posted Nov 19, 2007

It's about the best judgement anyone could have hoped for. I agree that Kimi is the best right now. However, he is almost certainly about as good as he's ever going to be, Hamilton has a long way to go - although it's very early days, he's quite a phenomenon. Like Shane Warne in Cricket, Muhammed Ali in boxing, you only get one of these in a couple of generations - and as the bar gets set ever higher, the quantum steps in skill and performance required to have an impact like this get finer and finer. We could be in for another such player in F1...if so I hope it doesn't get blighted by endless petty criticism, political posturing and corruption to the extent that the thrill gets lost or Hamilton driven from the sport.

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posted Nov 19, 2007

"Maclaren have won the appeal as the fuel issue can not be used against them ( by Fewrrari ) next year should the situation arise. "

this more or less gets to the heart of it - the decision didn't answer the question about the fuel temps - only that if someone else gains a benefit from some irregularity and it suits the FIA to turn a blind eye then no-one else has the right to complain about it. It sounds like a dangerous precident unless they do as most other sports and make the 'referee' decision final - then they have to decide who the 'referee' is and precisely what the rules are. Time for a major overhaul - dump the rules that can't be enforced - create a clear tariff of penalties to go with a breach of each rule and apply them to all equally - be transparent and decisive - above all work to regain some integrity and respect because the FIA is short of both at the moment.

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posted Nov 19, 2007

Crickomaster >> you wrote: "...although it's very early days, [Hamilton's] quite a phenomenon. Like Shane Warne in Cricket, Muhammed Ali in boxing, you only get one of these in a couple of generations"

to compare Hamilton who choked and frittered away a commanding lead snatching defeat from the jaws of victory to Muhammad Ali is just out of order - this is tabloid speak expected only from the rubbish UK tabloid gutter press -you cannot be serious

Hamilton has not proved to be a top performer - he's won absolutely nothing in F1 - don't be deluded by all the hype and hot air - the kid flatters to deceive - unlike Ali who said what he thought and was sentenced to jail over trumped up tax evasion, Hamilton is a deceitful kid who looked his fans in the eye and was economical with the truth and his reason for fleeing the UK (Michael Parkinson had to force it out of him) - he'd never win an F1 title with McLaren - he's all sizzle, no sausage just like his team, McLaren

all the razzmatazz surrounding Hamilton is less to do with talent but more with the UK longing for a sporting hero that breaks the colour mold (what Tiger Woods has done for Golf)- unlike Tiger, Hamilton has no titles in F1 except you choose to buy him one from Ebay

unless Hamilton delivers F1 titles, he'd remain what he is: all flash no substance

this Hamilton furore should be put in perspective PLEASE

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posted Nov 20, 2007

Aka Phantom of the Opera -
unfortunately you do the same thing you imply criticism for - i.e. you use the tabloid tactic of selectively quoting to air your point and pick a fight that isn't actually there in what I wrote if you bother to read the whole response - and this fight is one that you seem to be parading around every F1 strand you can find.

You neglected to point out that I very clearly said that...

"We could be in for another such player in F1...if so I hope it doesn't get blighted by endless petty criticism..."

The "could be" is deliberate. Early signs are encouraging to many fans like me. Objectively of course only time will tell for sure either way.
Unfortunately your objectivity in the argument is undermined by your much vaunted and passionate hatred of anything McLaren or Hamilton related. To call Hamilton "a flash in the pan" after the rooky season he had is a tad reckless, mean spirited and not a fair representation of his achievement. Coming within one point of the world championship is not an accident. You are clearly a man with a mission - some battle from the past that Hamilton/McLaren have rattled up in you and they've become the focus of your personal resentment. Get help mate.

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posted Nov 20, 2007

Crickomaster >> the point is Hamilton is far off the pantheon of sporting greats of which Muhammad Ali stands tall - do you dispute that? - why compare the kid after just one season to a lifetime of impressive achievements by Ali - just why? - only the Fleet Street red tops would do that

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posted Nov 21, 2007

If the FIA were "spineless" in this, how to square this particular circle?

Meteo are the OFFICIAL suppliers of temperatures. The teams took the figures they are supposed to. Meteo's temperatures kept the teams within the limits.

