Hamilton or Rosberg for 2016 WDC?

[LDN]

Nico is USELESS in close combat... no matter Lewis's fortune; why does rosberg drive like pants when the heat is on. Massive shame as despite not liking the guy; I wouldn't, by default, say he doesn't deserve the WDC due to Hamiltons reliability... that's racing. But I do feel he's undeserving because he drives like a tit when he actually has a dog fight on his hands. Ricciardo and Max are both more deserving and of course, Hamilton. Real racers. Combat not a problem.

With regard focus and Lewis's lack of - due to his other hobbies / passions / whatever. It's nothing new; he's been up to all that jive for years - so how's he done so well without this 'focus' people speak of? Genuine question. This lack of focus led to him getting pole and leading the race until the engine blew. Surely his focus was absolutely supreme to have done all that. Or would the engine not have blown if he'd just not gone out two nights earlier?

[bunglesprout]

LDN said:

With regard focus and Lewis's lack of - due to his other hobbies / passions / whatever. It's nothing new; he's been up to all that jive for years - so how's he done so well without this 'focus' people speak of? Genuine question. This lack of focus led to him getting pole and leading the race until the engine blew. Surely his focus was absolutely supreme to have done all that. Or would the engine not have blown if he'd just not gone out two nights earlier?

Exactly right. People see what they want to see. One of the reasons Hamilton was so fed up at McLaren was their attempt to control what he could and couldn't do outside the car. Mercedes have taken a different view and it has paid dividends. People may not like his lifestyle, but you don't hear anyone suggesting that Rosberg must be tired and losing focus because he has a new baby in the house.

It looks like Rosberg is going to win the championship this year, and in the long term, the history books will not remember reliability issues for Hamilton. But I think the last few races will be fascinating. Hamilton has nothing to lose so I can see him ramping up the mind games with Rosberg, putting him under pressure psychologically and seeing if he cracks.

[rubystone]

amgmcqueen said:

Exactly....i'm not 'belittling' anyone.

I could not give a toss what Hamilton gets up to outside of F1 but I would prefer him to do it at the end of the season after winning the WC. Every point is crucial and he has let his focus slip recently to allow Rosberg to regain the championship lead. I can't say either of the Mercedes drivers has had a brilliant season, they are just in a car that no other team can get anywhere near.

How could you possibly know that Hamilton's external interests are damaging his focus? Are you his personal trainer or manager or are you Niki Lauda or Toto Woolf masquerading under a nom de plume?

[rubystone]

cgt2 said:

Not so sure Honda will be right at the sharp end, I think that is another season away yet, but even Stevie Wonder can see their trajectory is definitely up, despite what some McLaren haters on this forum think..

Indeed.

[EagleMoto4-2]

Smollet said:

Keke only won one race in the season he was champion. You don't hear him being knocked for that so why knock Britney for winning it on reliability and as a result more races.

Actually you do. Had Ferrari not had one of their drivers killed and the other seriously injured, it would have been a Ferrari driver that would have won that year's title. I recently read Patrick Tambay's book about his time driving the number 27 Ferrari, and had he not had an injury exacerbated by a physio who didn't know what they were doing, there was every chance he could have taken the '82 title. Even though he only started racing part-way through the season.
As it was, Ferrari took that years constructor title, not Williams who Keke was driving for.

[amgmcqueen]

rubystone said:

amgmcqueen said:

Exactly....i'm not 'belittling' anyone.

I could not give a toss what Hamilton gets up to outside of F1 but I would prefer him to do it at the end of the season after winning the WC. Every point is crucial and he has let his focus slip recently to allow Rosberg to regain the championship lead. I can't say either of the Mercedes drivers has had a brilliant season, they are just in a car that no other team can get anywhere near.

How could you possibly know that Hamilton's external interests are damaging his focus? Are you his personal trainer or manager or are you Niki Lauda or Toto Woolf masquerading under a nom de plume?

