Poll Will Lewis Hamilton leave McLaren?

[no-FIAt-please]

Hmm while McLaren may be finishing the season strong on pace I still think Red Bull will be the pace setters along with Ferrari. Just look back to Silverstone where the was no blowing of the diffusers, Red Bull were marginally faster than Ferrari Alonso but in the race he had much better pace than Vettel and Webber. That race just shows how dependent McLaren are on the hot blowing of their diffuser and without it I fear they will be suffering another of their 'close but no cigar' seasons.

 

[Il_leone]

Typical whilst Jenson has scored 5 podiums in a row and Lewis has not in the 5 races since his win in Germany and people think its all Whitmarsh 's faultLewis is getting beat then and Mclaren done a better job than Ferrari and every other team except Red Bull

Only condition Lewis might leave Mclaren is if Red Bull part with Vettel and Ferrari sack Alonso but not likely given Luca was the one who signed Alonso and Santander backing but will see

Sad fact is right now Red Bull does not need Hamilton and its more Hamilton needs them to rebuild his reputation

Mclaren have got Merc engines until 2015 I believe so at least a few years with them when the turbos come back... it would not surprise me if Honda via Jenson's connections come back and team up with Mclaren i am sure they will be reminded about how powerful their turbos were

 

[racecub]

Interestingly my thoughts have been along exactly this line since the weekend. Until this weekend i thought Lewis would see his time out at McLaren but he clearly isnt happy and isnt supported by Whitmarsh. So......
Not Ferrari becuse Alonso wouldnt cope
Probably not red Bull-they have Vettel and they like a slightly slower second driver
Mercedes!! I think this could be a clever move. They look serious about joining the top three teams. Brawn knows how to win and they've invested in top staff. Lewis has a good relationship with Haug. And I think they'd manage him better.
He likes Rosberg, they're friends, so when Schumacher retires, that could work. It has a lot going for it.
A less likely scenario is lewis with Schumacher. Which I actually think could be a great combination. (my feelings towards Schumacher have mellowed since his return). They're both racers and Michael could help Lewis to turn the other cheek when the crap starts falling. Help him grow a tougher skin and not care. Because lewis does care and thats taken advantage of, even by his team.
He's not happy, he's not appreciated, he's not racing well. Whats to stay for?
Other than Mercedes I can see him doing a Montoya and leaving F1 altogether. Another great driver lost because of poor management and political nonsense.

 

[Il_leone]

Lewis will not leave F1 - he is still harbouring dreams of the Mclaren sportscar if he emulated Senna and give Mclaren 3 world titles.

He has such a massive following Bernie would do everything to keep him in the sport rather than run to USA. Lewis would be the only loser in that sense as it will then open the door for someone else.

The name Mercedes keeps popping up I bet someone is grimacing their teeth right now that Button has scored 5 wins and is 2nd the championship and they are still searching for their first win and discarded him for their all German policy.

It will require Mercedes to get desperate and finally admit they;ve acted like fools in going with their national drivers policy to hire Lewis. If Ross is finally sorting the team out then its worth a punt but I get the impression they still want a German world champion in their car so this is why Lewis will be overlooked

 

[Il_leone]

Interestingly my thoughts have been along exactly this line since the weekend. Until this weekend i thought Lewis would see his time out at McLaren but he clearly isnt happy and isnt supported by Whitmarsh. So......
Not Ferrari becuse Alonso wouldnt cope
Probably not red Bull-they have Vettel and they like a slightly slower second driver
Mercedes!! I think this could be a clever move. They look serious about joining the top three teams. Brawn knows how to win and they've invested in top staff. Lewis has a good relationship with Haug. And I think they'd manage him better.
He likes Rosberg, they're friends, so when Schumacher retires, that could work. It has a lot going for it.
A less likely scenario is lewis with Schumacher. Which I actually think could be a great combination. (my feelings towards Schumacher have mellowed since his return). They're both racers and Michael could help Lewis to turn the other cheek when the crap starts falling. Help him grow a tougher skin and not care. Because lewis does care and thats taken advantage of, even by his team.
He's not happy, he's not appreciated, he's not racing well. Whats to stay for?
Other than Mercedes I can see him doing a Montoya and leaving F1 altogether. Another great driver lost because of poor management and political nonsense.

