy that should have just eased off. I don't wan't to say that Hamilton is a victim of special treatment (targeted by the stewards and powers to be) but after this weekend, I feel sorry for him.

[EDIT]

I don't understand why Lewis needs to apologise, Maldonado should be doing the butt kissing.

[EDIT PART DEUX]

After much deliberation the following should be kissing up.

1] Maldonado - Revenge is not sweet, it is just sad.

2] Bruno - Should apologise to the public for leading the expectation that he could be 1% of what his Uncle was. Just another case of a nobody doing something and throwing it away, a little like Hulkenburg at Brazil 2010.

3] Perez - Playing bumper cars.

4] Mercedes - A wheel should not just come off, particularly not during the greatmans special weekend.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
In short Lewis had nothing to apologise about.

 

[Hamberg]

"I knew perfectly well he was faster than me so had no reason to fight with him.
"After he overtook me it was not my intention to get my position back, so I stayed on my line and didn't expect him to move over."

That's not exactly how I saw it, I saw Kobayashi follow him to the middle of the track to get in the slip stream and then pulled out rather sharply to the left. It looked like he was trying to get that position back to me.

I honestly saw that apology as a deflated, if you can't beat them, join them. I don't think he genuinely believes he was in the wrong, but when enough people are at you you tend to just give in.

 

[Sarinaide]

I honestly saw that apology as a deflated, if you can't beat them, join them. I don't think he genuinely believes he was in the wrong, but when enough people are at you you tend to just give in.

Thats kinda the feeling I was getting. "like you feel the need to apologise for nothing, just because." I don't like that line of thinking for the good of Hamilton, seems to be the formula ones whiping boy this season.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Andrew Benson (BBC):

"Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, made another of several mistakes by himself and the team this season which have made it impossible to challenge Vettel."

I rate Lewis very highly but I have to say that Lewis would have made a worthier World Champion in 2010 than he would this year.

Lewis lost about 32 points in 2010 (Spain, Hungary, Japan) through no fault of his own. In comparison his only real fault last year was tangling with Massa at Monza.

This year something's regressed. The McLaren was good enough to win in Monaco, Canada, Hungary and Belgium...but for reasons to do with him - either partly (Monaco, Hungary) or soley (Canada, Belgium) - the wins (or, at the least, bigger points) didn't come.

Malaysia is another race where Lewis didn't maximize his points haul.

I hope Hamilton can learn a thing or two from 2011.

Last year Vettel made mistakes in Turkey and Belgium...but he's cut out those mistakes completely.

I'm willing to bet that Vettel would have scored more points for McLaren this year than either driver has. That's just my opinion.

 

[Sarinaide]

Lewis lost about 32 points in 2010 (Spain, Hungary, Japan) through no fault of his own. In comparison his only real fault last year was tangling with Massa at Monza.

His coming together with Webber at Singapore 2010!

As I said before, his greatest strength is his ultimate weakness. That said yesterday was really not his fault (nobody's fault), For Hamilton's sake, hope he learns to cut out on the "not needed in the circumstances" errors, but then again, would Lewis, be Lewis if he exercised such resolve.

 

[Hamberg]

He wasn't to blame for Singapore 2010.

 

[Sarinaide]

He wasn't to blame for Singapore 2010.

It is not whether he is or isn't to blame, just instances whether through fault or not, that he didn't finish a race.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

His coming together with Webber at Singapore 2010!

Well, I left that one out because that wasn't entirely Lewis' fault.

That was Webber being his hard bastard self. Look at what Webber did to Kimi the year before on Lap 1 at Interlagos (the race Webber won)!!!

Webber was fighting everyone for the WDC last year and he wasn't just going to let Lewis by without a fight. I saw it as 50-50 to be fair.

Cheers.

 

[Sarinaide]

Well, I left that one out because that wasn't entirely Lewis' fault.

That was Webber being his hard bastard self. Look at what Webber did to Kimi the year before on Lap 1 at Interlagos (the race Webber won)!!!

Webber was fighting everyone for the WDC last year and he wasn't just going to let Lewis by without a fight. I saw it as 50-50 to be fair.

Cheers.

It is undisputed that he is really quick and on his day will light up a race, I also feel that he can be a lot better, the only concern and I am sure many fans have the same feelings on this, sometimes you watch Lewis attempt something and you close your eyes and hope it doesn't end badly.

 

[Fenderman]

Question, what makes Andrew Benson any more learned about F1 than anyone else? Nothing. Personally, I have very little time for his opinion.

As far as Hamilton regressing is concerned, that's round hairy things, often kicked for the sake of comedic effect. He's no less, no more fallible than any of the top drivers.So why the disparaging remarks we keep hearing on forums throughout the land about his character, driving and behaviour and this BS about him needing to learn this, that and the other thing?

LH is one of the top three racing drivers on the F1 planet but he has a great big metaphorical target painted on his back, arms legs, head, helmet, race car andanywhere else I can think of....

He has two realistic options: 1) keep driving the way he does or 2) transmorph into Nick Heidfeld (who I like, by the way) and just bring the car home as much as humanly possible, pick up the paycheck and take the rest of the week off.

