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"

 

[The Artist.....]

Good point.

Perhaps the FIA should introduce a new test to ensure drivers can see a minimum amount at a set distance to the side and rear of the car?

Gary Anderson had a suggestion in Autosport about having a mark on the ground a certain distance in front of the car that the drivers had to be able to see from the cockpit as a discussion over visibility....

 

[Brogan]

Someone here recently posted a thread about having small indicators on the ends of the front wings to help the drivers see the extremities.

Probably getting off topic for this thread now, but it seems to me, if drivers can see their own car and surroundings better, there may not be quite as many incidents.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Il Leone
Artist
Jenov

I refer the honourable members to the post I gave earlier

This was a response to a question, no more no less, no debate as it's been done before, we all have views

 

[FB]

Lewis on Felipe:

“I don’t really know what happened with Felipe,” said Lewis. “The car’s mirrors vibrate at high-speed, so I couldn’t see him pulling alongside me. I want to apologise for our cars’ touching, but fortunately nothing happened to either of us. There was no bad intention towards Felipe; I’ve got the utmost respect for him, he’s a fantastic driver and he was extremely quick today.”

Felipe on Lewis:

Once again I finish a race with a very bitter taste in my mouth," he said. "Today, our pace was good enough to finish on the podium, as Fernando demonstrated, but instead I am here commenting on a seventh place. It’s a real shame.

"The contact with Hamilton? My car was definitely damaged by it: when I looked at it after the race, I saw there was a bit of the front wing endplate missing and the floor on the left hand side was not on properly. I could feel it in the way my car was behaving. I think the footage speaks for itself: he was struggling with his tyres and I had almost come alongside him and for no reason, he moved over and hit me. I let you be the judge… It’s pointless for me to say any more about it.”

But like the Guiness, he's not bitter

My advice, don't try and overtake round the outside going into a chicane Felipe and then no one will hit you.

 

[The Artist.....]

Lewis on Felipe:

Felipe on Lewis:

But like the Guiness, he's not bitter

My advice, don't try and overtake round the outside going into a chicane Felipe and then no one will hit you.

Whilst that is true, when a driver is covering the inside, the only possibility of making an overtake is going round the outside....

However, it has raised the issue of mirrors once again in F1 - Hamilton has had 2 similar incidents in the last few races - Massa and Kobayashi....

 

[FB]

Yeah but not into a near 90 degree corner. I'm not one for conspiracies but one wonders if Massa was just trying it on and anticipating Hamilton would either back off because of their recent history or that Lewis would get some sort of penalty if they did touch.

Aww heck, time to don my tin foil hat...

 

[The Artist.....]

....Sadly, the only realistic non-DRS overtaking opportunity at Suzuka is the Casino triangle hairpin.....

Suzuka is a great driver's circuit, sadly, it's not a great overtaking circuit. - It's not surprising there's been so many crashes at that chicane over the years!

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

TBH - These new Reg's really don't suit Hamilton. If i'm been honest i think he'd happily go back to the old reg's he seemed to enjoy overtaking much more under them. I think with both KER'S and DRS it's really to much for Lewis to cope with it's like there's too much in the car for him to look at and he's not fully focus on whats really in front of him. Just my opinion but thats what i think has happened to Lewis this season.

 

[Clinton]

That chicane is a passing place, but if the move doesn't come off it's also a tight squeeze for two cars - therefore simply a racing incident as far as the stewards should be concerned. Personally I think Lewis's mirrors would have been working if that had been Button for example, but Massa might know to be careful around Lewis at this point (and vice versa).

I don't know where this quote has come from: "he’s a fantastic driver and he was extremely quick today" but I struggle to imagine Lewis saying that to the television cameras.

TBH - These new Reg's really don't suit Hamilton. If i'm been honest i think he'd happily go back to the old reg's he seemed to enjoy overtaking much more under them. I think with both KER'S and DRS it's really to much for Lewis to cope with it's like there's too much in the car for him to look at and he's not fully focus on whats really in front of him. Just my opinion but thats what i think has happened to Lewis this season.

Lewis is more of a drive-the-balls-off-the-car guy. This BBC piece also argues that one of his main advantages as a uniquely capable overtaker has been reduced now that on-track passes are a more routine occurrence.

 

[FB]

I don't know where this quote has come from: "he’s a fantastic driver and he was extremely quick today" but I struggle to imagine Lewis saying that to the television cameras.

Promise you I didn't make it up Clinton.

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/f1_media/2011/japan/Pages/sunday-3.aspx

As for the chicane, yeah, get up the inside, like Senna in '89 then you have the corner and only the other car turning in can be at fault but not up the outside, just foolish.

 

[Josh]

TBH - These new Reg's really don't suit Hamilton. If i'm been honest i think he'd happily go back to the old reg's he seemed to enjoy overtaking much more under them. I think with both KER'S and DRS it's really to much for Lewis to cope with it's like there's too much in the car for him to look at and he's not fully focus on whats really in front of him. Just my opinion but thats what i think has happened to Lewis this season.

I'm obviously not sure if this is why he's having an off year, but... Shouldn't he have been able to adapt to the new rules, if this were the case?
If he hasn't, why would that be?

PS this isn't necessarily directed to you Hammy, but to everyone. Would be a nice discussion I think...

 

[Cookinflatsix]

TBH - These new Reg's really don't suit Hamilton. If i'm been honest i think he'd happily go back to the old reg's he seemed to enjoy overtaking much more under them. I think with both KER'S and DRS it's really to much for Lewis to cope with it's like there's too much in the car for him to look at and he's not fully focus on whats really in front of him. Just my opinion but thats what i think has happened to Lewis this season.