It's just my opinion he doesn't seem to take F1 as seriously as say Senna or Schumacher did. They were obsessed with it down to every minute detail on how to gain an advantage. They lived and breathed F1 and would allow nothing to compromise them having the best season possible.

[sc0tt]

amgmcqueen said:

It's just my opinion he doesn't seem to take F1 as seriously as say Senna or Schumacher did. They were obsessed with it down to every minute detail on how to gain an advantage. They lived and breathed F1 and would allow nothing to compromise them having the best season possible.

Are you on top of your game at the office when you work 7 days a week without a beer with the boys or a few days off on holiday?

[KevinCamaroSS]

Just think what all the Hamilton-haters will feel like when he wins the next 4 races and goes in to the finale in the lead.....

[London424]

amgmcqueen said:

rubystone said:

amgmcqueen said:

Exactly....i'm not 'belittling' anyone.

I could not give a toss what Hamilton gets up to outside of F1 but I would prefer him to do it at the end of the season after winning the WC. Every point is crucial and he has let his focus slip recently to allow Rosberg to regain the championship lead. I can't say either of the Mercedes drivers has had a brilliant season, they are just in a car that no other team can get anywhere near.

How could you possibly know that Hamilton's external interests are damaging his focus? Are you his personal trainer or manager or are you Niki Lauda or Toto Woolf masquerading under a nom de plume?

It's just my opinion he doesn't seem to take F1 as seriously as say Senna or Schumacher did. They were obsessed with it down to every minute detail on how to gain an advantage. They lived and breathed F1 and would allow nothing to compromise them having the best season possible.

You mean in the days of unlimited testing when you could go round and round the test track day after day? Seeing as they can't do that now what would you expect him to be doing?

[Dryce]

amgmcqueen said:

It's just my opinion he doesn't seem to take F1 as seriously as say Senna or Schumacher did. They were obsessed with it down to every minute detail on how to gain an advantage. They lived and breathed F1 and would allow nothing to compromise them having the best season possible.

Doesn't matter as long as he gets results. Three time world champ speaks for itself. Almost four times depending how things go this year.

Hamilton glows and shines when he's happy in a way that those drivers did not. And when he's unhappy he does the opposite.

I think it adds character and humanity to a sport that has often come across as corporate and bland in the past. And it cerrtainly makes him quite distinctive.

[Finlandese]

EagleMoto4-2 said:

Smollet said:

Keke only won one race in the season he was champion. You don't hear him being knocked for that so why knock Britney for winning it on reliability and as a result more races.

Actually you do. Had Ferrari not had one of their drivers killed and the other seriously injured, it would have been a Ferrari driver that would have won that year's title. I recently read Patrick Tambay's book about his time driving the number 27 Ferrari, and had he not had an injury exacerbated by a physio who didn't know what they were doing, there was every chance he could have taken the '82 title. Even though he only started racing part-way through the season.
As it was, Ferrari took that years constructor title, not Williams who Keke was driving for.

Only by people who weren´t following the season.. Keke won with a team that finished FOURTH at the WCC! No driver won more than two races. And to be frank, the Ferrari drives´ problems weren´t just bad luck.

[Gary C]

amgmcqueen said:

bobbo89 said:

Gary C said:

mollytherocker said:

Gary C said:

amgmcqueen said:

Hamilton seems to be more interested in either being a rapper or being seen at London fashion week.

So what ?

Hes suggesting that he is not fully focused and is being distracted. Obvious I would have thought.

No, he appears to be belittling Hamilton for activities outside of the car (hence the 'neither deserve it')

Nope, he's suggesting that he is not fully focused and is being distracted

Exactly....i'm not 'belittling' anyone.

I could not give a toss what Hamilton gets up to outside of F1 but I would prefer him to do it at the end of the season after winning the WC. Every point is crucial and he has let his focus slip recently to allow Rosberg to regain the championship lead. I can't say either of the Mercedes drivers has had a brilliant season, they are just in a car that no other team can get anywhere near.