Montoya should be blamed for his own downfall in F1..he made a hasty decision to join Mclaren because he thought Williams did not support him enough and wasted his 2004 season and then 2005 when he was suppose to fired up for a championship assault he spent the early season on the sidelines recovering from an injured shoulder and then when he came back he made some amateur errors not the Schumacher beater everyone expected.

Then in 2006 when the carrot was dangled out to him he failed and in realising his only other option Red Bull was being thwarted by DC he left F1 disillusioned...and it opened the door unexpectedly for Lewis

 

[racecub]

Montoya should be blamed for his own downfall in F1..he made a hasty decision to join Mclaren because he thought Williams did not support him enough and wasted his 2004 season and then 2005 when he was suppose to fired up for a championship assault he spent the early season on the sidelines recovering from an injured shoulder and then when he came back he made some amateur errors not the Schumacher beater everyone expected.

Then in 2006 when the carrot was dangled out to him he failed and in realising his only other option Red Bull was being thwarted by DC he left F1 disillusioned...and it opened the door unexpectedly for Lewis

Oh I know the Montoya story inside out-though I dont see it quite the way you do. He was my guy before Lewis. Only good thing about him leaving as you say was Lewis got a drive. I think he had some sweeeeet battles with Schumacher, and won a fair few. Big shame he left. Now Lewis and Montoya together. What a team that would have been !

 

[Abnash24]

red bull i think would snatch him if they had the chance and he is frustrated with the cars pace

 

[racecub]

red bull i think would snatch him if they had the chance and he is frustrated with the cars pace

I think the Red Bull guys(Deitrich and helmut) would snap him up. he's a marketing dream- and he and Vettel together would be; and thats why Red Bull are in it, fpr the marketing. Not sure about Horner. I dont know if he'd want to risk destabilising Vettel.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

F1 history is littered with teams signing drivers that sponsors want, no matter what a principal says now, anything will happen tomorrow

 

[Galahad]

If marketing was all that the team were about, wouldn't it be Alguersuari in the no.2 car next year rather than Webber?

I think Horner has quite a lot of autonomy to run the team as he sees fit.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Also the USA move could make sense

America needs to forget all past and unify their top open cockpit series into a formula to rival F1, this is overdue, maybe there is something in the pipeline and Fuller is somehow party to it

Maybe the Texas track is a catalyst

 

[RasputinLives]

I'm afraid NASCAR rules in the U.S and although the Indy 500 is a big pull too there just isn't enough pull for sponsor and audience alike where single seaters are concerned. It very nearly got there in the early 90's but even then it was still ex-F1 drivers that were at the front of the sport. Lewis Hamilton on his own would not be a big enough pull to make a single seater open cockpit series popular in the U.S I'm afriad.

Now if F1 could groom itself a succesful or a couple of succesful drivers we'd then watch the sport popularity grow. If Bernie could some how do a deal to bring the Indy 500 on to the F1 calender again - then the market would be broken. If a big American name like Penskie could be tempted to join the F1 teams then maybe they'd start to pull audiences in.

The driver thing I can see happening - the rest I'm afraid I can't - although after seeing how succesful Red Bull have been with it I'm surprised we haven't seen Coca-Cola make strides into the F1 world.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Will he move or not? Maybe is my answer. I think he will do what all proffesional sportsmen do and weigh up all the factors, money, chances of winning, position within the team, fringe benefits etc etc and base his move on that. If there are enough ticks in the boxes then he'll go, if not then he'll stay.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

I'm afraid NASCAR rules in the U.S and although the Indy 500 is a big pull too there just isn't enough pull for sponsor and audience alike where single seaters are concerned. It very nearly got there in the early 90's but even then it was still ex-F1 drivers that were at the front of the sport. Lewis Hamilton on his own would not be a big enough pull to make a single seater open cockpit series popular in the U.S I'm afriad.

