2024 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[Mosin123]

Max didn’t jump cold into F1. He had many private tests from Red Bull with older F1 cars to prepare him for F1. So he was well prepared.

And come on guys, we are in the Mercedes team thread. Max isn’t a Mercedes driver. So could we please stop this Max is better than Lewis in here.

If it was me having these discusions, ill have had a warning froma mod in my mail and my posts removed by now......

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Max didn’t jump cold into F1. He had many private tests from Red Bull with older F1 cars to prepare him for F1. So he was well prepared.

And come on guys, we are in the Mercedes team thread. Max isn’t a Mercedes driver. So could we please stop this Max is better than Lewis in here.

The 17-year-old child was he well prepared for F1? When Max came into F1, he was considered a danger to others, so I wouldn't say he was well prepared. Testing old cars is nothing compared to the unlimited testing for current cars. Antonelli is following in Max's footsteps, where there is such a rush to bring him to F1. Let's see if he is going to sink or swim.

[j_ste]

As much as I love him, that's why for me he can never be the GOAT. Lewis just has too many weekends where he's not at the races, Max might have one or two tops, the same for prime Schumacher, Senna, etc.

Lol. You know whats funny? You fall into the same set of people Papaya fan is talking about!

Lewis is actually the most consitent driver if going by data. It's just that his off days are scrutinized more than any other.

All the people you mentioned above had and do have their crappy days, and had many clumsy drives when the car was not there for them or old age, rankled by rival drivers etc. Just as much, if not more.

For me, Lewis is the GOAT considering his abilities inside the car, outside the car, wet weather, qualifying, race pace, overtaking, clean racing, politically agnostic, being welcoming to fans and rookies etc. It's hard to find another champion with as much balance in their qualities.

He really isn't, how often did you see Senna, Schumacher, Verstappen, etc lost for pace and missing for the weekend. Yes they made some costly errors but apart from an elderly Schumacher who'd been out of the sport for 3 years they seldom struggled for pace. I just don't think Hamilton has that out and out speed to be classed in their league.

Elderly Michael…lord. He had driven fewer races than Lewis has at this point by quite a way and was younger than Fernando is right now.

Elderly! Christ alive.

[DRS]

Lol. You know whats funny? You fall into the same set of people Papaya fan is talking about!

Lewis is actually the most consitent driver if going by data. It's just that his off days are scrutinized more than any other.

All the people you mentioned above had and do have their crappy days, and had many clumsy drives when the car was not there for them or old age, rankled by rival drivers etc. Just as much, if not more.

For me, Lewis is the GOAT considering his abilities inside the car, outside the car, wet weather, qualifying, race pace, overtaking, clean racing, politically agnostic, being welcoming to fans and rookies etc. It's hard to find another champion with as much balance in their qualities.

He really isn't, how often did you see Senna, Schumacher, Verstappen, etc lost for pace and missing for the weekend. Yes they made some costly errors but apart from an elderly Schumacher who'd been out of the sport for 3 years they seldom struggled for pace. I just don't think Hamilton has that out and out speed to be classed in their league.

Elderly Michael…lord. He had driven fewer races than Lewis has at this point by quite a way and was younger than Fernando is right now.

Elderly! Christ alive.

He was still older than Hamilton is now, had been out of the sport for 3 years and had broken his neck in that time, I suppose that makes no difference?!?

[j_ste]

It makes a difference but using the word elderly is a little dramatic. As Alonso has shown, being a way for a while isn’t the drawback that some think it is.
Could make an argument that the consistent wear and tear that Lewis has had, could be damaging too. Nobody has driven this many races without a “sabbatical”

If you’re good, you’re good. As Aaron a Rodgers showed last night but that’s for another thread.

[PlatinumZealot]

Rookie Max was a child when he beat Sainz with only 1 year of single-seater experience and a limited winter test session. 22-years old Hamilton on the other hand, had 6 years of single-seaters and unlimited testing before his rookie season. So yes, their rookie seasons are hard to compare, but Hamilton's rookie season against Alonso was great although Hamilton received Ron Dennis's preferential treatment.

Saying Hamilton's rookie season was "great" is a big understament. It was one of the best, if not the best rookie season in history and this is coming from an Alonso fan. He almost won the world championship for god's sake, regardless of the 2007 controversy.

