Anyone else worried about Lewis?

[john-e89]

That’s what they said about Schumacher, they also said his 7 titles would never be equalled....
.....never say never.....

As I said, there will never be another like Lewis. His skill level is above anything we've seen before.

You ever seen Fangio and Jim Clark drive, just two examples...?

It’d be quite alarming if Hamilton wasn’t better than Verstappen, he’s had 10 odd years longer in F1.

 

[buzyg]

That’s what they said about Schumacher, they also said his 7 titles would never be equalled....
.....never say never.....

As I said, there will never be another like Lewis. His skill level is above anything we've seen before.

Lewis Hamilton also came from very humble beginnings, in F1 terms. He really has no piers in the modern era IMHO. How he keeps his feet any where near the ground is a demonstration of who he is inside and the upbringing he must have had. Good look to the man, his talents are without equal in modern F1 and some how he deals with all the expectations and political cr#p without going completely off the rails. The team around him undoubtable has a huge impact on this, but in the end it's Lewis Hamilton that has to deliver and he does it..

Hope you make number eight sometime Lewis and that your views a of where society could improve are listens to.

 

[john-e89]

Title No 8 next year is all but guaranteed.

 

[Mr Tidy]

All I know is he is the best I've ever seen in the 40+ years I've been following F1.

I never saw Fangio or Clark but my Dad used to really rate Clark, although he might have been a bit biased as he was also a Scot! But since he was only 32 when he had his fatal crash he may well have taken more titles if it hadn't happened.

The biggest difference between then and now was that Clark raced successfully in all sorts of cars, not just F1.

But that doesn't make what Lewis has achieved any less impressive, and I also hope he does get number eight!

 

[GJ1]

Loved Hamilton ever since he came on the F1 scene. He did things on the race track I'd not seen up to that point.
So glad he won the 7th in style. He's not perfect - but none of us are.
He's worked incredibly hard from a young age and deserves his successes.

 

[exdos]

You ever seen Fangio and Jim Clark drive, just two examples...?

Of course, I'm old! Those two guys were brilliant and very brave. I would say Sir Stirling Moss was up there with them too.

Fangio was 39 years old when he entered F1 and 47 when he packed up. If Lewis keeps going until he's that old then he will rack up a massive total of wins and championships.

It’d be quite alarming if Hamilton wasn’t better than Verstappen, he’s had 10 odd years longer in F1.

Lewis was beating the 2 time World Drivers Champion (Alonso) in his first season...

 

[john-e89]

You ever seen Fangio and Jim Clark drive, just two examples...?

Of course, I'm old! Those two guys were brilliant and very brave. I would say Sir Stirling Moss was up there with them too.

Fangio was 39 years old when he entered F1 and 47 when he packed up. If Lewis keeps going until he's that old then he will rack up a massive total of wins and championships.

It’d be quite alarming if Hamilton wasn’t better than Verstappen, he’s had 10 odd years longer in F1.

Lewis was beating the 2 time World Drivers Champion (Alonso) in his first season...

Oh indeed, Fangio and Clark are just two examples of many...!

Hamilton got under Alonso’s skin at a time when Alonso was having grief with, and was frankly very pissed off with Ron Dennis and McLaren. It’s true he perhaps might have handled it better, but he was a very fiesty Spaniard at the time and was expecting more support, Hammy took advantage and good for him. Alonso has made all the wrong moves at all the wrong times in his career, some his doing, some not. He was, however, over a quali lap and race distance utterly superb, his race pace was like a metronome, lap after lap he was consistently easily within a tenth and much less than his previous lap, he remains the equal and better than Hamilton imho. As for Verstappen, he has a hunger like no one else at the moment, it’s this hunger that makes the odd mistake, he wants it so bad, there’s no one else capable of delivering the race pace and quali laps of the Red Bull like he does and he’s still so young. Put Verstappen in the Merc and I’m convinced he’d be within a tenth of Hamilton or much less, he’s on a totally different level to the meek and as far as driving goes, gutless Bottas, and even he can out quali Hamilton on his day. We'll never know as there’s no way Hamilton would have Verstappen in the sister Merc, he knows he’d be pushed harder than anyone has ever pushed him. He says he relishes a fight, well let Max drive a Merc then, Max would go to Merc like a shot, but he won’t get a chance as long as Hamilton is there as he'll block it. I can’t deny Hamilton is awesome, but he’s scared of Verstappen.

All imo obvs.

 

[enuff_zed]

I'm not sure it's just LH who would block MV going to Mercedes. I don't think the team would want the hassles of managing them both. They already have enough in the team to waltz to both titles every year. The dynamic works for them. Yes MV would be awesome and the two of them would push each other to great things on the track, but the cosy, comfortable set up would disappear I think.

 

[john-e89]

Oh agreed Enuff, but they’re shallow victories as far as the drivers title is concerned. The benchmark of a driver is how well you perform compared with your team mate with the same equipment, nothing else is as accurate of how well you’re doing and apart from Alonso when he was having a bit of a tantrum Hamilton hasn’t really had anybody in the sister car capable of keeping with him on a consistent level apart from Rosberg especially in 2016, and in general he kept Hammy pretty honest most of the time and you’d never say Rosberg was a great would you, but he certainly could get under Hams skin and make him crack from time to time, Hammy was better of course than Rosberg as Rosberg couldn’t think outside the box, if it wasn’t normal service he was knackered. I doubt anyone could argue Verstappen is better than Rosberg, he wrings the neck of the Red Bull and is the only driver capable of pushing the Mercs at the moment, Leclerc cant get the most out of the Ferrari and he’s pretty handy, it’s only Verstappen thats shining as a truly great driver, he’s still very young but has produced some incredible races. Hamilton will easily cruise to his eighth title next year, spout all the crap about how hard it is and how he doesn’t think of titles but let’s be real, he wants to be considered the best ever, well why not have a driver in the sister car that’s got a chance of beating him on a consistent level, beat that guy, then he can say he’s really done it. Next year will be a shallow, easy, boring season again, he’s more than happy with Bottas as he can easily outgun him time after time, personally I don’t think he could with Verstappen, i fact I think it’d be as close a season as you’d get, but it won’t happen, such a shame. I stopped watching it 7 races ago and I’ve been watching F1 since the 70’s, enough is enough, and I won’t bother with next season either. I’ll,start again in 2022 with all the new regs etc.

He’ll get 8, but not on outright merit until he’s pushed imho, which means nothing and I’ll get slated to death and hate replies for saying it but there it is, he’s not the greatest by a long shot.

 

[exdos]

Oh indeed, Fangio and Clark are just two examples of many...!

Hamilton got under Alonso’s skin at a time when Alonso was having grief with, and was frankly very pissed off with Ron Dennis and McLaren. It’s true he perhaps might have handled it better, but he was a very fiesty Spaniard at the time and was expecting more support, Hammy took advantage and good for him. Alonso has made all the wrong moves at all the wrong times in his career, some his doing, some not. He was, however, over a quali lap and race distance utterly superb, his race pace was like a metronome, lap after lap he was consistently easily within a tenth and much less than his previous lap, he remains the equal and better than Hamilton imho. As for Verstappen, he has a hunger like no one else at the moment, it’s this hunger that makes the odd mistake, he wants it so bad, there’s no one else capable of delivering the race pace and quali laps of the Red Bull like he does and he’s still so young. Put Verstappen in the Merc and I’m convinced he’d be within a tenth of Hamilton or much less, he’s on a totally different level to the meek and as far as driving goes, gutless Bottas, and even he can out quali Hamilton on his day. We'll never know as there’s no way Hamilton would have Verstappen in the sister Merc, he knows he’d be pushed harder than anyone has ever pushed him. He says he relishes a fight, well let Max drive a Merc then, Max would go to Merc like a shot, but he won’t get a chance as long as Hamilton is there as he'll block it. I can’t deny Hamilton is awesome, but he’s scared of Verstappen.

All imo obvs.

John,

Max has had 116 starts in F1 which is nearly as may as Fangio (51 starts) and Clark (72 starts) put together, so nobody can claim he's now inexperienced.

I acknowledge that Verstappen is fast but he's been allowed to drive dangerously, and the stewards have permitted him to get away with "murder" time and again. He has calmed down a little but he still needs to be given a wide berth by the other drivers.

It was clear that in the cold and wet conditions that prevailed in Turkey at the weekend, Mercedes didn't have the best car for those conditions, and so any advantage that Mercedes might have had the rest of the season was neutralised and the race was all about driver ability. Max made unforced driver errors which cost him dear and ultimately finished the race in 6th place just 1.6seconds ahead of Albon who has been struggling to perform at a similar level all season. Since Max is supposed to be the "Rainmiester" starting 2nd on the grid, the race was his for the taking, especially since Lewis had no need to go for the race win to secure his 7th WDC title whilst Bottas remained behind in the race. This is just one example why I think Max is grossly over-rated.

Max is a hot-head and that'll be his downfall. As I said earlier his balls are bigger than his brain and as Lewis has demonstrated throughout his career, the race is won at the end of the race and not by a few banzai moves. The difference between Lewis and Max is their upbringing under the influence and attitude of their respective fathers: one believes that even if you have outstanding talent you still have to work hard to achieve everything whereas the other has a strong feeling of entitlement because of his outstanding talent.

All my opinion only.

 

[john-e89]

Oh indeed, Fangio and Clark are just two examples of many...!

Hamilton got under Alonso’s skin at a time when Alonso was having grief with, and was frankly very pissed off with Ron Dennis and McLaren. It’s true he perhaps might have handled it better, but he was a very fiesty Spaniard at the time and was expecting more support, Hammy took advantage and good for him. Alonso has made all the wrong moves at all the wrong times in his career, some his doing, some not. He was, however, over a quali lap and race distance utterly superb, his race pace was like a metronome, lap after lap he was consistently easily within a tenth and much less than his previous lap, he remains the equal and better than Hamilton imho. As for Verstappen, he has a hunger like no one else at the moment, it’s this hunger that makes the odd mistake, he wants it so bad, there’s no one else capable of delivering the race pace and quali laps of the Red Bull like he does and he’s still so young. Put Verstappen in the Merc and I’m convinced he’d be within a tenth of Hamilton or much less, he’s on a totally different level to the meek and as far as driving goes, gutless Bottas, and even he can out quali Hamilton on his day. We'll never know as there’s no way Hamilton would have Verstappen in the sister Merc, he knows he’d be pushed harder than anyone has ever pushed him. He says he relishes a fight, well let Max drive a Merc then, Max would go to Merc like a shot, but he won’t get a chance as long as Hamilton is there as he'll block it. I can’t deny Hamilton is awesome, but he’s scared of Verstappen.

All imo obvs.

John,

Max has had 116 starts in F1 which is nearly as may as Fangio (51 starts) and Clark (72 starts) put together, so nobody can claim he's now inexperienced.

I acknowledge that Verstappen is fast but he's been allowed to drive dangerously, and the stewards have permitted him to get away with "murder" time and again. He has calmed down a little but he still needs to be given a wide berth by the other drivers.

It was clear that in the cold and wet conditions that prevailed in Turkey at the weekend, Mercedes didn't have the best car for those conditions, and so any advantage that Mercedes might have had the rest of the season was neutralised and the race was all about driver ability. Max made unforced driver errors which cost him dear and ultimately finished the race in 6th place just 1.6seconds ahead of Albon who has been struggling to perform at a similar level all season. Since Max is supposed to be the "Rainmiester" starting 2nd on the grid, the race was his for the taking, especially since Lewis had no need to go for the race win to secure his 7th WDC title whilst Bottas remained behind in the race. This is just one example why I think Max is grossly over-rated.

Max is a hot-head and that'll be his downfall. As I said earlier his balls are bigger than his brain and as Lewis has demonstrated throughout his career, the race is won at the end of the race and not by a few banzai moves. The difference between Lewis and Max is their upbringing under the influence and attitude of their respective fathers: one believes that even if you have outstanding talent you still have to work hard to achieve everything whereas the other has a strong feeling of entitlement because of his outstanding talent.

All my opinion only.

One race doth not a season make. Max is called the rain master from previous races, ok he might have ballsed this weekend up but Hamilton has done the same in the past, earlier this year he completely screwed up, I can’t remember which race offhand tbh, and finished 6th from pole in the wet. They all mess up at some point.

Regarding upbringing, unless you were in both households I don’t know how one would be able to comment, Jos Verstappen never came across as an entitled sort imho. I don’t think Max is entitled at all, he grafts at his craft same as Hammy does, it’s true he’s a hot head, no doubt, but that’s down to his hunger, not entitlement. Hamilton’s never had to graft, his dad did it all, just like Jos helped Max into motorsport, same as most of them if were honest, no F1 driver gets into this level without having substantial backing from an early age wherever it comes from.

We can throw opinions back and forth all day but they’re pretty useless, comes down to one thing, if Hammy wants to be the best let him fight with someone capable of fighting him, and he’s there on the grid already in a Red Bull and let’s see just how good he is because it’s all conjecture until they sit side by side in the same equipment. He hasn’t got the balls. Verstappen would do it in a heartbeat.

 

[exdos]

We can throw opinions back and forth all day but they’re pretty useless, comes down to one thing, if Hammy wants to be the best let him fight with someone capable of fighting him, and he’s there on the grid already in a Red Bull and let’s see just how good he is because it’s all conjecture until they sit side by side in the same equipment. He hasn’t got the balls. Verstappen would do it in a heartbeat.

