Lewis Hamilton's winning ways
Discussion
Another 2 more victories in Euro F3......and..............
[quote=GP.com]
The problem with Lewis Hamilton
McLaren's Young Driver Support programme has a problem. Twenty-year-old Lewis Hamilton is just too good and if he keeps on winning as he has been in recent months, his success will almost demand a seat in Formula 1.
Hamilton's problem is that he has won nine of the 12 Formula 3 Euro Series races this season, the most recent two victories coming on the streets at the Norisring last weekend. He has a huge lead in the championship over his ASM team-mate, Adrian Sutil.
Winning more than 50% of the races in a major Formula 3 title is a rare achievement and most of the drivers who have achieved that have gone on to leap straight into Formula 1. Back in 1979 Alain Prost was signed by McLaren after winning seven of 12 European F3 events; Ayrton Senna collected 12 wins in 20 British F3 races in 1983 and Mika Hakkinen won nine of 17 in 1990. In modern times Takuma Sato won 12 of 26 British races in 2001 and went to Jordan in 2002 although he was dropped by the midseason.
The best record of all belongs to Jan Magnussen who won 14 of 18 British races in 1994 but after a decent one-off race with McLaren in 1995 he had to wait until 1997 to get a fulltime F1 chance with Stewart Grand Prix and by then he seemed to have lost his edge.
McLaren's problem is that there are simply too many drivers around with two racers and two testers. It is possible that the team might drop either Alexander Wurz or Pedro de la Rosa to make way for Hamilton but if not the Afro-British driver will either have to go to a different Formula 1 team, with financial support from McLaren and Mercedes or divert from his chosen path to race in GP2 or DTM.
[/quote]
Who else is thinking McLaren may even drop Montoya is he doesn't keep up his performance and replace him with Hamilton?
[quote=GP.com]
The problem with Lewis Hamilton
McLaren's Young Driver Support programme has a problem. Twenty-year-old Lewis Hamilton is just too good and if he keeps on winning as he has been in recent months, his success will almost demand a seat in Formula 1.
Hamilton's problem is that he has won nine of the 12 Formula 3 Euro Series races this season, the most recent two victories coming on the streets at the Norisring last weekend. He has a huge lead in the championship over his ASM team-mate, Adrian Sutil.
Winning more than 50% of the races in a major Formula 3 title is a rare achievement and most of the drivers who have achieved that have gone on to leap straight into Formula 1. Back in 1979 Alain Prost was signed by McLaren after winning seven of 12 European F3 events; Ayrton Senna collected 12 wins in 20 British F3 races in 1983 and Mika Hakkinen won nine of 17 in 1990. In modern times Takuma Sato won 12 of 26 British races in 2001 and went to Jordan in 2002 although he was dropped by the midseason.
The best record of all belongs to Jan Magnussen who won 14 of 18 British races in 1994 but after a decent one-off race with McLaren in 1995 he had to wait until 1997 to get a fulltime F1 chance with Stewart Grand Prix and by then he seemed to have lost his edge.
McLaren's problem is that there are simply too many drivers around with two racers and two testers. It is possible that the team might drop either Alexander Wurz or Pedro de la Rosa to make way for Hamilton but if not the Afro-British driver will either have to go to a different Formula 1 team, with financial support from McLaren and Mercedes or divert from his chosen path to race in GP2 or DTM.
[/quote]
Who else is thinking McLaren may even drop Montoya is he doesn't keep up his performance and replace him with Hamilton?
I was hoping that the Dubai thing would go ahead, allowing McLaren/Merc to place him there in return for subsidised engines - who's to say that may not happen at Williams - Frank 'n Ron are mates after all...
Look at what happened to Heidfeld - long term McLaren contract, undoubted talent and then along comes Raikkonen....
...but no, I can't see them outing Montoya quite yet - after all he must be attractive to some US sponsors. It's more likely that Hamilton'll move into GP2 next year - I'd love to see Dave Price get him - I have a soft spot for old Dave....does know how to "do" hospitality
.
...of course, if it is true that Raikkonen is into his option year on 2006 (and I have trouble believing that) and if Todt really is trying to sign him for Ferrari (and again, I think that's a smokescreen) then there may be a berth at McLaren for Hamilton in 2007...
