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"

 

[Brogan]

I have an excellent system for dealing with all the pointless crap.

I completely avoid it.

It seems to be working well.

 

[FB]

An update from Sky on the latest on the contract situation between LH and Merc.

There is more news on Lewis Hamilton’s future in The Times this morning where Kevin Eason writes that a ‘new three-year deal, worth at least £60million, will be signed in weeks rather than months.’

The Briton continued talks with Mercedes bosses in the Jerez paddock yesterday and has revealed to Fleet Street that it was his decision to delay contract talks last year, despite knowing that Fernando Alonso had called to offer his services.

“We agree we all want to stay together,” Hamilton is quoted. “We love each other.

“It is not something I have to rush to satisfy anyone else. We have confiendce in each other. They want to continue with me and vice versa. Last year there was excitement at one point to get it done but I said ‘Guys, this is the most important period of my life. I don’t want to be thinking of anything else’.

“Contracts and stuff can be stressful so I was telling them that all I wanted to do was win the championship. I didn’t want to get to the end of the season and have a new contract but not having won the championship.

“So we decided ‘Let’s leave it to the end. I am not speaking to anyone else and I know you’re being called by a certain individual, but I am solely focused on things so I won’t be making any calls’. They said they would make sure it was not a distraction.”

Wonder how Ron feels about being second best in Fernando's eyes, not a situation he will enjoy I'm sure.

 

[cider_and_toast]

McLaren have been 5th best in everyones eyes for the last two seasons so second best would be seen as an improvement.

I can't help thinking that the line "have a new contract but not having won the championship" also covers the fact that having a new contract after having the championship equals more money that if it were the other way round.

The "we love each other" line makes me want to throw up.

That said, £60 million is a hell of a lot of money and looking at the Mercedes performance yesterday, that money keeps one of the quickest drivers on the grid in your car with less hastle than having to integrate a new driver into the team and the trophy engraver may as well fire up his tools now.

 

[olegg]

It is big intrigue:
will be Lewis and Mercedes together in the next season?

 

[FB]

I think that depends on how McLaren go olegg. A half decent season with the Honda engine and Lewis is back at Woking.

 

[Brogan]

With Alonso?

 

[FB]

Who knows?

 

[teabagyokel]

Depends on how McLaren see the future, in the winter of 2006 they neglected to sign an established star to replace Montoya in the number 2 car, instead going for their highly rated GP2 champion. Could well be Stoffel Vandoorne by November...

 

[cider_and_toast]

I may be wrong on this one but I can't think of anyone else, if you go back before K-Mag, the last three rookie drivers that made their F1 debuts with McLaren were Hamilton, Prost and Gilles Villeneuve. Not a bad trio in anyone's book.

As we've discussed before, McLaren have never really been a team for rookies much preferring two strong drivers. Maybe that's what has contributed to their decline in performance over the last decade. Apart from Hamilton / Button and the disaster of Hamilton / Alonso, the team has had Hamilton / Kovi, Button / Perez and BUtton Magnusson, not what you would describe as a McLaren type of line up. On paper, Button / Alonso should do well, the question is, with older, wiser heads, would Alonso / Hamilton work out?

 

[Kewee]

Would Alonso/Hamilton work out? Yes but they would still clash at times, that's natural for two highly competitive drivers. They wouldn't be at the top of their game if they didn't go head to head not only on track but also emotionally.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Which is a state of affairs that McLaren (or maybe it's just Ron) seems to think drives the team to perform to a higher standard. Prost / Lauda, Prost / Senna, Coulthard / Hakkinen, Montoya / Raikkonen, Alonso / Hamilton all had their moments.

 

[Kewee]

It has also cost McLaren dearly. If McLaren had favoured Alonso in 2007, as Dennis had promised, he would have won the title and Hamilton would have still come 2nd, the partnership could have continued and between them Alonso and Hamilton would quite likely followed 2007 with multiple titles quite likely shared between the two drivers.

 

[cider_and_toast]

There's more to 2007 than we will ever know.

 

[Kewee]

We agree on that also, I've said the same. Ron Dennis's most recent comments on 2007 were very telling though may have been best left in the past. He possibly only made his comments because he felt he owed Alonso, considering in some peoples eyes Alonso had been blamed almost exclusively which was at the very least unfair. It was good to hear Dennis shoulder blame for his part and acknowledge Hamiltons role also.

 

[teabagyokel]

Kewee - How would you have explained to the board that the team had elected to back the driver who was behind in the World Championship?

 

[RasputinLives]

Its funny how Ron has only shouldered blame now he wants Alonso in his team.

 

[Olivier]

McLaren ways are mysterious ... didn't they back Mika in 97 when it was in fact David was the one bringing the points and wins?

 

[Kewee]

Kewee - How would you have explained to the board that the team had elected to back the driver who was behind in the World Championship?

By pointing out that Alonso as World Champion was bringing huge sponsorship dollars to the team and having confidence that when the pressure came on in the second half of the season Alonso was the most likely to take the title. It would have been a good call as even when Alonso was the team reject he outscored Hamilton in the second half of the season. If Dennis had been true to his word Alonso would have won the title without doubt.

 

[Brogan]

Hamilton beat Alonso.

 

[teabagyokel]

Ron Dennis didn't drive through that gravel trap in Canada.

Hamilton hardly stopped McLaren getting sponsors.