Why have official figures that are then xountermanded by the stewards? What's the point of having competing sets of figures? Whose are the teams to obey? Why did McLaren decide on the stewards* figures, and not those of the official suppliers? Confusion? A mistake? Or a deliberate ploy?

A total mess. Throwing the thing out was the right decision.

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posted Nov 21, 2007

Xynoxx: it wasn't the stewards measurements, or the McLaren deciding on anything.

The teams were reported to the stewards for fuel irregularities by the FIA technical delegate. If there are official temperatues that the teams are (supposed to be) using, why is the FIA technical delegate using different values?

It's a mess alright, *because* it's been thrown out. If the FIA are using the wrong measurements to test compliance, and you say you can't measure it anyway, you bring into question *every* result. Who is to say that Ferrari, or McLaren, etc. didn't race at any one or all GPs with illegal cars?

If you said the FIA applied the correct measurements, that the teams did run illegally (and take action), then you haven't got a problem - you've validated the application of the rules in all other results (where no-one ran illegally)

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posted Nov 22, 2007

Aka Phantom - sorry not to reply sooner - bit busy.

I don't dispute that at all - the true greats all started somewhere though, and this lad has potential. There's always a long journey - remember Prince Naseem Hamed? What a first few years! Nobody had seen a lightweight like him and yet the comparisons abounded, and alas a whole constellation of factors intervened in his promising future. One could site untamed arrogance, foolish decision making about both coach and promoter, reaction to riches...etc, etc, we'll never know for sure what triggered his decline. Hamilton has such a good attitude - even to the wherewithall and sheer dignity not to get caught up in the post championship slanging match we've all just watched. His partial (though inadequate) recovery in the final race under extreme pressure; his results... He could be forgiven for protecting his income - and even in hiding the fact that this was even a factor in his decision to move to Switzerland. He's young - and none of us is good at everything we have to face in our lives:- on the track though he looks pretty fine to me, and his inexperience cost him dear.

What I say is we could be seeing the beginning steps of a true sporting great - if it really is his potential then my hope is that he has the room to develop it without being diverted by the corruption, politics and general destructiveness we Brits as a nation and our media have developed as an expertly administered dark art over time; and it has no effective collective opposition. It has never been worse - personal, demeaning, prying, cynical and, I say again, destructive.

Now I also realise that Ali (truly in my opinion the greatest heavyweight of all bar none) also had it hard - and the mission for Black sportsmen back then was to fight the terrible inter-racial inequalities reflected in every aspect of their lives and those of their peers - Ali was spirited enough to pioneer a path, not alone, but as part of an emerging collective opposition - this simple fact being extremely significant - even including the prejudice accusations made against him in his late career; of course, you could say that Hamilton has his own socio-political shadows to fight - but they are different. There is a culture of condemnation of anyone who displays excellence - the boundaries and ethics of that debate are not so clearly drawn and positional as the racial one was (and still is to a degree). I can see nobody opposing it as an identifiable group.

What would happen if we could find it in our hearts as a nation to support our talent rather than nail it to a cross almost as soon as it emerges onto the scene? I believe the boy has greatness in him - I truly hope we all get to be entertained by it for many years to some. Only time will tell. I fear that he could become a media and cultural victim. To be defeated on the track is one thing, to be kicked to death by a national pastime off the track would just be a profound shame and loss to us all.

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posted Nov 22, 2007

Crickomaster >> your last piece was well argued - you're a clever fella, with solid education - i think in spite of my critique of Hamilton, we're agreed that the kid has to fulfil his undoubted potential to be considered in the pantheon of the greats - i hope like you, the media give him the space he requires - but knowing the predilection of Fleet Street red tops, Hamilton has an ice cube in hell's chance of being left alone - true greatness awaits him but he has to deliver when he's in the zone - i hope he learns from the 2007 season and takes as his role models the Tiger Woods and Roger Federers of this world - the current prognosis is that the kid likes to roll with P Diddy, Pharrell and those US East Side Gangs - he may rue his mistakes in years to come or he may shun all the media razzmatazz and blow F1 oppositions away - i still think a move to Ferrari should be engineered as it offers Hamilton the kind of package to match his talent - tough decisions await Hamilton if he's to break from Ron Denis and McLaren - remember, even Tiger Woods had to break from his coach and caddie to raise his game another level

is Hamilton brave enough? - time will tell

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posted Nov 23, 2007

Respect to you - can't fault what you say.

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