Yes, it is the greatest rookie season of all time, but comparing it to what Max did in his rookie season, who was completely in a different situation, is unfair. If Hamilton had done his rookie season five years earlier like Max, would he have fought for the championship at the age of 17? I don't think so.

Rookies these days will not get Hamilton's experience and testing before their rookie season, and the rookies are doing their learning in F1, like Antonelli next season.

Rookies these days are better prepared. Amyway. That's for a different thread. He did what he did as a rookie in formula 1. Other series doesn't matter. Tell that to Fangio, Senna and Jackie stewart.

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Saying Hamilton's rookie season was "great" is a big understament. It was one of the best, if not the best rookie season in history and this is coming from an Alonso fan. He almost won the world championship for god's sake, regardless of the 2007 controversy.

Yes, it is the greatest rookie season of all time, but comparing it to what Max did in his rookie season, who was completely in a different situation, is unfair. If Hamilton had done his rookie season five years earlier like Max, would he have fought for the championship at the age of 17? I don't think so.

Rookies these days will not get Hamilton's experience and testing before their rookie season, and the rookies are doing their learning in F1, like Antonelli next season.

Rookies these days are better prepared. Amyway. That's for a different thread. He did what he did as a rookie in formula 1. Other series doesn't matter. Tell that to Fangio, Senna and Jackie stewart.

Yes, Max did what he did as a rookie, but your claim that the 17-year-old took too long to dispatch Sainz is ridiculous, even in Merc's thread. What did you expect from a child in an adult series, a championship contender in a Toro Rosso?

[DRS]

Saying Hamilton's rookie season was "great" is a big understament. It was one of the best, if not the best rookie season in history and this is coming from an Alonso fan. He almost won the world championship for god's sake, regardless of the 2007 controversy.

Yes, it is the greatest rookie season of all time, but comparing it to what Max did in his rookie season, who was completely in a different situation, is unfair. If Hamilton had done his rookie season five years earlier like Max, would he have fought for the championship at the age of 17? I don't think so.

Rookies these days will not get Hamilton's experience and testing before their rookie season, and the rookies are doing their learning in F1, like Antonelli next season.

Rookies these days are better prepared. Amyway. That's for a different thread. He did what he did as a rookie in formula 1. Other series doesn't matter. Tell that to Fangio, Senna and Jackie stewart.

Are they hell better prepared than the days of Hamilton! Lol

[Luscion]

Car looked like a handful in fp1

[214270]

Yes, it is the greatest rookie season of all time, but comparing it to what Max did in his rookie season, who was completely in a different situation, is unfair. If Hamilton had done his rookie season five years earlier like Max, would he have fought for the championship at the age of 17? I don't think so.

Rookies these days will not get Hamilton's experience and testing before their rookie season, and the rookies are doing their learning in F1, like Antonelli next season.

Rookies these days are better prepared. Amyway. That's for a different thread. He did what he did as a rookie in formula 1. Other series doesn't matter. Tell that to Fangio, Senna and Jackie stewart.

Are they hell better prepared than the days of Hamilton! Lol

100% they’re better prepared now, don’t be silly. It’s a honed, articulate, media-trained, professional athlete they’re pumping out now. That alongside the drop in physical threshold reqd to drive these cars makes it all easier to navigate.

[214270]

Car looked like a handful in fp1

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GX6bf8XXwAA ... name=small

So did they return wholesale to Spa spec? Or are there new bits alongside the prev aero package?

[Luscion]

Car looked like a handful in fp1

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GX6bf8XXwAA ... name=small

So did they return wholesale to Spa spec? Or are there new bits alongside the prev aero package?

Nope, just the pre Spa floor

[DRS]

Rookies these days are better prepared. Amyway. That's for a different thread. He did what he did as a rookie in formula 1. Other series doesn't matter. Tell that to Fangio, Senna and Jackie stewart.

Are they hell better prepared than the days of Hamilton! Lol

100% they’re better prepared now, don’t be silly. It’s a honed, articulate, media-trained, professional athlete they’re pumping out now. That alongside the drop in physical threshold reqd to drive these cars makes it all easier to navigate.

Hogwash! Hamilton had thousands of kilometres of testing before the opening race of the season, it's not even comparable.

[Jurgen von Diaz]

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[AR3-GP]

Fp1 is daylight. Not representative.