GP2 - Nurburgring (race spoiler)
Discussion
All I can can say is - incredible.
Lewis Hamilton's guide to destroying the confidence in your GP2 opposition:-
1) Disappear off into the distance at the start and build up a big lead.
2) After everyone has made their compulsory tyre stops give yourself a lead of about 17seconds.
3) Get called in for a drive through penalty, with no idea why.
4) Come out in 2nd place 7 secs behind your own team mate Alexandre Premat (the guy who dominated the A1 GP series driving for France).
5) Catch up the 7 seconds then overtake him where no one else can at the first opportunity (option to wave as passing).
6) Pull away at over 1 sec per lap to win the race by another 17 seconds.
7) Do this all under the watchful gaze of Ferrari team manager Jean Todt (his son runs the ART team that Lewis drives for).
Lewis Hamilton's guide to destroying the confidence in your GP2 opposition:-
1) Disappear off into the distance at the start and build up a big lead.
2) After everyone has made their compulsory tyre stops give yourself a lead of about 17seconds.
3) Get called in for a drive through penalty, with no idea why.
4) Come out in 2nd place 7 secs behind your own team mate Alexandre Premat (the guy who dominated the A1 GP series driving for France).
5) Catch up the 7 seconds then overtake him where no one else can at the first opportunity (option to wave as passing).
6) Pull away at over 1 sec per lap to win the race by another 17 seconds.
7) Do this all under the watchful gaze of Ferrari team manager Jean Todt (his son runs the ART team that Lewis drives for).
FourWheelDrift said:
I know Lewis is supported by McLaren and has been since his karting days but I wonder if he might have just raised his profile and potential availability for next year, especially under the eyes of the other F1 teams.
McLaren have him tied up tighter than a tight thing. I see him in a Direxiv for 2008, although Alesi is pushing for a 2007 entry, which might be just a year to early for him.
I haven't seen the race yet, but it sounds like it was a magnificent drive. I can't wait to see him in action at Silverstone over the GP weekend.
rubystone said:You reckon Direxiv will be in F1 in '08?
I see him in a Direxiv for 2008, although Alesi is pushing for a 2007 entry, which might be just a year to early for him.
What scenario do you have in mind? More than 24 cars for 24 grid spots, or one of the current 12 dropping out, or somehow using an '07 season to leverage into a 26 car grid in '08?
News today on Lewis, possible drive for 2007.
Crash.net said:
Lewis Hamilton could end up driving alongside Fernando Alonso at McLaren-Mercedes in 2007.
According to autocourse.com and The Guardian columnist Alan Henry it is more than a possibility, although it will almost certainly depend on what Kimi Raikkonen does and if he does go to Ferrari, something which is it itself is tied to whether or not Michael Schumacher will continue in the sport at the end of this season.
"My sources tell me that McLaren offered both Red Bull and BMW Sauber the opportunity to have Lewis Hamilton in their line-ups this year - on loan, of course - but neither entrant availed themselves of the chance," AH wrote in his latest column. "They might well have been kicking themselves when they witnessed the 21-year old's performance in winning the two GP2 races at the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, which was described as 'truly astounding' by one of the McLaren team's top executives - who then admitted that the 21-year old British driver might be considered for a Formula One drive alongside Fernando Alonso in 2007."
Hamilton, who dominated the Euro F3 Series in 2005, on route to convincingly taking the title, is competing in F1's feeder series - GP2 this year with ART Grand Prix. He currently lies second in the championship, one point behind Nelson Piquet Jr.
The Brit has had the support of Ron Dennis and McLaren since he was 11 and had been linked to a drive with a possible McLaren 'B' team in the not so distant future, although that project now looks somewhat fragile, following confirmation recently by the FIA that Prodrive have secured the twelfth and final slot in the sport in 2008.
Rumours suggest that a McLaren 'B' team might still be established for 2007 though, in the hope that more than 12 entries will be allowed in 2008. The fact that the operation will be backed by Japanese luxury good company Direxiv, who also sponsor Hamilton in GP2, is something that will do his cause no harm either.
kevin ritson said:
Sounds like the usual silly season rumour stuff. Bloke does well in some races, team needs a driver, lazy journo does the maths down the boozer. I don't remember Scott Dixon going to Williams or Garry Paffet driving for Sauber...
I take your point, but in this case it's a matter of 'when' he gets into F1, not 'if'. Remember that McLaren have had this bloke under contract since he was ELEVEN years old, they must have pumped at least £1 million into him by now. And Scott Dixon was crap in testing, and although Paffet was quick, he was too old - he's around 25-27 y/o, isn't he??? That's far too old to be starting in today's F1.
We'll soon be having the National Embryo Karting championships...
FWIW - here's my theory for next year. TGF wins 2006 title, retires. Raikkonen goes to Ferrari, Massa stays as number 2. Alonso and Hamilton at McLaren. Fisichella gets the boot from Renault, replaced by Webber. Montoya moves to Williams, with Rosberg. I'm just off down to William Hill now...
GarrettMacD said:
Sounds like the usual silly season rumour stuff. Bloke does well in some races, team needs a driver, lazy journo does the maths down the boozer. I don't remember Scott Dixon going to Williams or Garry Paffet driving for Sauber...
I take your point, but in this case it's a matter of 'when' he gets into F1, not 'if'. Remember that McLaren have had this bloke under contract since he was ELEVEN years old, they must have pumped at least £1 million into him by now. And Scott Dixon was crap in testing, and although Paffet was quick, he was too old - he's around 25-27 y/o, isn't he??? That's far too old to be starting in today's F1.
We'll soon be having the National Embryo Karting championships...
FWIW - here's my theory for next year. TGF wins 2006 title, retires. Raikkonen goes to Ferrari, Massa stays as number 2. Alonso and Hamilton at McLaren. Fisichella gets the boot from Renault, replaced by Webber. Montoya moves to Williams, with Rosberg. I'm just off down to William Hill now...
Don't get me wrong, Hamilton is definitely F1 material (plus he's a marketing dream), however McLaren have taken their time grooming him, otherwise he'd have been in F1 by now. I suspect they'll try and place him with a midfield team to keep the pressure off, then results permitting, a McLaren drive will beckon. For this reason they may be tempted to keep Montoya for another year if Kimi goes to Ferrari, for continuity.
Alternatively, Direxiv buy Midland, Mercedes supply engines for Hamilton/Paffet line up if the sponsors go for an all-British line up.
Interstingly Webber has just stated he'd like to stay at Williams 'if' they want him next year. Sounds like someone's trying to engineer a Renault/Williams tug-of-love salary battle.
FourWheelDrift said:
Hamilton is on pole for Saturday's feature race at Barcelona, the two points he gets gives him the series lead.
Cancel that
Crash.net said:
Barcelona pole sitter Lewis Hamilton and five other drivers have had their two fastest laps wiped after they were judged to have not heeded yellow flag warnings.
Hamilton, who had qualified on pole position for the first time this year at the Circuit de Catalunya and, in the process, inherited the championship lead, will now have to start the race from fourth position, behind Nelson Piquet Jr, Alex Premat and Adam Carroll.
The result also means that Hamilton's place at the top of the drivers' point standings lasted only a few hours, with Piquet's two extra points moving him back into the lead, now four points up on the Briton.
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff