posted Mar 20, 2007

As an example of how stupid the media hype is on the strength of his grid position "The Mail on Sunday" declared that "he is already better than Schumacher". It's no wonder young stars struggle to live up to expectations when the papers print such rubbish.

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posted Mar 20, 2007

A lot of F1 is about marketing and marketing is about hyping up. It is in the nature of the British press to lavish praise and boost UK sportmen and women, and then to savage them (think of Beckham, and just now Flintoff) so they are just acting in character. It suits F1, the teams and the sponsors for their stars to get this treatment. How many times has the Hamilton Vodafone add been on UK TV since Friday? The important thing is that Hamilton himself understands the rules here and doesn't get carried away (the same is equally true for Kovaleinen after his more difficult debut - he has to keep believing in himself).

Oh and for the record over the tyres it was neither the FIA handing the advantage to Ferrari by favouring Bridgestone, or of Michelin walking away. The FIA decided to go to a single tyre as part of their cost cutting efforts (and the tyre war was a massive part of the cost of F1 participation). The FIA invited tenders for supplying the tyres and a number of tyre companies, including Bridgestone, submitted bids. Michelin indicated they had no interest in beng in a single tyre series and did not bid.

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posted Mar 20, 2007

Maybe Damon has a right to make these comments as a former WDC and as President of the BRDC which is actively looking for the future British motorsport stars and who knows maybe the next Hamilton

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posted Mar 20, 2007

I think he's seriously underestimating Massa: had it not been for the gerabox problem, the race would've been a ferrari 1-2...with either driver in first place.

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posted Mar 21, 2007

WoolleyJ you obviously don't like Damon, but he has achieved something only you can dream about.
It is a fact that Damon accumulated more points than anyone else in his year of glory, and that would suggest he was the most consistant driver in 1996, admitidley the Williams car was the best around at the time, but you still have to get it around the circuit faster than anyone else. And his race in 1998 to win Jordan's first race at spa was brilliant. Of course Damon could of won the chapionship in 1997 also, after coming of worse in a titanic battle with team mate jaques, which handed him the title. I suppose I am different from MOST british people where I take people at face value and for what they have acheived with there lives. Damon acheived his dream and I think we should all be prond of that.

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posted Mar 21, 2007

Sorry Keith but Damon was not at Williams in 1997 since he was dropped by the team in favour of Frentzen. Villeneuve took the title because Frentzen kept driving into the gravel. The Williams was easily the best car 1996-1997, and the title battles only existed thanks to a certain German genius.

Hill really only had 2 shots at the title, once in 1994 and we all know what happenened there, and again in 1996 when he won it.

I think Hill's greatest achievement though was not winning the title in 1996, because he was expected to do that, but his brilliance at testing and developing a car. I don't think Williams would have been the force they were from 1992 onwards had Hill not been there.

His performance at the Hungarian GP of 1997 in the Arrows is one I will never forget. OK he had a tyre advantage, but he blew all the opposition away that day and would have won the race had it not been for some poxy 50p switch breaking right near the end.

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posted Mar 21, 2007

So much talk. Kimi just showed us all that the old add age has it right: "When the flag drops, the bullshit stops".

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posted Mar 22, 2007

i think that kimi will win this seasson. but he will ave 2 work 4 it as alonso and hamilton will b close behind if he gose wrong.

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posted Mar 22, 2007

You really can't rule out massa. He was the only one of Schumi's team mates who properly pushed him!

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posted Mar 22, 2007

There seems to be a real black and white issue on Damon and his ability / lack of, with regard to his achievements. I was one of his biggest fans, as when Mansell left for Indy car, we looked to the next natural replacement who was English, but more than that, who had some actual real talent. damon proved this for years as a test driver for Williams. Imagine how he felt while he was testing the Williams FW14 for Mansell / Piquet during the week, and then having to try to qualify a dog of a Brabham which must have handled like a railway carriage?? He persevered however, and Frank / Patrick would have noticed his sheer determination to succeed. Damon freely admits that he was never naturally talented as a Senna / Schumacher / Clarke etc, and that he had to work really hard at being quick in the car. He is immensley intelligent, and this is one of the key areas where his clear and concise feedback would have really benefitted the race engineers working on his car on set up etc. The most important thing to remember too about Damon, is that he was and still is a really lovely fella and a true gentleman. And coupled to the fact that he is English, and a former World Champion (you only get 1 of them a year too,) he is still the last English WDC that we can lay claim too. I think that someone with his depth in all areas is wise enough to see talent when he spots it, don't you?? Enjoy the season guys, IaninOz.

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