Hamilton revels in sweetest of victories

The sign of a true champion today from Lewis. He drove the wheels off that McLaren and he got the rewards and blew the rest of the field away. Well done Lewis and here's looking forward to what is going to be a thrilling last 7 races to the 2009 F1 season.

Yes great drive from the world champion. What a great job those folks at mclaren have done. The championship is probably out of reach but he will play major role on who wins it. Personally i would love webber to win it.

Great race, LH did well to avoid Kimi at the start and showed a bit of maturity in the way he took Webber and by not trying to nail Alonso before he pitted.

Great to see him back on the podium and showing the world what a class act he is...yes technology plays a big part, but if you want a level playing field watch A1.

Well done Lewis

What strikes me about this season is how it is panning out like an extreme version of the "points nightmare" that many fans were worried about when the ludicrous medlas system was proposed. A driver started the season with a huge winning streak, building up a big lead. Now he struggles to get the minor points, but summing a 5th here and a 7th there, should have enough in the bank to win the title. If we had been running for medals, the title would have been over several races ago.

FIA condemned Hamilton for not having to race to the title this season: now they may get a winner who was only competitative for the first third of the season, whereas Lewis Hamilton, who could conceivably have the strongest last third of the season of anyone, will do well to get any higher than 5th. Good luck to him! The mark of a good driver is not how you drive a good car, but how you drive a bad one and, this season, he has sweated blood to compete with what, until now, has been a real dog of a car, combined with bad luck and a vendetta from the FIA.

I'm so pleased for Lewis and McLaren. He now has the car and wow, look what he can do with it! He is just phenomenal. Without doubt, THE class act of the field.

If Lewis goes on to achieve the greatness he's capable of, he may well look back in years to come at this race and say "That was where it truly started."

'If Lewis goes on to achieve the greatness he's capable of, he may well look back in years to come at this race and say "That was where it truly started."'

Rubbish! He will probably look back at the last race of last season when he won the title. LOL!

When he just burned Webber up I couldn't help but say to myself "Oh yes, he's back".

I'm starting to get worried about Jenson but hey it's been a while since two Brits won races in a season. :)

Jenson Button is going to win the title on the back of the first 6 races, but a team that had to lay off a third of its staff when winning everything and has hardly done any development work on the car all season does not give much confidence that they will be competitative next season.

@Cricketing_stargazer

I cant help but laugh. Lewis bitterly complained over and over and over, and over about the car, saying they should scrap it, its terrible, the team havnt done a good job.

Now because theyve turned the car around; much to the contrary belief that lewis said they could, he's winning. So on those public burst every race where he bitterly complains; he isnt a true champion and shown that he cant hack a bad car. Kovalainen has been more impressive at McLaren because he's handled the car better overall and hasnt just gone to the press and moaned and moaned and moaned.

He cant drive a bad car.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Normal service has been resumed.

Like news of a Boycott hundred in the old days.

There's something comforting about it.

Excellent post, surcha.

It has been depressing seeing Alonso, Kubica and Hamilton driving the worst cars on the grid (Force India excepted).

@mikhailv

where have you heard lewis complaining 'over and over and over'? yes he admitted it wasn't a great car, but he never suggested they should scrap it, and he's always said "if anybody can get this car to win, it'll be our team" and he's been proved right.

i also couldn't help but burst out laughing when you suggested that Kovalainen has done a better job this season! he has often been over half a second slower than Lewis, including today, and Lewis set his best lap very early on when the track was at its slipperiest, he didn't have to push late on when everyone else was setting their best times.

Lewis has driven the wheels off that car this year, it reminds me of Schumacher in 2005 when the Ferrari/tyres were poor, and the huge difference between him and Barrichello. It just proved how good he really was even though he was often a long way down the field. he was 3rd in Aus despite being DQ'd, he was competitive at Bahrain and he really should have been on pole at Monaco. He's performed like a true champion.
you really couldn't be any more wrong.

incidentally, i dont think it's always best to have the best drivers in the best cars, watching Hamilton and Alonso scrap for 16th at Silverstone was great to watch, as has watching Webber, Button and Vettel notching up wins and really enjoying in it.

mikhailv - Have you been watching the last few races? Well since Monaco, yes Lewis did get down and he did have a dig at the team (once that I remember) but generally he was supportive. I very much doubt that McLaren could have developed the car they gave Lewis last time out and him and Kovi this time if BOTH drivers hadn't been 100% behind the team and helping to drive it forward.

Lewis drove a masterful race today, but I didn't think he was back because I felt that the moment he took the lead all to briefly in Nuremberg, he didn't make a mistake he had a racing incident when Mark clipped and punctured his rear tire.

As for Jenson why shouldn't he win the title if he has driven the best season, if Lewis wins the remaining races and Jenson does as badly as Lewis did at the start of the season then it could be a tight run thing (assuming Mark or Vettle don't snatch it). I do hope that this season puts the final nail in the coffin medals system, its a terrible idea and I think it would be very damaging to the sport.

Anyway, great race today. Maybe not a Hungry classic but it wasn't far behind.

p.s. I would think more people would be cheering the fact that a guy not in the fastest car on the track drove his heart out to win a comanding victory. Lewis for me is proving that he has the makings of being one of the true greats of the sport, he has faced adversity (and will no doubt again) but is coming through it now and showing his true colours.

I did enjoy the race today and LH drove very well and especially in the mix at the start.

Looks like it will be very close at the end but with a little help it seems that JB will stumble over the line.

mikhailv, crawl back under your rock and stay there. LH has stuck with it all season and today displayed the skill, calm and determination that makes him the champion that he is. Rock on Lewis and very well done!

Well done Lewis and Mclaren!

They really have shown how much resiliance they have to come back from 2.5 secs behind to winning a race by 11 seconds! If Brawn were in the same position as Mclaren were at the beginning of the season (or like honda last year) they would never hav been able to make up that ground in tht. That just shows how great formula one is this year, anyone can win now and it is really all down to the teams to win their drivers the championship.

Well done Lewis again! and i hope he can do the same at Valencia!

Well done to Ferrari aswell (they deserved it as well) and i hope felipe can make a speedy recovery ASAP :)

P.S this also shows the difference between Kovalainen and Hamilton with the same car, it really is down to the drivers to get those results also.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

A quick comparison:

Lewis Hamilton-a driver who has had to endure a terrible season, some of it his own making, but most of it due to a poor car. Still drove his heart out, complemented the team where necessary, worked as part of a team and managed to achieve a remarkable turnaround within 9 months.

