Lewis Hamilton
Discussion
Flipatron said:
REALIST123 said:
It was easy. It always is when you have by far the best car and a compliant team mate.
Yes he needs to prove himself by winning the WDC in an inferior car like all the other previous world champions did, oh hang on...Flipatron said:
REALIST123 said:
It was easy. It always is when you have by far the best car and a compliant team mate.
Yes he needs to prove himself by winning the WDC in an inferior car like all the other previous world champions did, oh hang on...He came straight out of the wrapper firing.
How many do that?
When he said he was going to Mercedes everyone said he must be mad.
Inspired move that turned out.
How many champs go to such a team and bomb? Loads.
He didn't.
Why is that? Maybe he helped develop cars. Some people have that ability.
REALIST123 said:
johnxjsc1985 said:
That has to be a perfect weekend for Hamilton it all looked so easy whilst Vettel hasn't really done anything since his outburst at Silverstone
It was easy. It always is when you have by far the best car and a compliant team mate. i always think of McLaren and the standard jenson button 'balance...' whinge. There was a period of time 2010-2012 where at some races if you took JB's word for it the car was not quick and 'undriveable''. Meanwhile LH was in the top 3.
I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
REALIST123 said:
johnxjsc1985 said:
That has to be a perfect weekend for Hamilton it all looked so easy whilst Vettel hasn't really done anything since his outburst at Silverstone
It was easy. It always is when you have by far the best car and a compliant team mate. Frankly if there are folks still doubting Hamilton’s ability, they either genuinely don't understand racing or they have a personal issue with Hamilton. Either way they are making themselves appear rather foolish.
Polite M135 driver said:
i always think of McLaren and the standard jenson button 'balance...' whinge. There was a period of time 2010-2012 where at some races if you took JB's word for it the car was not quick and 'undriveable''. Meanwhile LH was in the top 3.
I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
The true modern greats do this. Senna, Schumacher, Alonso and of course Hamilton. All of them get time out of car that other very very good drivers just can't find. It's what sets them apart. A long time engineer at McLaren that I spoke to a few years back now said Hamilton had Senna's natural one lap pace.... I don't think praise comes much higher than that. I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
Of course that won't stop the usual hate mob finding fault with him at every level, but I'd rather take the word of an engineer who worked with Senna than a bunch of Internet forum posters full of bitterness who have likely never got closer to him than the TV every two weeks on a Sunday afternoon!
Polite M135 driver said:
i always think of McLaren and the standard jenson button 'balance...' whinge. There was a period of time 2010-2012 where at some races if you took JB's word for it the car was not quick and 'undriveable''. Meanwhile LH was in the top 3.
I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
Well yes and no, the McLaren wasn't great in those days and JB got more points than Hamilton in the same car.I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
No doubt though, Hamilton is an extremely good driver and will probably be remembered as one of the very best. I think all of the top drivers, JB included help the teams develop the car, driver feedback and input is critical.
blueg33 said:
Polite M135 driver said:
i always think of McLaren and the standard jenson button 'balance...' whinge. There was a period of time 2010-2012 where at some races if you took JB's word for it the car was not quick and 'undriveable''. Meanwhile LH was in the top 3.
I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
Well yes and no, the McLaren wasn't great in those days and JB got more points than Hamilton in the same car.I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
The statistics reflecting the situation in a 2 car finish are rather more representative. I remember James Allen did a good breakdown of it at the time.
paulguitar said:
blueg33 said:
Polite M135 driver said:
i always think of McLaren and the standard jenson button 'balance...' whinge. There was a period of time 2010-2012 where at some races if you took JB's word for it the car was not quick and 'undriveable''. Meanwhile LH was in the top 3.
I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
Well yes and no, the McLaren wasn't great in those days and JB got more points than Hamilton in the same car.I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
The statistics reflecting the situation in a 2 car finish are rather more representative. I remember James Allen did a good breakdown of it at the time.
Never did JB v FA or LH v FA.
Gaz. said:
angrymoby said:
Soooo...
WDC number 5 pretty much in the bag
2 years still to run at Merc & still 'only' 33 (& 4 years younger than the reitiring Fred)
Schumacher's 7 & 91 doesn't quite look as safe as it once did does it?
21 victories required in the next 45 races, I think that’s ambitious tbh. WDC number 5 pretty much in the bag
2 years still to run at Merc & still 'only' 33 (& 4 years younger than the reitiring Fred)
Schumacher's 7 & 91 doesn't quite look as safe as it once did does it?
blueg33 said:
Polite M135 driver said:
i always think of McLaren and the standard jenson button 'balance...' whinge. There was a period of time 2010-2012 where at some races if you took JB's word for it the car was not quick and 'undriveable''. Meanwhile LH was in the top 3.
I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
Well yes and no, the McLaren wasn't great in those days and JB got more points than Hamilton in the same car.I think hamilton not only helps with car development he helps refine models of what the cars can do. I think 2 out of the last 3 races (singapore, suzuka) i've read reports that hamilton recorded times in qualifying/practice that were beyond what mercedes engineers though the car was capable of.
No doubt though, Hamilton is an extremely good driver and will probably be remembered as one of the very best. I think all of the top drivers, JB included help the teams develop the car, driver feedback and input is critical.
Hamilton finished above Button in 2 out of the 3 seasons they were together.
Dig a bit into their records and Button is miles off in terms of qualifying for instance. But he tended to get his car to the end of races more often. And fair play to him for that.
paulguitar said:
Anyone who has watched the races in 2018 will have seen that the Merc was certainly not ‘by far the best car’ at all of them. And yet, Hamilton has cleaned up.
Frankly if there are folks still doubting Hamilton’s ability, they either genuinely don't understand racing or they have a personal issue with Hamilton. Either way they are making themselves appear rather foolish.
It's foolish and objectively impossible to justify when you look at:Frankly if there are folks still doubting Hamilton’s ability, they either genuinely don't understand racing or they have a personal issue with Hamilton. Either way they are making themselves appear rather foolish.
In Formula Renault he had the best ever season with 13 podiums out of 15 races and winning 10. In F3, he again had the best ever season 17 podiums out of 20 winning 15! In neither of these do the cars matter anywhere near as much.
In 2007 he joined F1 and went to a team that hadn't won a constructors championship in 10 years. He drove alongside the reigning world champion and finished ahead of him coming 2nd in the WDC (By most other measures he outperformed him) he was 12 points clear in the drivers with 2 races to go - the best ever performance by a rookie F1 driver. The following year he won what we now know is their only drivers championship in the past 19 years.
In 2013 he replaced the most successful F1 driver ever, in a team that had never managed higher than 4th in the constructors (They were 5th in 2012). In his second year they won the constructors and he became one of only 10 drivers to win WDC titles with different teams. He has won 2 more since (And is a dead cert to win this year) and the team have won every one.
A favourite measure for driver ability is wet weather driving. He has won every wet race since Hungary in 2014 (Where he could only manage third having started last).
He has had more pole positions than any driver, is second overall in race wins and podiums. He holds the record for consecutive points finishes, He looks almost certain to go second in WDCs. He has the best ratio of the past 50 years for starts to wins and podiums.
Edited by Graveworm on Sunday 7th October 21:53
Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff