Damn you, CS||nuTs!
Looks like Force India have a lot planned
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68595
Looks like Force India have a lot planned
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68595
2008 French Grand Prix - Race 8/17
- Thread starter rpstewart
- Start date
Damn you, CS||nuTs!
Looks like Force India have a lot planned
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68595
Its great to see Force India making a real go of it.
Was just looking on Fleabay and Club Silverstone tickets are going for £185+ and still have 4 days to run
Well im sure i can get you free or at least very cheap tickets for next year if you give me enough warning.
For starters Button had to pay 10 million or something of that order to get out of the williams deal. That money didnt come from Jenson, no doubt honda paid it and have Jenson nailed to the floor. He isn't able to go anywhere until his deal finishes. I'd bet my house honda funded that get out and added a huge get out clause of their own.
Mclaren give Jenson backing alongside golden boy? You have to be freaking kidding me.
Did they back DC against Hakkinen despite prior to having a championship winning car DC scoring more points and wins. No ron looked gutted everytime DC won.
Did they back JPM against Kimi, not a chance they unsettled JPM from about race two, which was very odd after the lengths they went to get him from williams.
Did they back Alonso?
I say Kudos to Button for not going there, signing a back up drivers deal and trying to find his own way.
Senna had won 3 world titles and never negoitated to drive for free. Wanting a 3 times champion and the greatest driver ever to put on a pair of driving gloves is a lot different to button offering his services for free.
JV offered to drive for ferrari for free against MS but they didnt take him up on it. If the team doesnt want you they dont want you.
You mention renault, the chances of JB going there while flav is still there is zero. There are no better options long term than Honda for Jenson. Until they unlock engine power/rule change the only teams that will win a title are Mclaren or Ferrari. He may as well gamble with Brawn working wonders.
Realistically there are no better teams for him to be able to go to. He will be forced to sign another honda deal. I don't think he can now gamble on letting his deal run out and find another drive hoping a seat becomes available.
Could be a good move for both parties but can't see it happening. Stranger things have happened though. We are still not 100% sure what our driver lineup will be yet although i hope we keep webber at least.
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A lot has been said about Hamilton but he really is letting himself down this year. Stupid mistake after stupid mistake. Canada was his for the taking if he had kept his eyes open when leaving the pits. On Sunday he should have just given the position back and passed him on the next lap. He either needs to pull himself together or clear off back to GP2. After all, he is'nt paid £18m to make mistakes. He will not be world champion this year. In fact, the way he's going he will be lucky to be in the top three at the end of the season. It's also costing McLaren valuable constructors points. They are now 33 points behind Ferrari and 16 behind BMW Sauber. Both of those teams are fairly consistent yet McLaren are all over the place. It will be consistency that wins the chapionships and we are half way into the season now. It is not looking good for McLaren and their drivers so far.
The most striking thing about Hamilton's 2008 season so far to me is this:
By this point in the '07 season, he had two wins.
By this point in this '08 season, he also has two wins.
But the consistency that saw him finish on the podium every race right up to the European GP has just vanished. He only retired once last year (when he and his team completely cocked up their Chinese GP and ruined the rather decent shot Hamilton had at taking the title). This year, he's already retired from one race - who honestly thinks that on current form he'll make it all the way to the end of this season without failing to finish again? On a similar note, he only failed to score twice all through 2007 - the aformentioned European and Chinese GPs. Already this year he's failed to score three times.
He doesn't need any more speed - he just needs to get himself back into that relentless mode he was in for most of last year.
By this point in the '07 season, he had two wins.
By this point in this '08 season, he also has two wins.
But the consistency that saw him finish on the podium every race right up to the European GP has just vanished. He only retired once last year (when he and his team completely cocked up their Chinese GP and ruined the rather decent shot Hamilton had at taking the title). This year, he's already retired from one race - who honestly thinks that on current form he'll make it all the way to the end of this season without failing to finish again? On a similar note, he only failed to score twice all through 2007 - the aformentioned European and Chinese GPs. Already this year he's failed to score three times.
He doesn't need any more speed - he just needs to get himself back into that relentless mode he was in for most of last year.
He needs to forget about the press. Avoid them. Don't even have pre-race interviews with them, not even ITV!
He should avoid settings expectations too. Like in France he said some BS to ITV about "legends being born from the back, not the front".
I don't know why he gets so wound up by the gutter press. Who cares? If you win the title by the end of the season all that rubbish is quickly forgotten!
Part of the problem is that his car just is NOT as good as it was last year. And last year he was very significantly boosted by Ferrari's main man still getting used to the new car, the brakes (which in the end he had Ferrari change the pad material on!) and the Bridgestone tyres... He needs to come to terms with the fact that his car isn't as good and alter his strategy. He needs to give his team mate some encouragement too. It's not all about just yourself making good results. Get your team mate "up there" and it will be taking away vital points from your rivals too. It's the whole rear gunner thing.