Jenson Button-Complained bitterly about his car for years. Constant sniping in the press about his poor car and generally made a point of separating himself from the team so as not to twin his poor performance with the team's. Eventually turns it around in a car much quicker than everyone else and starts winning. After nine months everyone catches up and he's back to whinging at the team.

This shows that a great driver works with his team. They face their problems together and work as a whole to overcome them. Certainly Hamilton has not been showered in glory this year, but he has never adopted the attitude whereby it is all the mechanics/designers/engineer's fault. It's always been a team thing. Button consistently blames those around him when it goes wrong.

Eventually the cream will rise to the top and that's what happened this weekend. The best drivers on the grid are Hamilton, Alonso and Raikonnen. It is no coincidence that they are the most recent champions and equally no coincidence that they performed well when given the chance. In any sport the sportsman needs the equipment to some degree (footballers need boots, cricketers need bats). This year the best sportsmen in F1 have not had the equipment, but now that is changing and the lesser drivers in good cars will find themselves struggling in the remaining races. I will not be surprised if the world champion wins on a very small points total in comparison to recent years.

Finally. Well done to Lewis. He has shown that he IS an exceptional talent and that he is one of the finest drivers out there today.

first of all ironDirkDiggler,

It was Vettel with the damaged car, plus when alonso was out before the first pit stop hamilton took nearly 0.5 secs A LAP out of him! and also they're hav been a lot worse defences of an f1 championship! so i don't know why you think u can be so confident with ur ideas, i can guarantee u tht hamilton wouldve overtaken alonso from the pitstop regardless of alonso having a bad pit stop.

Irondirkdiggler = Desperate pathetic loser.

Hey all,

As a true Hamilton/F1 fan, I would first like to offer my thoughts in the speedy recovery of Felipe Massa, and my thoughts to his wife and his family! I would like nothing more then to see ALL the guys fighting it out once more!! Get well soon Felipe..

As for the MP4 24 of Maclaren, WELL DONE to everyone at the Woking branch! Its finally coming together! And to Lewis, you chip off the old block! Some great driving, some great instruction from the pit lane and listening to them!! It WAS a sweet victory and like many have said already, a little reminder of the old days..... a Red car and a Silver car back at the front....racing!!! All the best to you Lewis, you stuck it out and shown yourself how to be a champion, off track and again on track!
All the best to Felipe, I'm sure you too would like him back racing again asap.

benjamin.. in the USA.

I think that IronDigger is probably Australian, in which case:

1.) Check the Test match score.
2.) Check the men's tennis rankings. There must be an Australian somewhere in the top 100.
3.) Check the Olympic medal table. We were first told that Australia would get more golds, then that they'd get more medals...
4.) Check the last rugby World Cup.
5.) Have a look at the Tour de France.
6.) Check the FIFA football rankings.

British sport is doing pretty well right now...

Need we continue???

Well, start off...well done Mr Benson for a well thought out blog, its nice to see Lewis win a race after so much the Mclaren team has done in development, working hours on the car, Lewis could have won in Germany if he hadnt had the puncture from Webber but he took this on the chin, went back to Mclaren and went on getting the new add-ons ready for the race and he won it...well done to the Mclaren team.
However some small idiots have wrecked this blog by ill concieved comments.
When a Brit wins races, we get some sill comments like...oh its boring, I dont want him to win....oh no, he is arrogant...why do some idiots dont want a brit to do well?
When Schumacher was dominating, no-one moaned, why now?
Still well done Lewis, shame that Renault didnt fasten Alonso's tyre, it would have been an epic race between those two.
And also get well soon Felipe, all us F1 fans wish you a speedy recovery and back in the Ferrari when its right for you to return.

It is quite clear you are not interested practical constructive conversation irondirkdiggler!!!

I find your comments offensive and totally without warrant, and have taken the necessary steps to have them removed! I am a loyal Lewis/Maclaren follower, and i am English/canadian!

BUT, i was sad that Alonso had to retire due to a mechanic making a boo boo on his pit stop! It would of been great to see him race it out with Webber, Lewis, and co! I do not think Fernando Alonso would appreciate your comments either, as for Felipe i wait to hear news of his speedy recovery, as no matter how much you follow one driver or another, no one of level thinking is so cruel to say otherwise right now! I think you should sit down and have a word with yourself!! Lighten up, and take that big chip off your shoulder, everyone else has, and they are all enjoying their racing again, the end of Saturdays qualifying showed that!! So if your an Alonso fan, or a Lewis fan....act like a fan!!

Hi again :)

how can u wreck a blog? or is it just a figure of speech? lol

anyway.... i think tht Lewis hasn't been given the justice he deserved over the season with his results, even though theyve been dissapointing u couldn't say tht he didn't try, but now that he has won i think he'll be rcognised again as a real contender for the remainder of the season and will get the praise he needs which will get his confidence up and then tht'll help him reach on and score more podiums and even wins!

It was good to see Nicole, err I mean Hamilton, winning at Hungary. So many great shots of Nicole, sorry Hamilton, performing so well. Great photos of Nicole, ah Hamilton, on the BBC forum too. It really was her, I mean his, race. For all us F1 aficionados she, I mean he, was a delight to watch.

I think there where as many shots of her as BMW.

Oh well, great race. And fingures crossed for Massa.

To Mikhailv,

I think you should really listen to the right people! The ones who have said exactly, that Lewis and Heiki have driven the wheels off that MP4 24 car! Only today it was reported that Heiki is racing for his seat!! Again....reports!!! Media... nonsense for the most part!!!

Or how about a champion, who gets out of his car puts his shorts on and gives up grabs an ice-cream!!! hmmm, same could be said for that a few races ago in the ferrari camp!! But Nooooooo lets bully Lewis......

Im sick of it, get off his case and get with the program!! They are not figting anymore!! Nor should we!! Yes i follow Lewis, but i was excited for Fernando too!! What does that make me..... A rare breed, it seems!!!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Hey Digger, seems you're allowed to call us pathetic but we're not allowed to respond. That's the way it is in Briton now, people can say what they like about us but we can't respond in case we hurt your feelings. I can only point you toward Stargazer's post.

My post was removed........but I think you can guess what it said. Plonker!

