Malaysia Grand Prix 2012, Kuala Lumpur - Race 2/20

Surnama gets it. I think Lewis has more skill than Button (for Dannyjo, my definition of skill is putting a guy in a fast car and asking him to drive the balls of it). In GP2 Hamilton has shown that when the playingfield is level and he is on his game he is unstoppable.

But skill is only 1 part of what makes the complete driver. There is so much more to being the complete F1 driver than just raw skill in the cockpit. Things like common sense, ability to make clear judgements on and off the track, being able to handle the media, being able to see the positives in a bad situation, being able to handle pressure, being able to communicate well with your team, etc. There is so much more to being a driver than just being able to drive fast.

I think Hamilton has it over Button in his ability to drive a car fast, but I think Button is ahead of Hamilton in every other aspect of being 'the complete driver'. Especially when it comes to dealing with poor situations. Lewis is terrible at this, as we have all seen. Also making decision in the heat of the moment, which Button has excelled at at times.

Its that line your hear on commmentary a lot, "x driver is a racer". To me this is a guy who doesn't want to worry about, or cant cope with things that go on around him or outside of the car, all he wants to do is get in a fast car and drive it fast. At the moment this group includes people like Kimi* and Lewis. While there is another group of more 'complete drivers' that include people like Button and Vettel and (when Ferrari aren't gagging him) Alonso.

Its about their attitude towards the complete picture of F1, rather than just their ability when in the car, and in that regard I think Button is ahead of Lewis.

(* - I know Kimi's attitude towards the media is out of choice and not an inability to handle it, but you get what I'm saying).
 
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Mr Men said:
Ferrari gag Alonso? he seems pretty open and honest to me.
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I agree, he does. But there are times when he has shunned the media (testing this year, for example), but I've always got the impression its because Ferrari have told him to keep shhh, rather than because he has decided he doesn't want to talk to anyone. Most of the time he is open and diplomatic about his opinions. He is another one who is very good at seeing the positives in bad situations, like this years Ferrari for example. He hasn't just gone "its ****, were going to be **** this year!" and thrown his toys out the pram, he has said there are issues, he has said there is promise in the car, and he has set about getting on with development.
 
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Felipe Massa is convinced that his change of chassis for this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix has had a positive effect after the first day of free practice.

Ferrari gave the Brazilian a new chassis for this weekend after Massa complained of his car feeling very strange during the Australian GP weekend. And after taking to the track at Sepang, he said he felt much happier with the F2012.

"I started in the morning with a completely different car and it felt good," Massa told reporters in the Sepang paddock. "The car is more normal, so we can be more competitive here compared to [Fernando] Alonso."

He added that Ferrari got a lot of answers about what doesn't work with its car in the second session, which should enable it to make progress ahead of qualifying on Saturday.

"In the afternoon, we tried some different pieces, including pieces we tried in Australia," said Massa. "And everything went in a worse direction.

"So that was positive to understand. The car was completely different to the morning and that can be very positive to find out why things were difficult in Australia.

"Tomorrow, the car can be a big step and much more competitive than what you have seen in terms of lap time [in free practice]."

Massa said that his target overnight would be to improve the handling at the rear of the car.

"We are suffering with instability at the rear, especially in the slow corners," he said. "There are so many things we didn't understand and now we are starting to understand everything.

"We don't have a very competitive car but I hope that we can fight for as many points as possible. I want to get in the car with everything right, the best we have. And that will be tomorrow."
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We shall see, I don't think Ferrari have any idea what is wrong TBH, seems like 2010 all over again and they just turn up and see how the car goes. Flavio is probably keeping in touch with Luca di :D
 
Skeeter said:
Surnama gets it. I think Lewis has more skill than Button (for Dannyjo, my definition of skill is putting a guy in a fast car and asking him to drive the balls of it). In GP2 Hamilton has shown that when the playingfield is level and he is on his game he is unstoppable.
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Thanks I'd like to discuss this more but I really don't want to clog up this thread for everyone else. I will start a thread on it in a moment, I will gather some of the coments together and take it from there :)
 
dannyjo22 said:
I asked before and you didn't answer, please define natural ability and why you think he has more?
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Natural ability in any sport, is the ability to do something in that sport, without much training.

For instance, if you see what Paul Gasoigne did in 1996, Euro '96, vs Scotland. He back heeled the ball into the air, over his head to make a shot. This sort of thing can rarely be taught/practiced/trained into a sportsman. At the time, nobody in the England team could do that.

Another example is Usain Bolt. Even without much training this guy would be a fast runner. Conversely, you look at someone like Tyson Gay (who is almost as fast), but needs A LOT of training to achieve similar race times.

Hamilton - this guy can jump into any car and be fast. Very little practice is required. Gilles Villeneuve was similar. This natural ability allowed Hamilton to be fast (compared to Alonso...yes, Alonso), immediately, from Race1 onwards.

When you have huge amounts of natural ability (for that sport), you can take part in the sport and immediately compete at a high level, with very little training.
 
dannyjo22 said:
Thanks I'd like to discuss this more but I really don't want to clog up this thread for everyone else. I will start a thread on it in a moment, I will gather some of the coments together and take it from there :)
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Yeah cool, its an interesting discussion point as there is so much evidence for and against and the playing field, as we know, is never truly level.
 
Just watching replay of FP1.

Commentators need to be more aware of when the team radio is being played. Last year the BBC guys did well at this. Sky not so good.
 
Not a huge fan of this track. It's too wide and dwarfs the F1 cars.

The fact they are saying that as Turkey is no longer on the calendar, this is the best Tilke circuit... Thats not saying much about it really.

McLaren still looking the best car out there. Mercedes still looking fast. Ferrari looking ok in Alonso's hands and frankly terrible in Massa's.
 
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