Personally I think he and McLaren can still do it. But only if:
1. LH banishes his media demons and focuses on the job more.
2. HK starts scoring some good points at important times to keep points away from Ferrari and BMW.
3. McLaren improve their car to be realistically on-par with Ferrari - not just at specific tracks but the majority.
4. McLaren improving their sometimes wierd tactical decisions.
5. LH stops making stupid pit lane mistakes.
6. LH accepts that starting in the mid to rear field means your race is already compromised so you shouldn't compromise it further by making risky overtaking moves that 1) could result in a damaged front wing or worse and 2) drive through penalties!
He should avoid settings expectations too. Like in France he said some BS to ITV about "legends being born from the back, not the front".
I don't know why he gets so wound up by the gutter press. Who cares? If you win the title by the end of the season all that rubbish is quickly forgotten!
Part of the problem is that his car just is NOT as good as it was last year. And last year he was very significantly boosted by Ferrari's main man still getting used to the new car, the brakes (which in the end he had Ferrari change the pad material on!) and the Bridgestone tyres... He needs to come to terms with the fact that his car isn't as good and alter his strategy. He needs to give his team mate some encouragement too. It's not all about just yourself making good results. Get your team mate "up there" and it will be taking away vital points from your rivals too. It's the whole rear gunner thing.
Personally I think he and McLaren can still do it. But only if:
1. LH banishes his media demons and focuses on the job more.
2. HK starts scoring some good points at important times to keep points away from Ferrari and BMW.
3. McLaren improve their car to be realistically on-par with Ferrari - not just at specific tracks but the majority.
4. McLaren improving their sometimes wierd tactical decisions.
5. LH stops making stupid pit lane mistakes.
6. LH accepts that starting in the mid to rear field means your race is already compromised so you shouldn't compromise it further by making risky overtaking moves that 1) could result in a damaged front wing or worse and 2) drive through penalties!
Only got back from France late last night, haven't had chance to read through this thread yet but Magny Cours really is in the sticks!
A few times during the race it nearly rained - there was a period about lap 50 where it was raining lightly but never came to anything it was just as everyone was pitting for the 2nd stop so that would have made things more interesting.
I'm not sure what kind of race it was to watch on TV, it's a completely different affair when watching it in person. We managed to catch Heikki and Trulli wheel banging directly in front of us too, might have even caught us in shot on the replays too, will have to check the footage later
A few times during the race it nearly rained - there was a period about lap 50 where it was raining lightly but never came to anything it was just as everyone was pitting for the 2nd stop so that would have made things more interesting.
I'm not sure what kind of race it was to watch on TV, it's a completely different affair when watching it in person. We managed to catch Heikki and Trulli wheel banging directly in front of us too, might have even caught us in shot on the replays too, will have to check the footage later
That'll be alright, ITV will just talk to his dad instead.
Did he?
*sigh*
He makes it terribly difficult to like him. I want to, I really do. And then he does something stupid like stack it in the pits, or stay out on tyres that are shot to hell, or says stuff like the above.
Yep, to be replaced by new rubbish....
Hamilton has pretty much told the world that. Last year the car was "amazing" every time he talked about it. He hasn't praised it nearly as much this year.
If McLaren can improve the car a bit, then that should all fall into place. Heikki willl get encouraged simply by the step up in the car's performance, and Hamilton will be able to return to his 2007 self.
1) I'm not sure he's particularly un-focused right now. But he could do with getting out of the way of the media mob certainly.
2) Agreed, and that'll require some co-operation from McLaren rather than them fixating on Lewis.
3) Yep.
4) Yep. James Hunt used to note that McLaren never responded well in a panic and crisis situation. Seems like nothing ever changes.
5) I don't think we'll ever see a repeat of Canada. At least, I *hope* we don't.
6) Well, if he avoids getting grid penalties in the first place then that takes care of itself
Yeah, apparently his mate text him that message, and so he had to mention it when being interviewed.
I don't know what ITV would do if they couldnt interview Lewis, yeah they could talk to his dad, but they would probably start off on the wrong foot by mentioning the Porsche incident
... yeah they could talk to his dad, but they would probably start off on the wrong foot by mentioning the Porsche incident
Deleted member 11679
Deleted member 11679
LH's attitude stinks at the moment in my opinion. I will always be a British fan, I will always be a fan of McLaren. But at the moment every interview I hear with LH all I hear is arrogance, and not confidence which is what he needs to get back to.
I have found myself more and more being less fussed by who wins the GP and am focussing back on the likes of DC and JB in the midfield/back end of the race.
The sooner someone gives LH a reality check the better, he is not there by devine right.
I have found myself more and more being less fussed by who wins the GP and am focussing back on the likes of DC and JB in the midfield/back end of the race.
The sooner someone gives LH a reality check the better, he is not there by devine right.