IronDirkDiggler you speak no sense. Cricketing_Stargazer, i am Australian, and would love to see Mark Webber become World Champion, however as a true F1 fan, i will always revel in the glory and astounding eptitude of Clark, Stewart, Villeneuve, Prost, Senna, Schumacher and Hamilton as drivers who have taken this sport to its breathless echelons. Anyone who loves this sport can see true class despite their heritage, and Lewis has already shown the balls / skill to be amongst the best. It's not about how many races / titles you may win, as a fan it's about who moves you emotionally, and what Lewis has done in the last 24 months puts him immediately up there in the elite of the greats. I was at Melbourne in 2007 and his class showed in his FIRST Grand Prix. He is on his way to becoming a legend, and you will have to sit back and eat your words. All Grand Prix drivers are truly a class above, to do what he has done at his age and with his attitude to winning is short of astounding.

Come on Mark Webber World Champ 2009

Come on Lewis, you are on your way to being legendary

Thoughts with Felipe and family

Alonso grabbed the headlines with Pole
Hamilton took the glory with a glorious win...hmmm

I sometimes wish I had a button to push - I could do with an extra 80 horses or so to jump a queue,climb a flight of stairs or even get to the bar quicker for last orders.
Only the next few races will tell whether McClaren (and Ferrari for that matter) have finally cracked a KERS car that not only holds its own in street style circuits but can maintain top straight line speeds with the "faster" cars like the Red Bulls.

I was really really really really REALLY hoping that a true hot blooded racer like Raikkonen would win it for the team and for Massa today. I don't think anyone would have begrudged that in the slightest, given the circumstances - I'll even go further and say Kimmi is embarrased to have such a button to push when his raw talent is more than adept at strangling the scarlet red lifeblood out of the car.
As much as I'd like to applaud Hamilton on his win today, (and about time too, considering his woeful defense of his crown),and he raced imperiously, I just can't - because he's a stiff corporate jacket with a B-list pop singer draped around him for good measure. I spent half the time working out if I was watching a race or the Clothes Show, given that so much air time was spent on his Pussy cat doll...and so it dawned on me - the whole embarrassment of it all...that I'm witnessing the BECKS AND VICTORIA OF F1 - LORD HELP THIS SPORT!!!!!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

However, who is the airhead that was jumping up and down. boobs flying in all directions, as Hamilton rode to victory.
Quite a stunner but from the look on Hamilton senior's face, who was sitting next to her, she must be as vacuous as she is good looking. No doubt some 9th grade drop out turned supermodel turned Formula One bimbo....still, she is eye-catching.

I see my comment 35. has been referred to the moderators. I can only assume a whinging Englishman is behind this but, to any fair minded person, there is nothing out of order with what I have written. Hamilton is an utter disgrace who should have been banned for the season for the stunt he pulled in Australia.

I applaud the English for getting behind their man..except that in this case "their man" is not worth the effort.

I do not need to rely on foul mouthed rhetoric to make my point, so anyone who complained aboout the content of those comments is really a poor sport.

Oh boy Hamilton-mania is back..

Don't forget he's previously finished 9th, 12th, 13th, 16th, 18th.. and now 1st. So it's the driver that's really making the difference?

The 'disgrace' as you call him ashgab is the only guy who knows how to race in F1- the rest are chickens. You seem to know more about bimbos than you do about sport. It's a shame he likely won't get above 5th even if he wins all the remaining GP.
I agree with #21 Buttichello needs to get his act together smartish if he's going to cling on to the lead. Cursing the car while you're driving so the whole world can hear- how sad must the Brawn factory guys have felt when they heard those transmissions? His team mate Barron needs whipping, too.

Sore losers often say that it's "the car" when Hamilton wins races as a lame attempt to diminish his excellent skills. From what I've seen over the past 2 years, there are few with Lewis' skills and determination to win races. He is making F1 an interesting sport again instead of being complacent and trolling along in a procession.

He hasn't been perfect and neither has the team, but they are overcomers, something Lewis has said all along. The car has not been worthy of the caliber that is driven by a world champion, but Lewis has been confident that the team could turn things around, and they have.

His championship defence has been an awful embarrashment to him, and to many of his fans. Now that the team has worked tirelessly to turn things around, Lewis can now win back some respectibility for himself and his team.

Hekki is a nice guy and a good teammate to Lewis. But he has a bit of "Rubens" in him. It is evident he is not of the same caliber as Lewis with or without the latest upgrades. But from a team prospective, he should be replaced because he hasn't contributed enough to the team while driving a great car. He was gifted a win in Hungary last year, but he has not covered Lewis' back on the track or off the track. It's always about him. He has never complimented his teammate as being "quick" or anything like Pedro de La Rosa has. I think todays win was great for Lewis, Martin (first win as team principle), and the McLaren family as a whole.

yay it's just like the good old days, Lewis is back where he belongs and bitter, jealous idiots are trying to belittle him.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Andrew Benson has been covering F1 for 16 years?
That I do not envy.

Ashgabatman

Why are you bothering to post? You don't appear to be an F1 fan and your destructive comments are only going to stir negative responses. Your post about Andrew Benson is just pointless. You are posting on a British blog, is it wrong that support is for a British driver?

Well done to McLaren, an excellent reward for all of their hard work and well done to Lewis for a superb drive.

Best wishes to Fellipe Massa, get well soon!

I'm not a fan of Lewis Hamilton, but I do have to give him some praise for his drive in Hungary. By no means is he 'back' as a lot of people think though. It is common knowledge that this track was going to suit McLaren and indeed Ferrari, proven by Lewis and Kimi's race pace.

As for remarks saying Lewis is becoming legendary or a real champion...I'm not buying it...yet. He has A LOT to prove in terms of how he handles certain situations, the debacle in Australia being one. I don't buy that he wanted to apologise, I think he was told to or he might face being thrown out of the championship...smart move in hindsight.
As for being legendary though, that's a bit far fetched isn't it? He's won 10 GP's and one championship in what was the best car at the time. Legends are those who've done it consistently, in poor cars and against adversity. Senna...Fangio...Prost...Schumacher...these guys, although not always the most rule abiding drivers, showed that passion and ruthlessness to win at all costs and never blame the team or the car. If Lewis was able to wring 3 wins out of a car as poor as the 1996 Ferrari F310, or set a pole time over a second quicker than anyone in good conditions....that's legendary...

Having said all that, he does have the makings to become a legend...he's bloody quick, is a proven winner and loves his job....if he could improve his racecraft and also stop using his tyres so hard then he'd be well on his way. Will be interesting to watch him over the next 5-10 years to see how he faces these challenges.

I think Alonso is the best of the current crop...by a long way. Uber-fast, proven champion and will never give an inch. Bit of a tantrum thrower at times, but sometimes you need to do that to get what you want. He really is the benchmark and no one can live up to his standards at present...I think Kimi is close, but not as complete as Alonso...or perhaps he's more incomplete than Fernando...that's a better way of putting it.

