Current Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE

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"

 

[Sarinaide]

How does one really guage who is given greater respect than others. Who is to say that Schumacher is not given the greatest and utmost respect, despite his so called complient number two's, Michael didn't win championship after championship because of Irvine and Barrichello, Schumacher has many other great statistics like winning races from the pits, having 30+ more wins than poles etc etc.

In all due respect the names like Jim Clark and Ayreton Senna were greats whichever way you slice it, irrespective of whom they drove for and against.

 

[RasputinLives]

After losing to Prost in 89 Senna had a strict number 2 policy anyway - even before that he'd refused to let Lotus sign Derek Warwick because he didn't want them to lose focus on his results so its all a load of nonsense anyways.

As for the spin - I'm sorry but it was dangerous and even though it was done in frustration it needed to be brought up that it possibley put other drivers in danager. I don't agree that it should have been a drive thru as no one's race but his own was effected by it - I do think though that it should have been brought up with him afterwards

 

[ExtremeNinja]

After losing to Prost in 89 Senna had a strict number 2 policy anyway - even before that he'd refused to let Lotus sign Derek Warwick because he didn't want them to lose focus on his results so its all a load of nonsense anyways.

As for the spin - I'm sorry but it was dangerous and even though it was done in frustration it needed to be brought up that it possibley put other drivers in danager. I don't agree that it should have been a drive thru as no one's race but his own was effected by it - I do think though that it should have been brought up with him afterwards

Who said it was done in frustration? I thought it was done out of necessity and to make sure he didn't get a Force India in the face.

 

[RasputinLives]

Well as Lewis himself says he didn't even see the Force India I'm afraid the latter can't be true.

IMO it looked like something done in frustration at having made a mistake. I would like to make this perfectly clear this is not a dig a Lewis a person or a hate filled statement. I've seen many drivers have spins and many angry with themselves for doing it and they have the habbit of throwing the car around aggresively and lighting the tyres up. There is nothing wrong with this - who wouldn't be frustrated at spinning whilst leading?

True I wasn't in Lewis mind at the time so wouldn't state that it was a true fact.

 

[KekeTheKing]

IMO it looked like something done in frustration at having made a mistake. I would like to make this perfectly clear this is not a dig a Lewis a person or a hate filled statement. I've seen many drivers have spins and many angry with themselves for doing it and they have the habbit of throwing the car around aggresively and lighting the tyres up.

In those milliseconds after the car switches ends, racers are instantly working to get the vehicle pointed in the right direction again. There is absolutely no time for frustration, they are simply reacting to the situation they have found themselves in. The frustration would set in a few seconds later when they realize they have lost a position.

 

[Enja]

A reminder that this thread is not about Michael Schumacher or indeed regulations ; this thread is about Lewis Hamilton, his driving, his career or anything he may have to say in the press.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

I think Lewis is just too good for the average steward to handle properly. The Spa incident with Kimi where they had to rewrite the rule book because he had pulled something off the rule makers had possibly deemed impossible to do - give a space back and then retake it within a couple of corners.
With the weaving/tow break incident, same. Run out of fuel just after gaining pole? check

 

[Galahad]

I think Lewis is just too good for the average steward to handle properly.

I'm sure practice will make perfect. For the stewards, not for Lewis - he already is.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think Lewis is just too good for the average steward to handle properly. The Spa incident with Kimi where they had to rewrite the rule book because he had pulled something off the rule makers had possibly deemed impossible to do - give a space back and then retake it within a couple of corners.
With the weaving/tow break incident, same. Run out of fuel just after gaining pole? check

I should just leave this but apart from the fuel rule(which was Mclaren being cheeky) all those rules were in place long before Lewis entered F1 he just fell foul of them and brought them to media attention.

On a different point do you think Lewis's entry in such a blaze of glory has added an extra pressure to his career that those around him don't have? Alonso had at least a few years of working his way up through the ranks and not being the centre of media attention. Even Vettel had about a year at Toro Rosso before the Monza win thrust him into the media spotlight. Do we think that the constant analysing of everything Lewis has done since he's come into F1 has added extra pressure on him?

In both ways really - he has a big crowd of people who are waiting for him to fail but he also has a massive crowd of people who are expecting him to walk on water. I mean half way through his first season I was reading newspaper articles saying he would become the richest sportsman ever and used to hear constantly how he was bound to be a multi-world champion and probably smash Schumacher's records. Does it create a impossible situation for him - if world championships are expected then he will never be seen as over acheiving and anything under that is seen as a failure. Maybe this contributes to his frustration with his team sometimes?