Oh, there is a third quite unthinkable option: Quit the sport and enjoy the contents of his bank account.

 

[Sarinaide]

Question, what makes Andrew Benson any more learned about F1 than anyone else? Nothing. Personally, I have very little time for his opinion.

As far as Hamilton regressing is concerned, that's round hairy things, often kicked for the sake of comedic effect. He's no less, no more fallible than any of the top drivers.So why the disparaging remarks we keep hearing on forums throughout the land about his character, driving and behaviour and this BS about him needing to learn this, that and the other thing?

LH is one of the top three racing drivers on the F1 planet but he has a great big metaphorical target painted on his back, arms legs, head, helmet, race car andanywhere else I can think of....

He has two realistic options: 1) keep driving the way he does or 2) transmorph into Nick Heidfeld (who I like, by the way) and just bring the car home as much as humanly possible, pick up the paycheck and take the rest of the week off.

Oh, there is a third quite unthinkable option: Quit the sport and enjoy the contents of his bank account.

I tend to disagree on the "learning" part, experience is a great teacher, and every driver can become better, Vettel is a good example. He has gone from loose cannon to methodical and precise. I think Hamilton can learn a degree of temperance in which from there hone in his aggressive nature. Hamilton is like Maverick (top gun) he has all the gifts, it is just putting them together in a clinical manner.

I will agree on the change part, if you take away his instinct, you pretty much take away all that he is. Lewis is not a go round and round driver so it is pointless to even fathome changing his nature.

It is difficult poser to anyone bidding to manage him.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Question, what makes Andrew Benson any more learned about F1 than anyone else? Nothing.

Correct...but he's English and a pro...so I had to start somewhere.

LH is one of the top three racing drivers on the F1 planet...

For me, he's theroetically Top 2...for what that's worth.

He has two realistic options: 1) keep driving the way he does or 2) transmorph into Nick Heidfeld (who I like, by the way) and just bring the car home as much as humanly possible, pick up the paycheck and take the rest of the week off.

Oh, there is a third quite unthinkable option: Quit the sport and enjoy the contents of his bank account.

There's the 4th more appropriate option:

Do what Vettel did by learning from his past mistakes. Vettel hit Webber in Turkey last year and hit Button in Belgium a few months later.

That was his low point and he came away at the very low ebb of his miserable Summer of 2010 (including Silverstone Lap 1; Hungary SC penalty)...but, in my view, he's matured faster than Lewis.

I'm sure more seasoned observers of the scene and in the paddock wouldn't likely disagree.

 

[Hamberg]

Vettel was behind them. We have yet to see Vettel really stretched in that capacity.

I would be interested for you (Ray and Sarinaide) to list every single clear cut Hamilton error. Now do this versus the amount of overtakes he makes. Now tell me what he needs to learn from?

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Damn! The move that took Hamilton out of the race on Sunday was identical to the move that took him out in Canada except in Canada he was behind and in Spa he was in front. Loses out both times.

Still, Lewis should have given Kamui more space just as Jenson should have given Lewis more space. Equally, in both incidents the driver behind should not have been where they were.

Sod's law that the chips should fall opposite sides of the table in each incident and that it should be the side Lewis was sitting at.

 

[Sarinaide]

It is not the quantity of overtakes vs mistakes (for want of a better word), the point is that when he makes mistakes it is costing him high points yields. Hamilton at the very least is a shoe in for top 10 every race (bare minimum finishing), how often has he thrown away or lost through fault of his own or not a much better finish.

Hungary he threw away 25 points for a yield of 12 or 10 whatever it was, that adds up and is the reason why his season as a challenge is over.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Now tell me what he needs to learn from?

If you think Hamilton has nothing to learn then that's just plain blind fanaticism.

I have said that he's my Top 2...I have no question about his speed. He just needs to learn to bring the car home like Vettel's learned.

Hamilton hasn't maximized his 2011 points haul by any stretch of the imagination. Period.

Malaysia, Monaco, Canada, Hungary and Belgium are 5 races where he should have scored more points. In some case a LOT more points. He didn't and he can't blame the car for it.

In 4 of those races, he could have taken valuable points off Vettel.

By comparison, he did an extremely good job in Australia, China and Germany. No question.

Spain is a question mark. It's 50-50 depending on who you are.

 

[Hamberg]

It is very much about that Sarinaide - his style has put him in contention and finishing seasons ahead of his team mate in virtually every championship he has raced in for a reason.

By your logic if he isn't in front he should just sit back and take the easy points.

If that's what you want then fine, but to me that's not racing, that will never win you a WDC unless you are in a by far superior car and that isn't the approach Alonso would take either - who incidentally is also capable of critical errors, as they all are, but I wouldn't call for Alonso's style to change.

 

[Hamberg]

If you think Hamilton has nothing to learn that that's just plain blind fanaticism.

I have said that he's my Top 2...I have no question about his speed. He just needs to learn to bring the car home like Vettel's learned.

OK?

Priceless Ray. Priceless.