As for Massa, can you get any more unlucky? I really feel for him. He was just starting to get a bit of roll on with the Ferrari and definitely had a chance of a podium in Hungary...I really hope we see him back this year and I wish him and his family the very best.
As for his replacement...surely the fairytale of Schumacher coming to his team's aid is a bit of a longshot, but wouldn't it be utterly brilliant seeing the old dog again, fighting against the new breed??? Badoer and Gene are rubbish...come on Schumi!!

Bring on Valencia!!

the_stath - finally a bit of objective commentary that this forumn needed. Your opinions reflect my own.

Hamilton, needs to fulfill his 'legendary' promise before we can claim him to be one. He's got the tools to do it so time will tell, but calling him a legend already is premature. Legend status needs to be earned, and maybe it will be in his case.

Back to back titles would be a good start.

Button should be winning the championship comfortably if it isn't for the stupid points-system. The old 10-6-4-3-2-1 scoring was more reasonable and ensured the best driver won the championship. Unlike last season, when Hamilton stole the title when he was clearly second-best.

@bitpiece - agreed, he may well be on his way. Honestly, I'd like to see him win some more races and a title or two, maybe even in a different car?

@poltergeist23 - I agree, the points system is quite poor. The old system favoured the driver who won most races and penalised them more heavily if they had a poor race. Having said that, the last few world championships have been very exciting and the points system has worked well. I agree that Hamilton was second best to Massa, but if you remember that Massa had a few retirements (especially the heartbreaker in Hungary) so in that sense, as the old adage goes, to finish first, first you must finish. Corny I know, but it rings true.

F1 is becoming entertaining, again. However, let's not forget the Surtees family and Felipe. As for Renault, well it was telling to watch Briatore walking down the paddock not long after his pit crew got it badly wrong. I don't give much for Piquet's chanes of staying on. But then I hope the FIA throw the book at Renault for allowing Alonso out of the pits with a loose wheel - plain to see from the camera. Loose wheels are a menace. By the way, did anyone spot Mosley yesterday?

No doubting an outstanding drive from Hamilton yesterday and a great effort from McLaren all round. The only thing that taints it for me is having his attention-seeking pussycat doll girlfriend taking every oppotunity to get herself on camera. I know she's a famous pop star and she glams up the garage but all she seems to care about is getting herself as much exposure out of Hamilton's talents as possible. He's an incredible talent and I can't help but think he'd be even better if she wasn't in tow all the time. I bet Martin Whitmarsh wishes she and his old man would just disappear from the team, they are just baggage.

Great drive by Hamilton, brilliant to see him back at No.1, but today I think the special shout-out should go to Raikkonen.

Kimi's been under a lot of pressure, both in Italy and at the races, this year, with claims he is not motivated. Yet those who actually studied the practice sessions this weekend would have seen that while Kimi was not blisteringly fast, he set the 2nd best average time over a long run, behind Barrichello.

He also started 7th from the grid, and had the extra pressure of Massa's accident to contend with. The team were expecting him to pull something out of the bag, and he did.

Let's give some credit to the '07 champ.

I hope Alonso won't get banned from the next race for the incident with his tyre. Considering that he now has the pace to challenge for the chequered flag, that makes at least six different cars with the potential to win (though that includes the increasingly uncompetitive Brawn cars). His pace prior to that error-ridden pitstop was blazing fast, and very impressive considering how poor Renault has been until now. Removing him from the race would make it a lot less interesting.

All credit to Hamilton for taking his chance when it came up, but I'd like to think that Alonso would have given him a good run for his money.

Best wishes to Massa, and hopefully he has a speedy and complete recovery.

good to see mclaren and ferrari back at the front for once, but i don't think it would have went so easy if not for renault's mistakes with alonso. would not be surprised to see brawn and red bull making improvements to ensure they keep alive their world title bids in spain and win the race

Congratulations to Lewis, it was a great drive! I hope Brawn can turn things round, and that Button will become the world champ!

Unfortunately the most exiting part of F1 for me is the qualifying, as said above 'most races are just sad processions that really only appeal to the ardent petrol heads'.

I wish the BBC would make MotoGP the No1 motorsport, one race in the MotoGP is more exiting then the last 10 years of F1!!

I don't necessarily agree with comments made that if Hamilton wants legendary status then he's got to win championships with other teams. Senna didn't, though Hamilton's position is unique in the respect that he's been breastfed by the team from such an early age. At some point in his career he would need to move on for a fresh challenge, but let's not forget ourselves here - he's been an F1 driver for two and a half seasons, won 10 races and a world championship and got a Pussy in the bag.
That's not bad going...

I'm glad this blog has started to get back to the actual racing! not how bad hamilton is! (i'm a huge supporter of hamilton and yes i am english! is it a surprise!?)

I hope that in valencia brawn get their heads together and start at the front again alongside hamilton and mclaren and i'm desperate for a british 1-2! isn't evryone else? (who's british) i know that anyone outside of the UK won't giv a .... about tht! lol

cheers!

All the racing drivers have the bimbo add ons.
I wonder when the first gay driver will show off his boyfriend,and the media will treat him the same?

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I do not envy any driver who becomes Hamilton's or Alonso's teammate.
Both make good drivers look distinctly average.

re the one-race ban for Renault, I feel sorry for Piquet being affected but not for Alonso. He said that he knew immediately that the wheel was not mounted properly but he continued, selfishly putting the lives of other drivers, race marshals, spectators and even his own at risk. After Surtees' death and Massa's injury, he should have pulled off the track. A single race ban is too lenient for him and his team.

"I cant help but laugh. Lewis bitterly complained over and over and over, and over about the car, saying they should scrap it, its terrible, the team havnt done a good job.

Now because theyve turned the car around; much to the contrary belief that lewis said they could, he's winning. So on those public burst every race where he bitterly complains; he isnt a true champion and shown that he cant hack a bad car. Kovalainen has been more impressive at McLaren because he's handled the car better overall and hasnt just gone to the press and moaned and moaned and moaned.

He cant drive a bad car."

No one can drive a bad car! Funny how most of you claim to be fans, yet people like you dont have the first clue about how they actually work! The slightest things can be out of sync, and it can mess the entire car up. They were caught on the back foot at the start of the season, simple as. It hasnt happened properly for many seasons, where smaller or start up teams have been competative, and it made for an amazing start of the season.... Lets not forget however that A. mclaren are back in business and it only took them half a season and B. THAT JENSON BUTTON SPENT THE FIRST 7 YEARS OF HIS CAREER COMPLAINING ABOUT THE CAR!!!!!!!!! Oh, and not winning ANYTHING. I guess they are both getting back to where they should be!!!

Well Done Lewis, In a class of his Own today. Fully deserved the Win, as did the whole of the team, you can see what it means to every single one of them. We know that Lweis is the World Champion, but if anyone didn't know why then the 10th Race of 2009 F1 Season, in Hungry was why!

Congrats once more.

#7 unounos -
" Rubbish! He will probably look back at the last race of last season when he won the title. LOL!"

You've totally missed the point. Lewis has had to go through a much tougher time this time round, but has managed to come out of it to win again. If he goes on to win more championships, it'll be because of that...rather than him just shrinking away from these challenges and becoming a 'flash in the pan' one hit wonder.

Lennox Lewis became WBC boxing champion at the end of '92. But when he lost the belt he had to show the spirit to fight through the challenges and make improvements. When he won that title back in '97 and again in '01, I bet it felt all the sweeter for doing so.

Just my own thoughts...

(1) First of all, my fingers toes etc are still crossed for Massa to make a full recovery. I know millions are thinking of you Felipe.

(2) Regarding Hamilton; I would not proclaim to be a Hamilton fan. Never was, never will be. But I do highly rate him as a driver and Sunday was proof of that. Yes, his McLaren was vastly improved but he still needed to get the job done - he fought past Webber and even though he benefited from Alonso's misfortune i do believe he would have worked his way past him too (and I rate Alonso much higher than Hamilton...).
It was the first time I cheered Hamilton across the line - a brilliant win and proof that just when you thought F1 was boring, the unexpected CAN happen. The only thing that could top this is Kubica winning a race this year!!!

Great to see the best driver in F1 winning again. Unfortunately though it is looking more and more as if Jensen Button was simply in by far the best car early in the season. Now the other teams have caught up he is getting shown up a bit. Still difficult to see him getting caught in the drivers championship though, which is a shame...

https://www.loserscomesecond.com/

Eddie Jordan gets a lot of stick, but fair play to him. He backed Hamilton 'by miles' for the race (and Alonso for pole too as I recall).

I see some people still cannot accept that Hamilton is a great driver. Best debut season ever (beating reigning World Champ Alonso in the same car), youngest ever World Champ following year (beating record held by Alonso). This race was probably one of the greatest team comebacks ever - overturning Alonso who was on pole. Do you see the pattern yet?

Interesting talk about the points system. 10-8-6 does give too many points to 2nd and 3rd, but if we had 10-6-4 then this season would be completely over by now. Perhaps something inbertween is best, like 10-7-5-4-3-2-1 or 12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1. Or maybe go to Moto GPs system of 25 points for first and points all the way down the order.

I do hope Bernie was joking about the medals system - I think he was just annoyed that Hamilton won the world championship ahead of his precios Scuderia.

'I think that IronDigger is probably Australian, in which case:

1.) Check the Test match score.
2.) Check the men's tennis rankings. There must be an Australian somewhere in the top 100.
3.) Check the Olympic medal table. We were first told that Australia would get more golds, then that they'd get more medals...
4.) Check the last rugby World Cup.
5.) Have a look at the Tour de France.
6.) Check the FIFA football rankings.

British sport is doing pretty well right now...

Need we continue???'

I think you've made your point - maybe a little overdone.
In Irondirk's defence, I think it may be woth pointing out that he is not Austalian but is in fact..............Irish.

Alonso was never in the race after his early pit stop and would of struggled to get past a slow button to get 6th.
Button complaints mirrored my confusion I don't know if button killed his tyres over driving the car on a heavy tank, should have had primes (like barri who was faster) or a temp problem again as it wasn't as hot as Friday when they were happy, but brawn will be back.
Hamilton was supreme today 0.5s quicker then anyone in first 2 stints webber & kimi nowhere close and anyone who makes light of his performance are deluded. Just looking forward to having races where the first 10 can win, a month is too long to wait.

Hello all - haven't posted before but thought I'd add a couple of points:
Firstly many people complain about the lack of overtaking FI - well that's exactly why LH is exciting - here is a guy who loves to overtake and he can win races from the front or from behind - an out and out racer. The way he throws the car around the corners when he's in the groove is just awsome to watch.
Second - the_staff wrote:
"I think Alonso is the best of the current crop...by a long way."
Lewis 'outdrove' the double world champion in the same car in his FIRST ever F1 season. The problem for Alonso wasn't just Lewis's driving skills but also couldn't seem to deal with his sense of purpose.
And lets face it the team were responsible for the tyre fiasco in China for Lewis not already being a double world champion (and I say team mainly because he WAS a rookie).
Sprinkle on a bit of maturity - which was on display this weekend and I think whilst not a legend just yet as long as he has a competitive car (not necessarily the fastest) and good fortune (everyone needs it - no matter how good) he could be. Time will tell.

the_stath wrote:
I'm not a fan of Lewis Hamilton, but I do have to give him some praise for his drive in Hungary. By no means is he 'back' as a lot of people think though. It is common knowledge that this track was going to suit McLaren and indeed Ferrari, proven by Lewis and Kimi's race pace.

As for remarks saying Lewis is becoming legendary or a real champion...I'm not buying it...yet. He has A LOT to prove in terms of how he handles certain situations, the debacle in Australia being one. I don't buy that he wanted to apologise, I think he was told to or he might face being thrown out of the championship...smart move in hindsight.
As for being legendary though, that's a bit far fetched isn't it? He's won 10 GP's and one championship in what was the best car at the time. Legends are those who've done it consistently, in poor cars and against adversity. Senna...Fangio...Prost...Schumacher...these guys, although not always the most rule abiding drivers, showed that passion and ruthlessness to win at all costs and never blame the team or the car. If Lewis was able to wring 3 wins out of a car as poor as the 1996 Ferrari F310, or set a pole time over a second quicker than anyone in good conditions....that's legendary...

Having said all that, he does have the makings to become a legend...he's bloody quick, is a proven winner and loves his job....if he could improve his racecraft and also stop using his tyres so hard then he'd be well on his way. Will be interesting to watch him over the next 5-10 years to see how he faces these challenges.

I think Alonso is the best of the current crop...by a long way. Uber-fast, proven champion and will never give an inch. Bit of a tantrum thrower at times, but sometimes you need to do that to get what you want. He really is the benchmark and no one can live up to his standards at present...I think Kimi is close, but not as complete as Alonso...or perhaps he's more incomplete than Fernando...that's a better way of putting it.

As for Massa, can you get any more unlucky? I really feel for him. He was just starting to get a bit of roll on with the Ferrari and definitely had a chance of a podium in Hungary...I really hope we see him back this year and I wish him and his family the very best.
As for his replacement...surely the fairytale of Schumacher coming to his team's aid is a bit of a longshot, but wouldn't it be utterly brilliant seeing the old dog again, fighting against the new breed??? Badoer and Gene are rubbish...come on Schumi!!

Bring on Valencia!!

---------------------------------------------

lewis hamilton did not have the best car!he had one of the best cars,his team mate at the time and the ferraris were just as good.thats why both seasons came down to the final race.
further more,theres no way alonso would have given lewis a run for his money,considering lewis was alot faster on each lap,plus alonso was carrying less fuel,about 7 laps less.
the best drivers usually do better than there team mates,so hamilton matched alonso in 2007,bettered him in 2008,and he is now doing better than kovi.

I haven't been able read all the posts - so I don't know if it is picked up elsewhere but Mr Benson describing the weekend as 'the sweetest victory' is rather distasteful given that one of Hamilton's competitors currently is in hospital with potential brain damage after an accident.

I also thought LH's whopping celebrations and smooching a little out of place given the circumstances.
PS I am a not a Hamilton knocker normally

Are wes eing the old ordfer coming back with Hamilton andd kimi 1-2 in Hungary? Nowe ahve the a championship on our hands and itw il be intesting in the reamianing seven races of the year.

Great article.

I am so pleased that McLaren have done an amazing job to develop a car which was clearly not up to the job, to one that is.
I am however reminded of a remark that Lewis made some time ago about the committment of an engineer back at the factory that worked over 30 hours straight in an effort to get new parts made for the team. We have seen this season when cars have suffered incidents and accidents which have required engineers/mechanics to work all nighters in order to get the car ready for races the following day.
When people work these sort of hours it provides the potential environment for errors to be made and accidents can result from tiredness.
I think that with all the cost cutting that F1 is having to endure there is potential for mistakes to be made and accidents to occur. The FIA and the teams should be aware of what might happen and put contols in place so that teams and personnel do not place themselves in the position that a catastrophy might occur.
We all know that it sounds seriously heroic when we hear that an employee went above and beyond, the upside is a memorable quote that will resonate within the F1 arena, but what if a tired but enthusiastic engineer/mechanic/technician made a mistake whilst tired and that resulted in a failure; there is a considerable downside and someone somewhere should be aware that a balance must be struck.

Note
I come from and era when Health and Safety was for most companies paid scant lip service, some might say that these days that it is all OTT.
As an 18 year old working in a blast furnace at the end of an exausting but well paid double shift I momentarily nodded off whilst dangling my legs in a channel through which molten slag and iron was about to flow.
It was only by the divine intervention of one of my mates that I was hauled away, mere seconds before the metal was about to engulf my legs!

Horror stories can happen, very occasionaly they do happen; accidents are to a large extent foreseeable and preventable, so let us keep it that way!!

Lewis Hamilton's defence of the title has been ...pathetic.

Too much hype, not enough action.

This guy reminds me of the great Ayrton Senna,the way he drives, overtakes always trying is best is just a pity that the GOD Ayrton Senna is not here to see him.

Well according to Lewis, thats who he tries to emulate...to the point he watches videos of GPs that Senna won, for inspiration.

I guess if he turns out half as good as Ayrton, he will have quite a career.

Great blog Andrew.

Congrats Lewis...hope this is the start of something great.

Best wishes to the Massa family. Get well soon Felipe.

Brilliant drive... great to see a smile on Lewis's face again. Let's hope it's a return to winning ways. Best wishes to Felipe.

For those that feel the need to bring Australia up again:

Lewis was naive and stupid to have trusted Dave Ryan as much as he did. I suppose it happens to the best of us. However, that incident is over - move on.

Can I start by wishing Felipe Massa a very speedy recovery. I am sure he would have been there mixing it with the lot. Though a Ferrari fan, I am really pleased for LH. It was a fantastic drive and with 16 plus seconds ahead of my team, it was a cracker. I hope Ferrari guys are sleeping with their eyes open. It was a demolition job well executed.

However I am somewhat disappointed that JB is now making it habit of giving unwarranted excuses. At Silverstone and Nurburgring, it was the cold weather and low track temperature. In Hungary, because track temperature could not be used as an excuse, up pop fuel load as the culprit.

Brawn GP has given him a good car and others are trying to catch up. In such circumstances fewer excuses may be the better option.

for wishing LH good luck to win the race because of LH's better qualifying grid position (so as to minimise Vettel and Webber's point advantages), I hope he continues to do for the rest of the remaining races irrespective of LH's grid position to his. That would truly be a sign of good sportsmanship.

Lewis is nothing more than a wimpy little boy, threatening to quit F1 every other week when things arent going his way. I like the guy but I wish he would finally start acting like a man.

#33 TurkishPhil, your beautiful, amazing comment brought tears to my eyes. I wish all F1 fans were as decent, honest and sporting as you, but unfortunately there are some very twisted individuals out there who get to blog nasty, vindictive, stupid comments anonymously behind their computers. Thank you anyway.

So it seems that the BBC does not have a problem with the statement
"You Brits really are a pathetic, desperate lot. Pathetic." made by ironDirkDiggler commemt 20.
So then it should be ok to make sweeping statements about other nationalities without it being removed?
I could say that Pakistanis or Iraqis (or any other default nation!) are a pathetic desperate lot.
In fact i think the BBC are a pathetic desperate lot because in this entire blog it's only one comment that i find unacceptable, and the beeb refuse to remove it despite several request from several users.
Everyone else is quite happy to be a fan of Lewis (or whoever) and still have respect for drivers like Alonso. But there are always fan boys who become a little too extreme and want any competition, well out the sport. It is properly weird and even weirder that it is allowed to stay.
Incidentally i don't hate anyone but rather thought it appropriate as a name considering the extreme comments already made by that user!
BBC you suck!

LanosIceland:


If only bourdais was here!! he would beat hamilton on "moaning" hands down!

Tell me one time when he's moaned this year..

REF 60 HugoROSSI
I really think you're a moron.
To even consider Alonso would deliberately put lives at risk is slanderous.You might as well accuse Barrichello of sneakily dropping a spring to get rid of Massa, a fellow competitor...
If you bothered to watch what Alonso was doing on the track was to coax the car back as safely as he could without putting himself out of the race.How was he to know the extent of how loose the wheel was?
Shame on you for such insinuations!

