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JimClark07

Listed below are comments made by JimClark07 between Monday, 24th August 2009 and Wednesday, 18th November 2009.

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Weighing up Button's McLaren move 3:13pm on 18 Nov 2009 Its certainly a big risk by Button but given how even though he's WDC people still struggle to give him recognition he has nothing to lose.

The design of the car will be fundamental to who comes out on top and it would be more probable that it will be designed for Hamilton as hes already there.

On the team leader position debate, I think it will be equal and Lewis will have to re-adjust to this after 2 years as team leader.
How important are big sports events to a country's identity? 12:41pm on 16 Nov 2009 I think the legacy is already showing with Glasgow hosting and Cardiff looking to host the Commonwealth Games.

Whilst some people see the Olympics as extravagance and not relevant to them, the profile of the UK will be raised as a result and businesses will be able to sell themselves better using the added attention.

Once the event gets closer people will want to be involved more and with almost every major city involved their will be a chance to see events. Whilst some complain it is too Londoncentric this is as its the only city the IOC will allow to host it and also has the highest profile.

The most important issue with identity is that the Olympics are presented as a UK event and there is a clear distinction between British and English. This issue could make or brake the support for the event as the Olympics are there to raise awareness of Wales, Scotland and N Ireland too and at the moment these are not being involved enough.

Maybe before the event we will see all the flags of the UK represented and not just the Union Jack, which is misunderstood outside the UK.
Ted Kravitz - the Singapore Grand Prix from the pit lane 00:42am on 02 Oct 2009 Great blog Ted,

I'm so glad you picked up on the possible impact on Mclaren if kimi goes there. There is far too much hope in the UK that Alonso will have a repeat of 2007 at Ferrari with Massa but it seems that it would be a problem and it is all a know quantity before he joins.

Since the Kimi/Mclaren rumors started I have been interested in the impact on Hamilton as I see this as the most potential for trouble. In the UK it is often washed over but Hamilton was as much to blame for the fall out and team collapse in 2007 as Alonso and he has enjoyed sudo number 1 status since.

We all know Hamilton says he wants to race the best and doesn't mind who his teammate is but in reality hes not had anyone to unsettle him. As you mention Kimi back at 'home' in Mclaren and on form will beat or at least match Lewis and this will be when we see how he reacts.

As they say its easier being the underdog like Lewis was in 2007 and what Kimi would be in 2010 as you have nothing to lose.
Button deserves credit for rearguard fight 11:33pm on 27 Sep 2009 I have to comment on a common point which seems illogical to me. That is the fact he hasn't had any competition from the so called best this year e.g. Hamilton, Alonso etc.

Well in that case what makes last season any stronger? Alonso still recognised by most as the best all round driver was in a poor car most of the season and was never in the title hunt. Kimi the other WDC was disinterested and awful for most of it and the title was fought between the runner up from the year before and Massa who before he joined Ferrari was not taken seriously as WDC material.

So in 2009 we have a WDC runner up in Rubens, promising driver who finished 3rd in Button, promising drivers in Webber and Vettel. So the winner of this championship will either have 68+ podiums and 11+ wins in Rubens or 23+ podiums and 7+ wins in Button. Average drivers don't get that many podiums.

Also in particular why is Massa held in higher regard than Button as a serious title contender? Before he had a winning car he never got close to it either. I think Button showed alot more in his average cars than Massa and in his 1st season in a race winning car and WDC contender he is winning, what more can he do, when he dominated it was the car and now its really tight and he's not its because its his driving. Funnily enough vice versa with Hamilton apparently. Hmm....
Button deserves credit for rearguard fight 9:38pm on 27 Sep 2009 I think some people have very short memories and confuse entertainment with performance.

Firstly the Brawn car has been only been the quickest initially at the first few GP and since Bahrain and Turkey Red Bull were largely on their pace. So Button and Rubens have won in not dominant cars this season.

Secondly, This season is unique in that the whole field is seperated by less than 2 seconds in pace which makes it difficult to overtake and when cars drivers have an off day they will more severely punished. Compare this to last season where if you drove a Mclaren or a Ferrari and you weren't called Heikki a bad weekend you would expect to be 3rd or 4th at worse.

Thirdly, how is Button's slump where he has been slightly less competitive in such a close competition and worse than Hamiltons slumps last year e.g. Bahrain, Canada and Fuji?

Finally, has anyone been better this season. Definately no, no-one as consistent and remember his clinical driving at the beginning of the season put the pressure on the others to catch up. On current form I'd say Rubens, Rosberg and Kimi have been the most consistent and got the most out their car recently by not at the beginning. Hamilton, well its feast or famine with him and I can't subscribe to the driving above his car theory consistently until he's pushed by another competitive teammate.
World medals only half story for GB 8:16pm on 24 Aug 2009 yerfdog53,

When i say genuinely world class I mean pushing for world records and being consistently in the top few in the world. Ennis and Radcliffe certainly but most of our medalist were glad to be in the final and see how they go from there.

How many world leaders are british or close to it? How many medals were achieved as outsiders rather than favourites. This is the difference, whilst they have done well to get medals I wish it to be a stepping stone for the current generation and not the peak.

I'm not trying to be too critical I just think statistics can prove one thing but hide another. We are missing strong characters who are world leaders and pull people into the sport.
World medals only half story for GB 6:53pm on 24 Aug 2009 I get the impression that we are stronger across the spread of events but not strong in any other than heptathlon.

Particularly the sprints have got so much worse, the best british sprinters now are not quicker than Linford 15 years ago and now they are not in that top level. 10 years ago the 100, 200 and 400m mens finals often had 2 brits in them and competing for medals. At the same time you had Jackson and Jarrett in the hurdles and Backley and Hill in the javelin.

I'm not sure why we were so much stronger before but now we genuinely have only 1 or 2 world class athletes unlike before.

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