We see it with child actors and we certainly see it in footballers who make it young (Norman Whiteside, Lee Sharpe, Paul Gascoine) a kind of burn out and fade away syndrome. I hope this doesn't happen to Lewis but do you think all of this constant "he's the greatest, no he's not" stuff just adds a pressure that other drivers don't have?

 

[Brogan]

Well said Rasputin.

Couldn't agree more - apart from the Spa penalty, the FIA did actually change the rules because of that.
Prior to that incident the rule had just been to give the place back; after it they added in a caveat that at least 1 corner had to be passed before attempting to take the position back again.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

I'm sure practice will make perfect. For the stewards, not for Lewis - he already is.

Maybe Mansell should be made the permanent steward assigned to the Hamilton case. As Nige has experience as a special constable I am sure in time he will make sure that Lewis obeys every rule perfectly, making him even more complete

I should just leave this but apart from the fuel rule(which was Mclaren being cheeky) all those rules were in place long before Lewis entered F1 he just fell foul of them and brought them to media attention.
snip/
We see it with child actors and we certainly see it in footballers who make it young (Norman Whiteside, Lee Sharpe, Paul Gascoine) a kind of burn out and fade away syndrome. I hope this doesn't happen to Lewis but do you think all of this constant "he's the greatest, no he's not" stuff just adds a pressure that other drivers don't have?

The cut corner/give back position was already in place, no one had tested it by doing it within a very short while. Technically according to the prevailing rules, Lewis did give the space back, he was penalised and the rule had to be revised to specify how quickly the position could be given back thereby justifying the penalty retrospectively.

Its hard to call a driver the greatest until after his career, I think that its obvious that Lewis adapts and handles those types of pressure very well compared to say Gascoigne and his mentor Jimmy five Bellies. We don't hear about Lewis battering his girlfriend to deal with frustrations either, or turn up at races drunk.

I think that after all he has been through, (some self inflicted, others not) not to spend his time whinging, complaining and feeling hard done by even a quarter as much as Mansell did towards the end of his career is commendable

 

[Brogan]

I think that after all he has been through, (some self inflicted, others not) not to spend his time whinging, complaining and feeling hard done by

Such a shame a lot of his fans don't do the same.

The collective outpouring of grief every time he doesn't win a race is too much to bear for me now.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Yes those fans can be, well, fanatical

 

[RasputinLives]

I have to say that I love the way Lewis drives, I think he's amazing but its those fanatical fans and the hype around him that puts me off cheering for him sometimes.

I know its silly but it does have an effect

 

[Brogan]

It never used to for me, but I have increasingly been thinking exactly the same over the last few months.

Irrational perhaps, but some of his fans really are turning me off him.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Its got to be remembered though that a driver like Lewis entering a sport like F1 will cut both ways. He will bring in a much wider audience which will in turn create resistance amongst fans of other drivers. This in turn might galvanise the more neutral fair minded sporting fans to rise to defend him against injustice.

Take the question of his penalties for certain incidents like the spin. Some will think that its fair and some will not. Others will point to other cases to put forward a point, like the Spa penalty. Ultimately they will be deemed to be too obsessed with making him out to be perfect.

Why does it seem to Lewis' fans that are most vocal about his penalties?

Maybe because he gets penalised the most and the media make a big deal of it?

 

[Brogan]

Maybe he gets penalised the most because he breaks the rules the most?

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Do you think he broke a rule at Spa?

 

[RasputinLives]

I will admitt Lewis has had some dodgy penalties but then at the same time he's also had some he's deserved - it seems to be the fate of a front runner though. No one had more penalties that Michael Schmacher - he still gets them now. I mean what was that stop go pen about? Senna was always getting them too and you have to wonder if someone's rep proceeds them.

The thing is someone at the front is always pushing to win - sometimes they push to far an break the rules. At the same time they get dealt with a bit more harshly because it sends out a message to everyone else on the grid that you can't do things.

I'd be interested to see the stats on penalties because I think Fernando has had a fair few dodgy one's as well

I sometimes wish I could read Spanish so I could go and see if there was the same outcry on the Spanish F1 boards when Alonso gets a penalty.

 

[Brogan]

you have to wonder if someone's rep proceeds them.

Brundle made an interesting comment a few weeks ago, something along the lines of "he's perceived as being in the wrong before he even steps foot in the car", or something like that. I'll see if I can find it.

I'd be interested to see the stats on penalties because I think Fernando has had a fair few dodgy one's as well

I've got all the penalties in the database spreadsheet.
When I've finished rebuilding my PC, I'll try and post them all up.

I sometimes wish I could read Spanish so I could go and see if there was the same outcry on the Spanish F1 boards when Alonso gets a penalty.

Even more so!