REF 61

Good points...

oh lord i've just read REF 66 from Mr. Spinach.

There is no doubt Hamilton is a great driver, one of the greatest in wet conditions.
But Alonso is the most complete driver that is currently on the grid. Yes - records are there to be broken, because Alonso set so many. He is, if i'm right, the youngest double world champion - and believe me when I say this - If it wasn't for the Ron Dennis politics and sculdugery that was affecting BOTH drivers at McClaren, he would have surely been the youngest Triple world champion.
Hamilton new the team inside out since being there as an embryo.
Alonso moves to McClaren as Double world champion for big bucks and Ron Dennis wants him for Santander, prestige etc.
It takes time to get to know a team...

so - during the course of that year Ron proclaims parity for both - a double world champion v a rookie.
Towards the end of that season McClaren put their all their eggs with a rookie - and lo and behold finishes like one (can't park it in China etc)
Alonso - totally frustrated by the whole scenario, unfortunately becomes petulant,does some dodgy maneouvres in a quali which, in retrospect, cost him the championship.
all this i'm sure has been said time and time again...

anyway - the point is Mr.Spinach, They BOTH finished on equal points and as much as I applaud Hamilton's first season, was it really worth pushing the rookie to the detriment of a double world champion?
Where is Ron Dennis now?
...and look at Alonso's replacement Hocky Hocky Kovi - have you ever seen such disparity between two drivers?

Hi all,

Well first off! The lady or gentleman who wrote comment 20! I agree with you! I complained! and i am not ashamed to admit it! And dirkdiggler's comments HAVE BEEN REMOVED! Because i had an email saying it would not be after i wrote to them! Seems i was not alone on that original post by that person!
Oh and ASHGABATMAN, no we are not whining English! We are just made of better stuff!! I was very very upset at the end of last year with the way in which Brazil treated LH and his family, very unprofessional!!! But do we act like that, no!! Sorry to go off on one, but that's why the UK is generally disliked by many countries!! Its just a shame people have to act in that manner! Yes i thought the BBC were wrong to keep posts active that clearly in-sighted racial tension, and negative slanderous comments!!! But I'm glad to see so many people not only talking F1, but telling these other so called fans who seem to act like hooligans, and take pop shots at someone only when they are doing well!! I think its great to see Webber at the front! I think its great that Renault and Alonso are catching up! its great to see a red car coming up the field! And a Silver car leading the pack all through Practice Quali and race day!
Lewis earned every bit of that race, he took Webber on and it paid off! Lets not forget Webber hit Lewis in Germany causing a puncture! Did Lewis go off on one, no! Webber took his drive though on the chin and came back to win! Good for him!! Now lets stop the silly childish comments, if your not going to contribute in a constructive manner then do yourself a favour and just stay away!

WEBBYFOXES.... i agree on that too! There are some quite comic posts here, more so towards Nicole! And i think she is a bit more then second rate mate... (comment by another) Oh and i think some people aught to clean up on the grammar, spelling and general knowledge before they post! After all, it is a bit embarrassing... Cheers all for their well wishes for Felipe Massa!! Hope his Left eye is going to be ok!

Gentlemen and other Species,
Could you confine your comments to the Grand Prix rather than launching into attacks on the various persona competing in the usual mixed bag of machinery?
Nor does it sit well with readers when unfair comments are made regarding the friends, family or 'extras' in the driver's inner circle.
Criticising a 'blogger' (how I dislike that word) for his being a foreigner, albeit made glaringly obvious by his frequent use of pidgin English is unnecessary; although one such entry led me to believe the contributor had 'cut and pasted' his sentences from a fortune cookie; whatever that is.
If I sound like a headmaster, then I apologise, but I did enjoy the spectacle in 'Hungary'; alas I am not 'hungry' for yet more of the woeful spelling and grammar on display in these pages. Keep yr txt crp 4 yr pathetic mbls.
Finally, if you want to see how to write an interesting and fair comment, look no further than the Cricket Match entries; boring game compared to most F1, but their comments are beautifully written. I prefer to watch LH, KR, FA et al, but the cricket comments are just so.......readable? Whereas some of the jumble here on the F1 pages makes me cringe; I rarely finish reading the page.
So rather than lose your reader's interest, use the 'spell-check' and Thesaurus, it only takes a minute.

PS. Why, when members try to compare these drivers to the 'old brigade', Senna, Prost, Fangio, Schumacher etc, does no-one ever mention Stirling Moss? Now that must give you a clue as to where I sit in the demographic; want another clue? - Rod Laver (No, not F1 but tennis),
Good Evening.

geniusmutbe wrote:

lewis hamilton did not have the best car!he had one of the best cars,his team mate at the time and the ferraris were just as good.thats why both seasons came down to the final race.
further more,theres no way alonso would have given lewis a run for his money,considering lewis was alot faster on each lap,plus alonso was carrying less fuel,about 7 laps less.
the best drivers usually do better than there team mates,so hamilton matched alonso in 2007,bettered him in 2008,and he is now doing better than kovi.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Firstly, it was widely accepted that the McLaren car was superior to the Ferrari in 2008 as an overall package. This was also the case in 2007. It was more suited to, and faster, on more circuits than the Ferrari hence it is a better car for the job.
Secondly, Lewis has been spoon-fed by McLaren since he was about 12 years old and if I remember correctly scored the same amount of points as Alonso in 2007...same car yes, but you honestly believe McLaren didn't favour Lewis? If you don't think so then you are naive to the nth degree...After Alonso spat the dummy and played his silly games in (ironically) Hungary with qualifying, McLaren didn't want to know him anymore.

Now, with regards to Sunday...the Renault is nowhere near the McLaren on a tight circuit like Hungary. Alonso's pole was merely because he was running the thing on fumes and because he is the BEST driver on the grid at present. No current driver could do what he does with that Renault.

Lewis has been found out a bit this year...his media savvy has been dodgy at best with a few situations where he has not put his or the teams best foot forward. His performances have been under par, granted he has had a very dodgy McLaren, but it is not rear-of-field material and most of that has been due to his qualifying, or trying to be too aggressive with his little 'go-faster' button...
I'm not knocking the guy by any means, but when he's put on a pedestal because he's British and has won a world championship (barely and luckily) it makes me sick to be honest. I think he has massive potential, but as I've said before, it is yet to be realised.

