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"

 

[racecub]

Its online if you subscribe to autosport, otherwise not sure if you can get it. If you can the article is pages 30-35.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Cheers. Sounds like its worth a squiz.

 

[The Pits]

Wow, so Lewis copies Jensons set up? Who knew!!

 

[racecub]

Doesnt sound like Lewis has much say in it. I think its the big Friday set up they're talking about not the tweaking that each driver does later in the weekend.

 

[FB]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again (and this is not a specific criticism of Lewis but many of the drivers on the grid) if they don't like the strategy, set up, tyre choice etc, etc, that there team is suggesting then they need to grow a pair and tell them. If they think they can do better by going down another route then they have to say and then go out and prove they are right. How many times did drivers miss out on the next Qualie session last year because "the team said they were safe" or missed out on a higher finish "because the team got the strategy wrong". Either they have 20:20 hindsight or they know better. If it's the latter then they need to find a voice and not just meekly roll over and have their tummies tickled.

 

[Brogan]

I don't think it's as simple as that.

Do you think that for example Massa or Webber would be able to dictate to Ferrari and Red Bull respectively the baseline set up that Alonso and Vettel should use?

No, me either.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Also, as we hear so many times: "We win and lose as a team". If the driver takes the engineers in the wrong direction, the engineers are just as much to blame for allowing them to take the lead. It is a hero or zero outcome if you are at all involved in any of the decision making processes. This is why a successful team will work together to find and optimum that is agreed on by the driver and the engineers. It is also why a successful team is usually one where the focus is on one side of the garage. Set up is all about compromises, but introduce too many compromises and you are, well.... compromised.

Red Bull are well aware of this, and would never compromise Vettel for Webber. They realise Vettel is their best shot and any compromises will be made in his favour which, for Vettel of course, is not a compromise at all. This strategy and methodology (or ideaology) was evident to us all when Mark stuck two fingers up and did quite well for a number two driver - and has been ever since.

I would imagine that Lewis is still a big voice at McLaren but due to the way they operate he will never be the loudest, as Vettel often is at Red Bull.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

There was the famous case last year where Lewis made his own call on tyre use during quali. He saved a set of softs against the teams advice and went on to do very well in the race. This didnt happen much more after that and I think the reason is simple

The team have experts in each area, and it makes more sense for these things to be decided and planned by strategists who will have access to a much wider set of information than the driver who has driving fast at the limit to prepare for.

Yes in days gone, a Senna or Prost or even MS could dictate and direct a lot of this, going back further a driver might even have designed and built the car himself, but nowadays the technology involved is so advanced that it doesnt make sense for the driver not to trust his support crew. With Lewis, having been an integrated part of the team for so long it must be even more the case that he expects these things sorted for him as they were always done.

We heard his team tell him to 'shut up and drive' when he questions things, we heard him begging to come in for tyres at Shanghai 2007.

If we are going to be honest about this we will admit that Mclaren have been way behind Red Bull, Merc and even Ferrari in this area, and have let Lewis, and Jenson down with sloppy strategy, tyre choices for the last few seasons

Still doesnt mean its best in this day and age for Lewis to take on this extra burden of running the Cray computers for the team. And the myth of todays driver who develops the car is just that, a myth ask Alonso

 

[Lewywo4]

I would imagine that Lewis is still a big voice at McLaren but due to the way they operate he will never be the loudest, as Vettel often is at Red Bull.

Jenson's voice maybe could be louder, if he had dominated Lewis in the win column.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Jenson's voice maybe could be louder, if he had dominated Lewis in the win column.

He seems to me a better diplomat. This will certainly make his opinions come across louder, even if not audibly louder.

 

[The Pits]

I'm just amazed the team allow lewis to drive in testing or free practice, as it is clearly a waste of time. They could save so much money if they didn't.

 

[The Pits]

Not to mention race engineers, and get rid of all that pesky telemetry and data logging equipment. Computers? Nah, let's just slap on Jensons set up on Saturday morning, and off he goes.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Not to mention race engineers, and get rid of all that pesky telemetry and data logging equipment. Computers? Nah, let's just slap on Jensons set up on Saturday morning, and off he goes.

Here is some dramatic punctuation for you.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

I'm just amazed the team allow lewis to drive in testing or free practice, as it is clearly a waste of time. They could save so much money if they didn't.

Why can't Lewis be discussed without some one playing the 'reverse victim' card or the 'reverse conspiracy' card

It's tough being a Lewis fan even on the Lewis thread

 

[teabagyokel]

It's tough being a Lewis fan even on the Lewis thread

There are no hagiographical threads on this site. And there never will be.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

There are no hagiographical threads on this site. And there never will be.

One would need a Saint for such a thread, and no one in F1 is a Saint so that makes sense

 

[Jen]

TBY - I liked it after I looked the meaning up. Something new every day!!

 

[Bill Boddy]

There are no hagiographical threads allowed on this site. And there never will be.

You can't stop people putting them on, all you can do is remove them.

A. Pedant.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Hypothetically, I wonder if it would be Saint Lewis or Saint Hamilton

 

[ExtremeNinja]

"Tolerated"?