I don't think the choice is Lewis' to make. Why would Toto Wolff want to risk Team Mercedes losing 44points towards the Constructors Championship in each race due to the coming together of his 2 drivers on track? Toto's been there before and his brains are certainly bigger than Max's.

 

[MrPT]

The difference between Lewis and Max is their upbringing under the influence and attitude of their respective fathers: one believes that even if you have outstanding talent you still have to work hard to achieve everything whereas the other has a strong feeling of entitlement because of his outstanding talent.

Plus one is a platinum grade bellend who will be best remembered for being on fire. :lol:

There is some good chat on this in the latest Collecting Cars podcast with Jenson Button. He said in the early days Lewis would nearly always have him in quali and then lacked the racecraft to convert it. JB would sit back watch him destroy his tyres or make silly mistakes and literally drive around him. But his take on what then happened is that Lewis matured very fast, even during his time at McLaren, and the marriage with Wollf/Lauda was of course a recipe for success. I won’t ruin it for people who haven’t listened, but he was extremely complementary (always a gent, eh?!).

He also said he thinks Verstappen has the edge on him over a single lap, but obviously there’s still a huge element of risk taking there. Just look at how much quicker drivers can go sometime see when they have a fast “banker” on the cards already. It’s not as if they weren’t trying the first time.

 

[john-e89]

We can throw opinions back and forth all day but they’re pretty useless, comes down to one thing, if Hammy wants to be the best let him fight with someone capable of fighting him, and he’s there on the grid already in a Red Bull and let’s see just how good he is because it’s all conjecture until they sit side by side in the same equipment. He hasn’t got the balls. Verstappen would do it in a heartbeat.

I don't think the choice is Lewis' to make. Why would Toto Wolff want to risk Team Mercedes losing 44points towards the Constructors Championship in each race due to the coming together of his 2 drivers on track? Toto's been there before and his brains are certainly bigger than Max's.

:? I’d wager if Hammy pushed for it it would happen. Toto Wolff is a racing fan. They’re not going to come together every race are they, that’s crazy. Rosberg and Hammy had plenty of hairy moments plus comings together on track, so,much so that they both had bollockings but Wolff was still happy to keep both of them, it was only Rosberg that wanted out, he wasn’t squeezed in the slightest by Wolff, he may still be there if he hadn’t quit. Verstappen’s very bullish in a driver world now that’s stale and without characters or fighters. If one driver gets close to another they’re all crying, including Max, it’s a bit pathetic. Raikkonens past it but he was the last character in F1 but at least there’s some excitement when Max is driving. Brundle made a comment earlier in this season, thank God for Verstappen being here, and it’s true, he’s the only one stirring up the flaccid stale faceless crowd we’ve got now. Hamilton doesn’t have the balls to fight him, let him have have his meaningless 8th title, where’s the satisfaction in a walk on the park when you could have a proper gloves off battle....?

 

[buzyg]

Looks like Lewis decided to give some one else a go for next weekend. Hope he is well and that his replacement has a good weekend.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/lewis-hamilton-tests-positive-covid-19-coronavirus-f1-news-sakhir-grand-prix-bahrain-b125699.html

 

[enuff_zed]

Looks like Lewis decided to give some one else a go for next weekend. Hope he is well and that his replacement has a good weekend.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/lewis-hamilton-tests-positive-covid-19-coronavirus-f1-news-sakhir-grand-prix-bahrain-b125699.html

Would like to see Russell get a go. Depends how charitable Williams are feeling and whether Mercedes give them a decent replacement.
More likely to be Vandoorne though I guess?

Either way, an interesting test for Bottas.

 

[john-e89]

Can’t see Williams letting Russell go, they have a chance of leapfrogging Haas in the constructors and its Russell whose their best option to do it, Latifi has been nowhere. But you never know.

 

[gov]

be interesting to see how LH's replacement gets on - if he wins the LH bashers will say " I told you so ....it's the car not the driver ! " if he loses they'll say " Mercedes didn't give him the same car as LH as they didn't want to tarnish his reputation as the best driver !"

can't really understand the hatred levelled at LH - he may not be the best driver in history but few drivers around can compete with him as an all rounder !

 

[Mr Tidy]

Yes, when I heard he had tested positive my first thought was it was just as well he had already won the title.

But as others have said it will be interesting to see how his replacement gets on!

 

[john-e89]

Ermmmmmm if anyone wins other than Bottas wins then surely he has to go...at long last.... :roll: Super nice guy but about as much fight in him as Kier Starmer.... :lol:

Christ if F1 needs something right now it’s someone capable of driving the sister Merc to its capabilities and giving Hammy a tough time for once.... :roll: