no wonder that kid is fast! : Lewis Hamilton does not hesitate for long when he is asked to nominate someone who inspired him. The McLaren rookie said seven time world champion Michael Schumacher 'always gave 100 per cent.' "I met Michael last year," Hamilton told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag in Bahrain, "and he said something to me that I will never forget. "I was walking in the paddock in Turkey and he stopped me and said, 'Fantastic race. What you did today was outstanding'." Schumacher, now 38 and still an 'advisor' for the Ferrari team, was referring to Hamilton's inspirational drive through the field in GP2. Asked if the German is still a role model, Hamilton answered: "Absolutely. And not just as a driver." "He didn't have to say that to me. Other drivers achieved far less than he did but are much more arrogant. "His ambition and dedication impressed me; before his last ever race he was still testing. He always gave 100 per cent, right up to the last second."
Hamilton is turning out to be a class act........ It's nice to see someone keep everyone else in check.
no prob. it seems now, Mac's letting Hamilton to challenge for the 2007 WDC : McLaren are now convinced that Lewis Hamilton is a serious contender for the world championship this year after his third consecutive podium finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Hamilton finished a strong second at Sakhir on Sunday to move into the joint championship lead with teammate Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. And although Hamilton is a rookie and has not yet even won a Grand Prix, McLaren think they have seen enough to believe he will be a title threat. McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh said: "We have two drivers in our team now contending for the drivers' championship. "I think people at the start thought Lewis was clearly a very fast driver, and he started very, very strongly. But we all have to conclude now that he is a serious title challenger this year. "He will of course want to go one better soon and win a race, but I don't think any of us doubt that it is going to be achieved some time this season." McLaren are pinning hopes of a step forward in performance for the Spanish Grand Prix in one month's time on an aerodynamic and mechanical upgrade package. Whitmarsh said: "We are pushing very hard, as you would imagine. We can see quite a few tenths of laptime improvement, which is encouraging. But none of the other teams are going to be standing still, so we have to keep pushing. "The fight is clearly going to be very tight, and we now have a race from event to event to improve the car." Hamilton himself has admitted that he also believes he can now fight for the world championship this year. When asked after the race whether he believed he had the same chance to win the title as Alonso, he said: "Absolutely. I don't see why not. "I have the same car and I seem to be as competitive as him. As long as I can keep up the consistency I know now that a win is going to be possible. We need to make no mistakes and try to take advantage of this four weeks to the next race to try and keep on beating the Ferraris."
Should Ferrari develop the will, they will find a way. Now MS has retired Hamilton is the most complete person & racer on the current grid.
Schumey is his inspiration? I would have guessed Senna, since his helmet looks identical to Senna's from the in-car camera pointing straight at him.
Apparently that's because he dad always complained he couldn't tell which car he was in, so he made it the most recognizable color so his dad could always see him.