Look at what happened to Heidfeld - long term McLaren contract, undoubted talent and then along comes Raikkonen....
...but no, I can't see them outing Montoya quite yet - after all he must be attractive to some US sponsors. It's more likely that Hamilton'll move into GP2 next year - I'd love to see Dave Price get him - I have a soft spot for old Dave....does know how to "do" hospitality
. ...of course, if it is true that Raikkonen is into his option year on 2006 (and I have trouble believing that) and if Todt really is trying to sign him for Ferrari (and again, I think that's a smokescreen) then there may be a berth at McLaren for Hamilton in 2007...
Hamilton's McLaren contract ran out earlier this year, and I'm not totally certain that it has been renewed yet (although McLaren would be insane not to have). I've been following him since FRenault, and I'm convinced he's the real deal (not just GP winner, but potential World Champion). Not just fast, but he really thinks about his driving.
The oddest thing is that we have heard nothing. I haven't heard of any F1 tests recently, yet Martin Whitmarsh must be seriously considering placing him directly in another F1 team - he certainly has the ability, and I'm not really clear what benefit there would be 'holding him back' in GP2. Better to blood him ready for 2007 when more seats are likely to open up.
Mind you, with Kovalainen, Carroll, and Hamilton all ready and able, the minor teams have a remarkable choice of talent right now.
The oddest thing is that we have heard nothing. I haven't heard of any F1 tests recently, yet Martin Whitmarsh must be seriously considering placing him directly in another F1 team - he certainly has the ability, and I'm not really clear what benefit there would be 'holding him back' in GP2. Better to blood him ready for 2007 when more seats are likely to open up.
Mind you, with Kovalainen, Carroll, and Hamilton all ready and able, the minor teams have a remarkable choice of talent right now.
FourWheelDrift said:
Who else is thinking McLaren may even drop Montoya if he doesn't keep up his performance and replace him with Hamilton?
Montoya is now up to speed. I think he and Kimi are goign to start pushing each other very hard from now on.
What we need is more teams in F1 like in the good ole days, with prequalifying, etc. But of course that's where the politics lies (in more ways than one).
Hamilton is no more or less talented than some of the other drivers out there, although he is one of the better ones. i can't help being cynical though, a black f1 driver has got to be a marketing mans dream, and i guess that is one of the reasons he as been sponsored by mclaren - fair play to them, they've seen an opportunity and taken it, my guess is that they will look after him well and truly next year, possibly test driver with a bit of gp2. i don't think it will be a case of driving for mclaren straight away, they will place him into another team, like heidfeld was, and then develop him, so long as he keeps working at it, and has the desire i think he is going to have the easiest ride to the top of anyone.
You should be a bit less cynical (though I understand why you say it) - there are large swathes of the Middle and Far East where being black is most definitely not a marketing opportunity, and these are key markets for F1. McLaren have been supporting Hamilton for some ten years now. If he is getting an easy ride (which to a degree he is, much as Schumacher, Frentzen and many other proteges have), I personally believe he is justifying it on the track.
If it were marketing-led, wouldn't Martin Whitmarsh (who is nobody's fool) have chosen a female?
If it were marketing-led, wouldn't Martin Whitmarsh (who is nobody's fool) have chosen a female?
This must have been when we still talked about TVRs?God above , but I don't think we'd call Lewis 'Afro British' now... .
I saw Lewis win his first single seater race , a Winter Series Formula Renault at Croft , on a cold , grey day with a handful of saddos like me watching. Unlike Raikkonen , who I'd seen win a few years earlier at the same event , and was obviously destined to be a star , Lewis struck me as the massively hyped lad who was quick , but not unusually impressive.
So much for my piercing insights eh ?
I saw Lewis win his first single seater race , a Winter Series Formula Renault at Croft , on a cold , grey day with a handful of saddos like me watching. Unlike Raikkonen , who I'd seen win a few years earlier at the same event , and was obviously destined to be a star , Lewis struck me as the massively hyped lad who was quick , but not unusually impressive.
So much for my piercing insights eh ?
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