As for his podium celebrations, they were quite distasteful considering the Massa situation. Talk is that Felipe may not race ever again as his eye might be too badly damaged. I REALLY hope this isn't the case as I think he has the potential to be world champion. As for Lewis' female companion...hot as they come definitely, but just filling space really isn't she???

sgbus1 wrote:

Lewis 'outdrove' the double world champion in the same car in his FIRST ever F1 season. The problem for Alonso wasn't just Lewis's driving skills but also couldn't seem to deal with his sense of purpose.
And lets face it the team were responsible for the tyre fiasco in China for Lewis not already being a double world champion (and I say team mainly because he WAS a rookie).
Sprinkle on a bit of maturity - which was on display this weekend and I think whilst not a legend just yet as long as he has a competitive car (not necessarily the fastest) and good fortune (everyone needs it - no matter how good) he could be. Time will tell.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lewis' main problem has been and will continue to be his overuse of rubber. He is very hard on his tyres and the China incident proved that. To be a great driver you need to have the balls to tell your team what you want. If he felt the tyres were stuffed, then you say 'the tyres are wrecked, i'm coming in whether you like it or not.'....you don't keep driving and say 'yes boss, you want a foot massage when i'm finished the race??'

The only problem Alonso had at McLaren was McLaren!! He is the best driver, was back then as well, but was destroyed mentally by the ridiculous politics of the team and the spoon-feeding of Lewis. Remember Alonso began his career in a Minardi and has risen up the ranks via his insanely brillaint skills to be a double world champion.
Lewis was nurtured at the nipple of McLaren, given the best car on the grid and massive biased support by the team...he would have to be a mug not to win!! Obviously he isn't a mug, he's a good driver, but come on....perhaps a 'sprinkle of maturity' is needed here when it comes to Lewis.

REF 90 & 91
pleaes ref 87

Dear Stath,
you are so right!!

@ Carlonso - I'm afraid Alonso does have previous for putting lives at risk. See his maiden victory in Brazil, an action that prompted massive changes to safety car rules.


As for Hamilton, good on him for getting back to winnng ways. I'm not a huge fan of the person because he seems very corporate and things like liargate definately do count against his reputation. However behind the wheel he has a very distinct and exciting style of driving and will certainly add to his 1 driver championship but he has a lot of work to put in to become a legend. He has however put one of the doubts I had about him to rest in that I was always unsure how much input he had into improving a car because he seemed to be getting the rewards from Alonsos input but really the turnaround has been amazing and I can't remember any team making such a difference in the space of half a season and a lot of the improvement has to come from driver feedback.
He really does seem to split opinion entirely to polar opposites and I've had a good laugh at some of the comments I've read this afternoon.

Empty win Lewis, can only win when other teams have problems ie Brawns heavy car situation, only one Ferrari, a stupid lollypop holder in Renault, where was the respect to fellow competitor Massa?

To mike33l:

He was lucky in that sense, but evry other driver thts won a couple of races has had that same amaount of luck! e.g. Fernando Alonso in 2006?, when schumachers car blew up when schumacher wouldve gone on to win, so you could say that about anyone.. even the greats of F1.

The Brawns weren't quick all weekend either so tht is out of the question.

I don't understand what u mean my respect to massa and his family because after the race as im sure u'll know he said that it was shocking and that massa and his family are in his prayers. What do u mean exactly?
Thank you

P.S I really wish Felipe a speedy to F1 and i hope that there's nothing bad about his vison.

sorry!!!! i meant i wish felipe a speedy recovery to f1

FEF 93
what are you referring to Mr.Mcnasty?

87 - Carlonso - It seems pretty obvious that you know very little about F1 for mocking Kovalainen and for thinking that Hamilton is so brillian in wet conditions. 1) Look at the preferential treatment Hamilton gets (especially in the all important qualifications), 2) remember how many times Hamilton has been spinning in the rain - it's just that he's often had luck in not breaking or stalling the care when spinning (narrowly missing walls etc.) - not speacial.

We saw a 22yr old rookie in his 1st ever season with no experience in a top team like Mclaren where there is pressure to perform at the highest level......pit his wits against the youngest 'Double World Champion' who saw of Michael Schumacher(G.O.A.T)- Fernando Alonso........
We saw Lewis Hamilton take Alonso to school in every department...
1. PURE DRIVING ABILITY - he was often quicker than Alonso in the same car - no excuses!!! Even Schumacher said he was often quicker....
2. MENTALLY - We all know that Alonso is so mentally tuff, you don't go head to head with Michael Schumacher, come out on top and not be tuff...but we all saw with Lewis Hamilton a rookie at the time he wasn't fazed by Alonso in anyway shape or form....It was quite clear as time went on Alonso was becoming more and more rattled on and off the track.....It was a shame to see a 'Double World Champion' trying to use is achievements to gain status against a rookie who's been with Mclaren since he was a boy.....Do your talking on the track not with your mouth!!! The manor in which Alonso conducted himself that season was pretty shaby and lacked CLASS.....Shame really!!!
No wonder Ron Dennis and Mclaren got rid of Alonso he was SURPLAS to requirements anyway....ha ha ha lol!!! they realised that give Lewis Hamilton a decent car and he will cause serious damage...1st year he lost the championship through in experience and team blunders...but it was a learning curve...after that heartache he come back the following year and won the title - METTLE - plain and simple....at 23 a true champion with great maturity....McLaren have spent millions on Lewis, because they saw that RAW potential, hunger and desire!!!! And now Lewis is repaying them back....What a story...ha ha lol!!! Ron Dennis a man with great vision....
It's funny when i read some of the statments about Lewis....he's been found wanting this year, he's poor in the wet, he's only winning races because everyone else is so poor, he's got know respect for massa, Ron Dennis messed up with Alonso, he's to corporate, he's not a real champion, he's only won this many races etc...the list go's on....Loving this debate lol..!!! So many different views out there.....so good to see.....
When it's all been said and done Lewis is the current World Champion and is only 24 - he's only going to get better with experience....thats the beauty!!!
Stop the hating...where's the lovin!!!!

REF 98 PPL792
you know, I've never claimed to be an expert on Formula 1. All I do is comment on what I see with my own eyes and try and look beyond the petrol-headedness of a uniquely psychological sport.Beyond tough.
Hamilton's Silverstone win puts him up there with Shuey's maiden win in the wet in Spain.
I criticize Hocky Kocky for very plain and simple reasons which doesn't take a brainbox to work out.I hate repeating myself but just for you here goes:
actually having read your blog again i really can't be arsed..