Football appeared even less fertile for soccer, but the Yanks are having a good attempt to join the world stage, and they have a big ready made audience amongst Hispanics and immigrants from soccer playing countries. Again Fuller sent Becks out there and there was without doubt a boost to the profile and audiences. Whether that will cross the tipping point or not, if anything takes hold in the US it will take over the world.

They had Indycars Cart, etc, F1 did not cover itself in glory last time out, but they have being invited back, which must mean someone out there thinks there is an audience beyond NASCAR and that there is money to be made

Maybe there is something in this Fuller thing, because Lewis seems resigned to the realities of F1

 

[racecub]

Maybe there is something in this Fuller thing, because Lewis seems resigned to the realities of F1

Whatever happens I can't see him sticking around and accepting mediocrity and trying to race with his hands tied behind his back (metaphorically speaking of course-wouldnt work in reality talented though he is).
I can accept Lewis has made some mistakes/misjudgements this year, but he has received much more criticism and unfair treartment than is deserved. I think there is far, far more at play than just the results of this season. I imagine he wrote this season of at Spa or even earlier. His despondancy looks to come form things out of his control.I hope whatever he decides, its something that allows us to enjoy him racing at his fantastic best,where ever that may be. What a loss to motor racing and a waste of talent if that doesnt happen.

 

[RasputinLives]

I agree the media do pick up one every mistake and inncident Hamilton gets involved in but as I think I've said before if you live by the sword you die by the sword.

Not Lewis's fault but his marketing team

 

[racecub]

I agree the media do pick up one every mistake and inncident Hamilton gets involved in but as I think I've said before if you live by the sword you die by the sword.

Not Lewis's fault but his marketing team

There is another way. You live by the sword and you dont give a damn. Like Schumacher. Like Senna. The thing is Lewis actually does give a damn.

 

[Slyboogy]

There is another way. You live by the sword and you dont give a damn. Like Schumacher. Like Senna. The thing is Lewis actually does give a damn.

To be honest, I am not sure Schumacher did

 

[Slyboogy]

Whatever happens I can't see him sticking around and accepting mediocrity and trying to race with his hands tied behind his back (metaphorically speaking of course-wouldnt work in reality talented though he is).
I can accept Lewis has made some mistakes/misjudgements this year, but he has received much more criticism and unfair treartment than is deserved.

Let's not forget that many in the F1 paddock were quick to crticise Vettel after his collisions with Webber and Button last year much as they have criticised Hamilton this year for races like Monaco and Canada. I don't see a double standard in this resepect--Hamilton has had more bad races this year than Vettel did last year and is proportionately earning the criticism he's received for it.

However, in some people's eyes (perhaps such as yours) in the paddock, the media, and on forums, Vettel is now a 2x WDC and still isn't regarded as a complete driver for mistakes he made during overtaking more than a year ago, while Hamilton still has pundits in the media who feel he is the best on the grid in spite of all the mistakes he's made this year... you tell me were the imbalance is regarding drivers needing to prove themselves.

 

[racecub]

Let's not forget that many in the F1 paddock were quick to crticise Vettel after his collisions with Webber and Button last year much as they have criticised Hamilton this year for races like Monaco and Canada. I don't see a double standard in this resepect--Hamilton has had more bad races this year than Vettel did last year and is proportionately earning the criticism he's received for it.

However, in some people's eyes (perhaps such as yours) in the paddock, the media, and on forums, Vettel is now a 2x WDC and still isn't regarded as a complete driver for mistakes he made during overtaking more than a year ago, while Hamilton still has pundits in the media who feel he is the best on the grid in spite of all the mistakes he's made this year... you tell me were the imbalance is regarding drivers needing to prove themselves.

I think you're confusing issues here
I certainly think Lewis is the best driver regardless of this year. Partly because he all but blew away a two time world champion in his rookie year; and he has proven he can drag a poor car where it has no rights to be. Vettel is only just showing he can do some of the things lewis demonstrated in his rookie year. But what i think and other pundits is by the by. Some will prefer Vettel, some Alonso, some Button. Thats preference.
Im taking about unfair treatment by stewards. Analysing every move. Blaming before researching events. Coulthard was at it at the weekend. Unfair bias.