maybe, but when you seem to be unable to hack it and get down over everything...
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Indian Grand Prix 2011, Buddh International Circuit - Race 17/19
- Thread starter Duke
- Start date
maybe, but when you seem to be unable to hack it and get down over everything...
When was the last time you saw a potential multiple world champ have such a bad season?
This is a genuine question.
I don't think I've ever seen a top line driver have a such a bad season. I've seen top drivers in very bad cars, but I've never seen bad driving in a good car.
You also have to consider that in the next few years, his main competition is likely to come from Vettel and Alonso. Using the last 20-odd races to judge Hamilton, I can't see how he is going to beat either of those drivers unless he has a much better car. On top of that, he will have to beat his own team-mate, which is no longer guaranteed.
Soldato
From pitpass, a plea to the media to lay off Lewis.
A particularly important bit:
Yes, it would be lovely if we could trust certain quarters of the press to not print hyperbolic crap. But we can't, and will never be able to. I'm not sure exactly what Simon Fuller and XIX Entertainment are doing for Hamilton, because they don't appear to be looking after him very well at all.
A particularly important bit:
I mean, honestly. What the hell is wrong with the idiots that are supposed to be managing him? Are they asleep at the wheel? Do they care that the guy is being hounded into submission by no-account hacks? And why on Earth has Lewis stuck with these people who are obviously not helping him in any meaningful way at the race track?
Yes, it would be lovely if we could trust certain quarters of the press to not print hyperbolic crap. But we can't, and will never be able to. I'm not sure exactly what Simon Fuller and XIX Entertainment are doing for Hamilton, because they don't appear to be looking after him very well at all.
Man of Honour
Perhaps they do. However next year will be the real test. How many of those viewers will be willing to pay to keep watching?
Soldato
Does Mika Häkkinen's '01 season count? Two-time champion in a car good enough for DC to take 2nd place in the title race, and he wins just two races and finishes the year 5th. Not exactly the same situation, since Mika was nearing the end of his career, but there are some parallels.
I don't think I have really seen someone who showed so much early promise self destruct this way in F1 before....but you get so much more access to the drivers these days.
He *should* be second but Jenson has showed him up terribly this year in his attitude and general demeanour. If he can't handle his relationship break up he's not cut out to be an F1 driver.
He *should* be second but Jenson has showed him up terribly this year in his attitude and general demeanour. If he can't handle his relationship break up he's not cut out to be an F1 driver.
Lewis is pretty lucky that JB hasnt had a car thats as mechanicaly reliable as him this year (ok one of the two was a major fubar by the team at Siverstone pit-stop), otherwise JB would be even further ahead (20 points + ) and that would be getting towards seriously embarassing for Lewis....not to mention the championship would have continued for longer
Even now Lewis needs to get a win and a third place with JB not scoring at all in the last 2 races to beat him - but Jenson is probably concerntrating more on Alonso /Mark for 2nd more than Lewis
(as comentary said - if anyone believes that any of them arent bothered about getting 2nd, you have no idea about the drivers mentality)
Even now Lewis needs to get a win and a third place with JB not scoring at all in the last 2 races to beat him - but Jenson is probably concerntrating more on Alonso /Mark for 2nd more than Lewis
(as comentary said - if anyone believes that any of them arent bothered about getting 2nd, you have no idea about the drivers mentality)
Soldato
Yeah, but come on - you don't have to be sports management to know that you shouldn't let someone who's not in a particularly happy place get bashed around by Fleet Street....
Even though Fuller is managing him from the entertainment angle, he should also give advice on how the media are reporting on him. And, he may even be able to suggest someone who deals specifically with Sports Management. In any business...this is normal, ie. if you think a client needs another service, you offer it to him OR you recommend someone who can assist with the client's needs.
As you said Hakinnen had won his titles and was basically on the way down.
Hamilton is supposed to be at the peak of his powers, aiming to win multiple World titles. He is basically in the same place that Alonso and Vettel are in. Vettel has destroyed his team-mate, as has Alonso. Hamilton on the other hand, is having collisions, every other race. Note: it is not his race/quali pace which is bad, just the high collision rate.
For the record, in all my time watching F1, I have never seen a front running driver have so many collisions.
Man of Honour
You have to remember that Button is a WDC. He's got the ability, and McLaren are supposedly the most equal team when it comes to driver standings. So the cars will be pretty much the same.
Massa isn't consistent enough, and isn't a WDC. Same for Webber. They're also officially #2 drivers, so wont have top notch cars.
You can't compare Button to Massa/Webber, that's insulting to him
I don't think sunama was insulting him, but Jenson was widely tipped to be eaten alive by hamilton, something which to be honest hasn't happened. Jenson wasn't considered to be a top driver by many whilst hamilton was, but on reading stuff this week I feel the roles are being reversed. Many people, myself included, though JB to McLaren was a bad move, I reckon Hamilton is the one regretting it now as JB is heading towards the no. 1 status in the team, although McLaren are very keen to be unbiased
I think the breakup is probably a symptom rather than the ailment.
The breakdown in the relationship with his father must have hit him pretty hard but again, this might be a result rather than the cause. Both he and Jenson have said that the sponsorship commitments have been ridiculous this season and who knows what else has been eating away at him for some time. I think there's been a knock-on effect of all of the above on his performances, and each race that has gone badly has then influenced the next, then to top it off, his team mate has been having a blinder.
It almost seems like depression or a drug addiction to me.
Not sure if serious.
Montoya was never expected to win multiple World titles.
Also, Montoya didn't have a collision rate of 1 in every other race (correct me if I'm wrong). Hamilton's collision rate is the worst that I can remember. Some back of the grid drivers can be collision happy, but they usually get fired pretty quickly.
Hamilton, after 2007, moved himself right alongside Alonso (regarded as the best driver in F1). In 2008, he won the title, in 2009 and 2010, in less than great cars, he did a fantastic job. In 2010, he finished ahead of Button, which was expected.
In the 2nd half of 2011, it has all fallen apart and there doesn't seem to be any particular reason for this. People are pointing to his relationship problems...but that is ridiculous. As someone else stated, many F1 drivers have relationship problems...they don't fall apart like this.
Basically, I expected Hamilton to do, what Vettel is actually doing, ie. breaking records.
And with regards to Button vs Hamilton, 3dcandy got it in one. No one expects Hamilton to do to Button, as Alonso is doing to Massa, but to finish behind him...this is a problem brought about mainly by his high collision rate, not his flat speed (which is still impressive).
Soldato
Senna? Schumacher?
It is not so much how many collisions, it is more the fact that nearly every collision has made him worse off, either through unrepairable damage or penalties which may not have been levied on the others mentioned above.
What worries me is that Hamilton could easily be slipping into depression, and yet people continue to hound him or tell him to "pull up his socks" or some such silliness. Robert Enke should have been a wake up to all sports, not just German football.
Alonso, the Renault years after McLaren. Bad for a different reason, but still bad years.
Multiple drivers have had bad years. The defining factor is not the bad year, but how you drag yourself out of it. I will hold judgement until we are well into the 2012 season.
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