How did he manage to win a couple of races, also he has had Kers before and he says that he likes DRS

Maybe his results are a result of having to drive extra carefully to avoid getting penalties all the time, maybe it's to do with the fact that he has been on the end of unfair decisions and has to worry about penalties

I am not sure the new regs have caused mental overload, although that seems to be the fashionable accusation

He is having a slump in results which can be easily explained by having to drive extra carefully and avoid contact as shown in Monza, we have seen the factors leading to this situation,

 

[F1ang-o]

No, what Coulthard asked is "Do you think that that will get a penalty" - not "I think Lewis should be punished".

If there's an incident, commentators are bound to ask if there's going to be a penalty... Otherwise, you'd be complaining of biased stewarding every time there was a punishment meted out, as "the commentators never thought it warranted a penalty"

The Artist.....
--------------------------------------------------------
After comments about history getween LH & FM
Coulthard said "I hate to say it Martin.....but somebody is going to ask.....Is that a possible penalty for crowding another car to the edge of the track?"
M Brundle replied "Well let's see, it didn't enter my head....on that...if I'm honest."
These comments..... after D Coulthard had already said several times earlier, that Lewis was backing the pack up to help his team......when LH had a puncture.
So many times they have blamed LH & then had to change their tune after the race.
Maybe like Moto GP they should just say........I think that might get looked at....... (by the powers that be) Not dive in with comments about LH doing......whatever is perceived from the commentary box.

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

Like any other driver that is on the grid some of them adapt to certain rules better than others. Maybe this year Lewis has had trouble adapting more than the others because there's too much for him to focus on in the cock pit. I do however think that in the long run the rules will help him, it's just a case of making him having less to focus on in the cock pit and focusing more on the track.

 

[F1ang-o]

It was unknown at the time of DC's comments that Lewis had a puncture and if you had actually listened to what was being said have noticed that it wasn't meant as a negative thing, but as something positive.

IMO he was saying that LH was giving JB an advantage.....
See Brogan's comments in the race thread,

 

[f1fansp]

Lewis on Felipe:

Felipe on Lewis:

But like the Guiness, he's not bitter

My advice, don't try and overtake round the outside going into a chicane Felipe and then no one will hit you.

Wow, this flyaway timing must have pickled my brain. 2 threads, twice very confused.

I thought you'd made that up, and found it very funny. Especially the bits about 'extremely quick' and 'bitter taste ... and damaged front wing ... podium'. Did you script them? Maybe they're actually in cahoots and having giggles behind the scenes.

Seemingly, you really couldn't make it up.

 

[Bill Boddy]

I got the impression that there wasn't room to fit a unicycle between Hamilton and the right hand side of the circuit as Massa started his overtake. So how could he have gone for the inside line? He went the way that there was plenty of room , getting into a position which many on this forum in a past decision said would be sufficient for the other driver not to move across.

Two questions.

1. Did any of those defending Hamilton say that Button unfairly squeezed Hamilton in Canada? Hamilton was nowhere near as far up the side of Button as Massa was. The weather conditions were slightly worse for vision there as well.

2. Had the drivers been the other way around how many on here would be saying that it just shows what a racer Hamilton is and how they love the way he always goes for it?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

People, people, people...

There's no conspiracy. There is only a desire to win Grand Prix races and Championships.

Jenson's smoother style is making the difference on this iteration of Pirellis.

Over the years, it's often boiled down to Tyres, Tyres, Tyres!!!

This year, it's a similar story. Look at Vettel's adaptation vs Webber.

I fear Hamilton hasn't been able to adapt his style successfully enough at some of the races where the ware has been excessive whereas it's just played into Jenson's natural style.

Remember Turn 8 at Turkey in Lewis' 1st season? McLaren made a compromise for Turn 8 for Lewis the following year (2008).

It's the tyres.

 

[racecub]

I got the impression that there wasn't room to fit a unicycle between Hamilton and the right hand side of the circuit as Massa started his overtake. So how could he have gone for the inside line? He went the way that there was plenty of room , getting into a position which many on this forum in a past decision said would be sufficient for the other driver not to move across.

Two questions.

1. Did any of those defending Hamilton say that Button unfairly squeezed Hamilton in Canada? Hamilton was nowhere near as far up the side of Button as Massa was. The weather conditions were slightly worse for vision there as well.

2. Had the drivers been the other way around how many on here would be saying that it just shows what a racer Hamilton is and how they love the way he always goes for it?

Answer to question 1. Both racing incidents
Answer to question2. Had the drivers been the other way round people would still be having a go at hamilton

 

[Quintessentially]

No, what Coulthard asked is "Do you think that that will get a penalty" - not "I think Lewis should be punished".

DC has been pretty fair IMO when assessing Hamilton and I don't agree he particularly has anything against him. He walks a fine line between critique and praise and I've been impressed by his performance as Brundle's sidekick despite my intitial misgivings.

As for this talk again of Hamilton being too hard on his tyres, we've reached a period where the result determines the headlines and the bigger picture is often ignored so until he wins another race(which I am confident he will before the end of the season) he will continue to be over scrutinised. His race was influenced by two major factors - starting on relatively worn tyres and the puncture which put him further behind. Both had nothing to with the Pirellis penalising his driving style. In fact I will challenge anyone to go and have a look at the lap times in the first stint and until the puncture they were pretty consistent and I'd imagine what he could've achieved in fresher tyres. In hindsight they probably should've pitted him the moment he hit 1:41.