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"

 

[Josh]

Personally I thought the stewards handled the battle between MS and LH perfectly fine. They let the battle continue but did tell Mercedes to warn MS - and he was not as aggressive after they did.

We were finally treated to a proper battle, I'm not complaining.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

edit - He was always going to get passed on the restart.

But, with due respect Keke, Hamilton didn't seem right on top of the situation on the Re-Start. Hamilton ought to have been closer to Vettel and, thus, gotten a tow which would have prevented him from losing 3rd to Schumacher. Instead, Shumi was the one who got the tow.

Everyone - including the BBC commentators - noted the unusual gap Vettel-to-Hamilton as they headed out on to the straight out of Parabolica.

Basically, Lewis got himself into the situation he did with Schuey.

I won't wallow in this one. Lewis drove extremely clean today... And brought the car home.

I think not wallowing on this one is the best policy. It's hard being emotionally attached to Lewis from time to time. I know it.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Ray, you old soothsayer. I feel better already.

I was just glad Lewis escaped the start sandwich. Alonso HAD to come left, as he ran out of track. Vettel wasn't moving. They were inches from disaster.

And all you need to know about a Mercedes overtaking a McLaren on the re-start is that the Merc was faster at the end of the straight without DRS than the McLaren was with it. Now if Lewis is not on DRS at the restart, what do you think is going to happen?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

I was just glad Lewis escaped the start sandwich. Alonso HAD to come left, as he ran out of track. Vettel wasn't moving. They were inches from disaster.

No one's arguing about that one. I completely agree with what you're saying there. 100%!

And all you need to know about a Mercedes overtaking a McLaren on the re-start is that the Merc was faster at the end of the straight without DRS than the McLaren was with it. Now if Lewis is not on DRS at the restart, what do you think is going to happen?

Fine. I'll give you that stuff about Merc terminal speed V McLaren too.

But let me ask you a couple of questions: Why do you think both BBC commentators said Lewis had a "sleepy re-start"/"was caught napping"? [Not that we need them to confirm what any pair of human eyes saw on tv.]

Are you 100 percent certain that Lewis made the best of the re-start in relation to Vettel and Schumacher?

Are you?

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Are you 100 percent certain that Lewis made the best of the re-start in relation to Vettel and Schumacher?

Are you?

I agree with you, but do you have to be so condescending?

Do you?

EDIT - "cheers"

 

[Vortex]

Are you 100 percent certain that Lewis made the best of the re-start in relation to Vettel and Schumacher?

Are you?

Hamilton’s already admitted on the forum he was caught napping, he said he was watching Schumacher in his mirrors when the cars in front bolted and caught him out.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Indeed. He was caught out as far as Alonso and Vettel are concerned.

And Ray, I'm 100% positive that even if Hamilton was on Vettel's gearbox, Schumacher would have breezed past Lewis as Seb drove away from him.

The setup required a margin to be built up in sector 2.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Ok Keke. I don't want to argue with you. I'll will say that had Lewis been on Vettel's gearbox he would have gotten a tow...but because of what happened that tow didn't materialized and, as a result, he was more at the mercy of Schumacher than he would have been had he caught the RBR's slipstream.

We'll just agree to disagree. It's shitty as it is to think Vettel will wrap it up all too quickly.

Hamilton’s already admitted on the forum he was caught napping, he said he was watching Schumacher in his mirrors when the cars in front bolted and caught him out.

Unfortunately I don't get the forum here in my country but thanks for that info.

I agree with you, but do you have to be so condescending?

Um, i'm afraid there's something being Lost In Translation. That wasn't my intention. So, apologies if that's how it comes across.

 

[Brogan]

And Ray, I'm 100% positive that even if Hamilton was on Vettel's gearbox, Schumacher would have breezed past Lewis as Seb drove away from him.

Indeed.