Hence why I asked, to be answered by others making assumptions. Didn't mean to suggest you were belittling, just mean it sounded like it to me.

I can't personally see that Hamiltons outside activities have made any difference on his driving (unlike the shirtslinger period), he has had more than his fair share of problems outside his control. Remove them and you would not even be taking about any problems.

Saying neither deserve it is a bit poor. They both probably work much harder (and have throughout their careers) than most of us put together.

Edited by Gary C on Monday 3rd October 21:01

[EagleMoto4-2]

Finlandese said:

EagleMoto4-2 said:

Smollet said:

Keke only won one race in the season he was champion. You don't hear him being knocked for that so why knock Britney for winning it on reliability and as a result more races.

Actually you do. Had Ferrari not had one of their drivers killed and the other seriously injured, it would have been a Ferrari driver that would have won that year's title. I recently read Patrick Tambay's book about his time driving the number 27 Ferrari, and had he not had an injury exacerbated by a physio who didn't know what they were doing, there was every chance he could have taken the '82 title. Even though he only started racing part-way through the season.
As it was, Ferrari took that years constructor title, not Williams who Keke was driving for.

Only by people who weren´t following the season.. Keke won with a team that finished FOURTH at the WCC! No driver won more than two races. And to be frank, the Ferrari drives´ problems weren´t just bad luck.

Seeing as you are from Finland I can understand why you would stick up for Keke. It doesn't really matter whether the problems were bad luck or not, fact is one of those three Ferrari drivers should have won that championship.
As it turned out 1982 was a lottery year, I believe it holds the record as the season that had the most number of different drivers to win a race.

[Dusty964]

EagleMoto4-2 said:

Seeing as you are from Finland I can understand why you would stick up for Keke. It doesn't really matter whether the problems were bad luck or not, fact is one of those three Ferrari drivers should have won that championship.
As it turned out 1982 was a lottery year, I believe it holds the record as the season that had the most number of different drivers to win a race.

Surely the beauty of a lottery is that anyone with a ticket can win?
Im not from Finland, im not 'sticking up for Keke' but 'the fact is, one of those three Ferrari drivers' DIDN'T win.

[anonymous-user]

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10605274/ni...

Damon Hill giving his thoughts.

[Gary C]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10605274/ni...

Damon Hill giving his thoughts.

I dont think Rosberg wouldn't deserve to be WDC, he has taken his opportunities when presented

BUT

he has had some howlers, spain (liar) and Austria (WTF) which do taint it a bit.

[Evilex]

I think Rosberg will win it, though only by default.
The only real competition he has is from Lewis, who hasn't had the best of luck with reliability.

If Lewis does claw back enough points to win the WDC, it will be well deserved.

I'd like to see him win a fourth title, maybe more, just to see Jackie Stewart's and Alain Prost's reactions..

[funkyrobot]

I'm just imagining how cringeworthy it will be in Rosberg wins. I simply cannot stand him.

I am not a Lewis fanboy either. However, Rosberg just comes across as a snobby rich kid who never seems to acknowledge his wrongdoings.

If he wins this year, I hope people realise that it was because of his team mate's misfortunes. When they go wheel to wheel, Rosberg hardly ever beats Lewis. His moves (just like that of some others) are quite questionable too.

[LDN]

Can't knock Rosberg if he wins the WDC; it's not his fault that Lewis has had bad reliability. I've said it before; Rosberg is fast; he is very fast; and whilst not the dog fighter Lewis is, he is still deserving of a title.

As for the snobby rich kid syndrome; I see that too... but again, I might not like his character but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve the title. One title to Lewis's three isn't a bad reflection of their comparative abilities.

[Wills2]

I am a Hamilton fan, but you cannot take it away from Rosberg if he wins this year, he'll have taken his chances no matter how they arose.

Lewis is clearly the better driver though.