Hamilton vs. The Stig

[djones]

The thing is, it wasn't that it looked smooth or anything, it looked rough.

Webber in the wet looked much better but was 3 seconds slower.

HMMMMM

I call BS!

Just a PR stunt.

0.1 seconds slowr than Mansell and he was in the dry!! whatever!!!

[stewie325]

I have found new respect for James Blunt! He seems like a really intelligent and funny guy. Quite the contrast to Hamilton really. I can't stand him showing up on every show, and having stupid cheesy conversations about Formuwa wun, or w/e....he can't even say the damn word properly.

Anyways, his lap didn't seem that great anyway. Seems like a PR stunt, as someone above said..

[ben_watkins]

wow, an astonishing lap. would've been very good if it was dry, let alone wet. job well done lewis.

Here, here..

Good to see also that LH won 3 Autosport Awards last night.. 1st time anyone has won 3 on the same night, ever..

http://www.f1technical.net/news/7729

And for good measure, Senna's sister says LH is like her brother..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 124353.stm

[Spencifer_Murphy]

The thing is, it wasn't that it looked smooth or anything, it looked rough.

Webber in the wet looked much better but was 3 seconds slower.

HMMMMM

I call BS!

Just a PR stunt.

0.1 seconds slowr than Mansell and he was in the dry!! whatever!!!

There's just no pleasing some people is there? If he's slower he gets slated as an over rated driver, if he's faster it's BS. I actually disagree that his lap looked rough, his lap was not in anyway (with the exception of the start, and final corner) rough at all. It appeared to be very tidy indeed. Never was there excessive sliding, under ot oversteer, tyres weren't overly squeeling for grip, car never looked unbalanced really. All in all a tidy lap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nunZLgADB1Y

Its intersting to not that all the Love / Hate comments kinda prove that he's a top driver. All modern F1 greats have had a love / hate persona in the media & general public. Michael obviously, Ayrton, even Kimi, Lewis aswell and so too now Fernando. Alan Prost too to some extent.

All the best drivers have a mass of adoring fans, and equally a huge group of people who hate them just because they don't agree with what others believe.

Forget the grooming by Mclaren and all the support, forget that the top gear hot lap is not a be all and end all test of ability, to come and do a lap that is just tenths slower than Nigel Mansell's dry time, but on a wet track takes talent - and bucket loads of it. He may not be liked by all, there the really is no grounds to the idea that he hasn't got skill talent or ability. Yes calling him "the next Senna" or "the next Michael" is overhyping it...but all the love / hate discussions are kinda making him the next Michael arent they?

Lewis Hamilton, is an awesome driver, just like Kimi, Fernando et al. Expect his rookie year has been unprecidented. Who cares if he had a great car? Michael had a dominant car for almost all of his championships with Ferrari - that doesn;'t detract from his achievements does it? So why should it with this guy. he's good, end of, and it hurts people to admit it.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

Oh and P.S: Would LOVE to see Schumi have a crack at it. He's still f*****g fast. Shame he probably never will.

[monkeyboy1976]

Hello backlash. Give the guy a break and, if you're British, be proud.

[djones]

Spencifer_Murphy - Compare it to Webbers wet lap.

For a start - the start. He dumped the clutch, got wheelspin and did nothing about it, no control whatsoever. As webber said after his lap "throttle control"

In comparison to Webbers lap I bet he lost 1 second just off the line. In comparison to Mansels lap he lost about 3 seconds off the line. On a wet track your saying he could make them 3 seconds back up to then draw?

This is against a Formula 1 world champion who still drives racing cars today. He has more experiance of driving cars at the limit than LH has of making cups of tea.

[Tom]

Does it really matter? Obviously if you don't like Lewis and he does well your gonna say its another TG fix, if you like Lewis your gonna say it was a good drive. Guys, give it a rest.

[checkered]

If Clarkson & Co. really

wanted to spice things up, they could bring in Hamilton, Webber and Vettel (who does look like a non-too-distant relative of Jeremy's, which would add to the overall surreal ambience) in Lianas at the same time and have The Stig drive a safety car of some sort in front of them. Perhaps a Reliant Robin Estate. We could have a replay of the drama at Fuji then, right down to the colourful opinions expressed:

JC/LG: What are your thoughts now?
MW: It's kids, innit? Kids with not enough experience. (You're) doing a good job and then they **** it all up!
JC/LG: Thanks Mark. Well, I think we'll leave it right there ...

Just a loose association based on Mark and Lewis driving on the wet. They've proved themselves to be very good at it this season, both of them, so Top Gear hardly matters. Hamilton did a nice lap and good for him, from what I've understood it's something of an improvement from struggling a bit in a BMW only six years ago when he participated in the Autocar Sideways Challenge.

There's a nice article (link) about Webber on SpeedTV's website, btw.

[ben_watkins]

Does it really matter? Obviously if you don't like Lewis and he does well your gonna say its another TG fix, if you like Lewis your gonna say it was a good drive. Guys, give it a rest.

Tom, as always, a great post - I'm tired of all the flaming going on here.. Let's get back to enjoying motor racing and F1 in particular..

[Carlos]

What a gracious woman Viviane Senna is to say such generous things about such a young man and driver just beginning his career. It must have been a great honour for Lewis Hamilton to receive two of his awards from her. Even in the small picture his humility is apparent, her warmth and words heartfelt. Thanks for the link, ben_watkins; it certainly cheered a cold Winter day.

" He reminds me of Aryton as a pilot and also as a good man - we can see this in his eyes and his face." VS

That's a lot for any man to live up to; it would be a burden to most ... probably it will be for Lewis Hamilton.

[zenvision]

did someone download it or know from where to watch it ?

[rkn]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3niwt ... ilton_auto

Be quick, it will probably be removed by BBC soon!

[ben_watkins]

Thanks for the link, ben_watkins; it certainly cheered a cold Winter day.

My pleasure

[zenvision]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3niwt ... ilton_auto

Be quick, it will probably be removed by BBC soon!

jeez, already too late!