The gap from Vettel to Hamilton was irrelevant as far as Schumacher getting past Hamilton was concerned.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

The gap from Vettel to Hamilton was irrelevant as far as Schumacher getting past Hamilton was concerned.

At Monza if you catch a tow from the car in front it's not an immaterial gain. That's why drivers tried to be in a competitive car's slipstream down the front straight during qualifying.

Hamilton was not in Vettel's slipstream on the restart...and that's his own fault. Catching the RB7's tow would have helped.

 

[Brogan]

Hamilton got a tow from Schumacher every lap.

It made no difference as he was on the limiter and subsequently Schumacher was still able to pull away.

But no one cares to hear such things so i'm giving up here.

Lewis Is The King! Long Live Lewis!

Perhaps if you weren't so averse to hearing other's opinions you may have seen that.

Your final comments aren't really helpful, are they?

Are they?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Yes but that doesn't have anything to do with getting enough of a tow from Vettel's car down the straight on the restart.

Hamilton, admittedly, was caught napping. It's a shame because i'm very certain that he would have gotten a meaningful slipstream which would have made it more difficult for Schumacher.

Instead he was easy meat.

So that's two things there:

1. He wasn't looking at Vettel on the restart which allowed Alonso and Vettel to get away and have Schumacher too close to him; and

2. As a result, he didn't get Vettel's tow while Schumacher got Lewis' tow.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Yes but that doesn't have anything to do with getting enough of a tow from Vettel's car down the straight on the restart.

Hamilton, admittedly, was caught napping. It's a shame because i'm very certain that he would have gotten a meaningful slipstream which would have made it more difficult for Schumacher.

Instead he was easy meat.

So that's two things there:

1. He wasn't looking at Vettel on the restart which allowed Alonso and Vettel to get away and have Schumacher too close to him; and

2. As a result, he didn't get Vettel's tow while Schumacher got Lewis' tow.

You have said all this many times. We are all aware of your opinion. I feel somewhat immune to your crusade to get everybody to agree with you, however, as I am capable of forming my own opinions.

"cheers"

 

[KekeTheKing]

Schumacher got Lewis' tow.

I think what we're trying to impart on you here Ray is that Schumacher didn't need a tow. When both cars were off DRS, it wasn't even close in the top speed department.

I've been bitching about this setup since Friday.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Your final comments aren't really helpful, are they?

Are they?

Point taken. I'll edit.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

I think what we're trying to impart on you here Ray is that Schumacher didn't need a tow. When both cars were off DRS, it wasn't even close in the top speed department.

I've been bitching about this setup since Friday.

One last pair of questions and then I won't say anymore on this subject. They're valid questions and your answers may change my mind on it.

Keke, do you think catching a tow in Vettel's slipstream on the restart would have helped Lewis keep 3rd?

Or would the Mercedes have over-taken the McLaren even if the McLaren was closer to the RBR and in it's slipstream?

Thanks.

 

[Speshal]

Ray, look at the relative top speeds of the Mercedes Mercedes Vs The McLaren Mercedes......

Cheers

 

[Vortex]

One last pair of questions and then I won't say anymore on this subject. They're valid questions and your answers may change my mind on it.

Keke, do you think catching a tow in Vettel's slipstream on the restart would have helped Lewis keep 3rd?

Or would the Mercedes have over-taken the McLaren even if the McLaren was closer to the RBR and in it's slipstream?

Thanks.

As Lewis was on the rev limiter anyway even without the tow I say, I doubt it.

It was Lewis getting caught out and giving Schumacher the run on him that allowed him to be overtaken rather than a lack of a tow, if Lewis had had a good start Schumacher might not have been close enough to attempt the move.

But he didn’t and he did and what happened happened so do I really care? Nope!

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

I have, Speshal.

I'm awaiting Keke's answers to the 'Vettel's/RBRs 'sTow' questions.

I promise to leave it alone once I see his answers as I have a lot of respect for his analysis and reading of the situation and varying angles of argument.

 

[Vortex]

Irony huh! lol