posted Jul 23, 2008

I'm not sure if the Beeb look for the most balanced article more than the one most likely to ferment debate. Or in other words the biggest wind-up

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posted Jul 23, 2008

Whilst I admit that using "the greatest of all time" is not justified (yet) in Lewis Hamilton's F1 career I do think that your comment of "car wereckers and journeymen" shows a complete lack of understanding of the skills of many other drivers in F1. Raikonnen, for instance, has had a great season with some excellent races - except for the management blunders commited by Ferrari. Your comment on Piquet (that you used to try to justify you nonsense comments) was an ample demonstration of your lack of common sense. Piquet got a podium through sheer luck and timing and was not any reflection of his skill or a lack of skills by other drivers.

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posted Jul 23, 2008

Well its been a while since I posted anything on these BBC threads and quite frankly I've not missed the purile crap most of directed against LH.

I'm happy to say that I'm an LH fan and no mistake guvnor. But he is far from being and "All-Time Great" those words seems to be banded about willy nilly. I think Lewis has outrageous Potential and comsumate skills in a Racing car an I feel confident that if his hunger and desire continues as it is he will be finish his career at the very top of the Tree but he ain't there yet.As per Murray Walker "to finish first ,first you have to finish"

That having been said I see some of the old Lewis Haters are still venting thier spleen in regard to Alongo/RD/MM Ferrari and any old piece of Bovine excrement they can lay their hands on. Last year is HISTORY what happen then is now confined to the pages of F1 History and rightly so. Any one with micro brain cell knows what happen publically (but not privately) so why people still trot it out to highlight a Point is beyond me.You need to start looking at this year and Facts.LH screwed up Royally a few times this year and was punished for them but he has moved on, and like a true champion in waiting has capitalised on some Lacklustre performances from the Prancing horse to hit the front again. Ferrari are just not the "Force Major" without Ross Brawn/Todt/Schumacher and dear I say it Stepney. These are guys who pulled Ferrari from being a Laughing stock to world champions several times over.I'm not a Ferrari fan at all but you can't live on past Glories, any team/driver is only as good as thier last race/championship.Mclaren has clearly siezed the high Ground and it will be interesting to see if they can defend it till the end of the season and redress the History Books over what happened last year.

I keep reading this garbage about if Alonso was in this car or Rosberg was in that car what load of B"++++ks its all "IF & Buts" if my Aunt had Nuts she'd be my Uncle.
How convenienet that everyone forgets Alonos is with the same team he won his WDC with 2 years ago and Rosberg Turn down the chance to be in a Mclaren this year. So what does that tell you. Think about it if any of you still have the ability to think!!!

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posted Jul 23, 2008

I stopped reading this thread after this line:

"...any decent driver could clean up when faced with such a pathetic line-up of car-wreckers and journeymen..."

It shows either a lack of respect for the effort of other drivers or a lack of knowledge and appreciation of F1, a sport where death and dare are usually the flip side of each other...

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posted Jul 24, 2008

Not sure I agree with all the comments there, Rosberg and Alonso in decent cars, good shout. That would make it interesting but look at the grid. There are three race winners on the last two row (Button, Rubens and Fisi) two drivers with under 40 GPs at the front winning races (Lewis and Kubica), two world champions, add to the other two already mentioned GP2 Champions (Glock, Niko, Lewis) as well as seasoned pros such as Webber, Heidfeld DC and Trulli. The pay-for-drive era seems to have gone now. These guys deserve to be there and believe it or not Piquet is a good driver just had a very bad season's start. Get used to him on the podium you will see it more and more of him.

Are your bed sheets British Racing Green? Johnnie and Eddie never were world championship material. Irvine only got a shot at it because Schumacher broke his leg.

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posted Jul 24, 2008

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posted Jul 24, 2008

An ignorant assessment in this article.

After a few dark age years where we were bored to death with a field of has beens and never were's making up the pack, we are now entering the second season of great racing.

Alonso's two titles were won with 1 other contender: Schumacher, a once great driver who never really recovered his bottle after breaking his leg. As with Alain Prost in his twilight years, his fearless style was compromised with age and a healthy fear of death.

We now have at least 4 young drivers who have the potential to be great. I include Vettell, Kubica, Rosberg and Hamilton in that batch.

The changes to the cars, such as traction control removal has ensured more mistakes by all including Raikonnen, Massa, Alonso and Hamilton to name a few.

LH has been given the greatest opportunity in that he has the best car of the young drivers, but as somebody stated above, you can only beat what's in front of you and I have to re-itterate what Lauda said about his last drive being Senna-esque, not because it was good, but because he pushed from lap 1 like Senna did, was pulling out a lead mercilessly lap after lap like senna used to and drove past people for position as if they weren't there like senna used to.

If it wasn't for the safety car he would have finished about 45 seconds ahead of the next driver and would probably have lapped most of the field.

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posted Jul 24, 2008

I know where people are coming from when they get annoyed about comments lavishing praise on people and saying they're the next big thing / the new great / the next Pele/Senna/Borg/Lomu etc.

But I can't stress enough how much of a talent Lewis Hamilton is. I said to a friend at the end of last year that LH's now shown the potential he has, he now needs to start racking up a portfolio of legendary drives that every great needs in his career. The Mansell drive where he pushed his car across the line for 4th. The Senna Drive at Donnington in the wet, where he passed 5 people on the first lap to get into 1st. The Schumacher drive, when he was stuck in 5th gear and still brought it home to win.

Lewis now has 1 to add to his collection in Germany's race last week. I look forward to seeing much, much more.

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posted Jul 25, 2008

Hamilton has a very promising future. Lets concentrate on that rather than predict whether he will be the goat. That kind of a prediction does not even make sense as he has yet to win a wc.
At the moment I can safely say he is one of if not the most talented driver out there. Shit car good car or whatever car. RAIKKOnen and massa have equally good if not better cars yet they are behind him at the moment.
So lets all drop the same old tired comment if alonso was in such and such car results would be different. They were in the same car last year and we all know that he finished behind hamilton albeit with the same points but fewer race victories or seconds. But for me as hamilton was the rookie he actually beat him. By the way I think Alonso has outrageous talent.
bUT something for me stands out about Hamilton cant quite put my finger on it you could call it the tired old cliched X factor but i think it is something more than that.
Time will tell

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posted Jul 27, 2008

Lewis Hamilton is a better driver than last season... when he beat 2-time champion Alonso in the championships. It seems to the author of this article that considering he is not the greatest of all time... he is just a mediocure champion. Nothing he has done so far has been mediocure. I doubt Eddie Ervine and Johnny Herbert would have won the world championship at age 23.

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