Why Hamilton is no Schumacher ... and Massa isn't either (spoiler)

The performance window of ALL the cars is much narrower now. They are both faster and closer together over race distance. It is harder to make up ground now than it ever has been.

 

What year was it that Schumi had his points taken away for being a bastard?

 

Seems like a lot of the circuits today do not promote passing, and I do remember a few races where Shumacher did not make up much ground.

 

I still believe Hamilton has the Senna/Schumacher talent, but he sure didn't have any of that Senna/Schumacher passion. After he got punted by Massa (a lousy move), he basically threw in the towel and droned around. Pathetic.

Massa showed a lot of heart and spirit and was compensated with one point. Good for him. I never thought of him as a Schumacher successor and still don't do that.

So yes, a Senna or a Schumacher would have driven differently from both of them today. However let's also not forget that MS stalled the engine in the Japanese GP when the title was at stake. So he was not without fault either.

And finally I hate to say it: My idol Irvine showed one of the most lacklustre drives in 1999 in Japan when his own title chances were at stake.

Maybe the 12 hour flight to Japan and the jet lag just zap all the energy out of these guys?

 

Neither of them are Michael Schumacher because, Schumi always kept his head is situations that were not going his way, and he was always thinking ahead in terms of strategy, plus he always seemed to have luck on his side when he most needed it. Other than that he had the raw pace and skill to get through the pack, if nothing else worked. While Hamilton and Massa both have the pace, do they have the skill? Schumacher would never have done what Hamilton did today because he never went blasting out of the starting grid at a million miles an hour, as though he had just sat on a wasp. You could put it down to Hamiltons inexperiance and his age. The only thing that i can think of to defend Massa is that he is alittle more like Schumi than Hamilton, such as he has a much cooler head under pressure than Hamilton and this is his first time of really being in with a shout of becoming world champion. Either way they both have a long way to go before they are any where near Schumacher caliber.

 

Wasn't Lewis's car damaged in the clash with Massa, hence his drone.

 

But Alonso is...he has shown that he can help develop a middle of the pack car and win...just like Schmacher did both at Benetton and then at Ferrari

 

He has had some lady luck on his side, but I agree, the best all round driver without doubt.

Interesting to see the band wagon jumpers now.

 

MS had/has a sixth sense, no question about it.

 

If it was, no one has said anything about it. All I heard was that he had flat spotted tires after the turn one incident. it looks like he just lost his spirit during the race.

 

Not to sure Luis, just was on the phone to my Dad, whilst discussing the race he mentioned Lewis had damage to the side of his car the aero stuff, he pitted earlier to check but nothing could be done, I did notice something fall off his car whilst in the pits though..not sure, he doesn't strike me that he is the sort of guy that would give up though.

 

What fell off his car was a piece of Ferrari.

While it is possible that the McLaren wasn't up to speed anymore, I was hugely disappointed by him basically calling it a day and droning around. Massa kept fighting and was rewarded for that. Hami should have done the same thing.

However my bigger concern is that Hami lost his nerves at the start. Thinking back to last year's title fight, this is not boding well.

 

Seems clear neither one is at Alonso's level as much as I don't like to admit it. He seems to be so good at feedback to the team and improvement from race to race. I don't seem to get that same feeling with either Hamilton or Massa. Just my opinion.

 

I just looked on crash.net. They said he stopped because of a massive flat spot, right down the the canvas, and to check on the suspension. There was no mention of any other problem with the car. I dunno, it looked like he made a bad start and simply panicked. Then for whatever reason he never got into the fight.


http://www.crash.net/motorsport/f1/news/170377-0/alonso_stuns_f1_at_fuji_as_renault_win_again.html

 

Well, yes and no, not to sure he has been in this postion before, and blew it so to speak, but as we know it was just as well given your first comment..
I maintain his problem, which I had thought he had got to grips with, but quite plain to see, as today showed, he doesn't seem to be able to handle drivers getting the jump on him and gets red mist, trys to hard and blows it good style.

In other words he fails to see the bigger picture, IMO as the WDC leader ,he should be sitting back regrouping and settling in for scoring less points, seeing how the race pans out, taking advantage if possible with small risk taking, but mainly getting some points!!. To me he just seems to be attacking straight away when he doesn't need to.

I'm not sure what happened to his car today, it is quite possible something was amiss with it after the Massa contact, it may come to light.

Having said all that I wouldnt want him to change his racing style it's great to watch IMO.

 

Yes maybe just totally pi$$ed off with himself.

 

+1

 

I honestly dont think he gave up at all. The tires werent working very well over long runs and LH is brutal on his tires. I still would like to see Felipe win it but the truth is the upcoming races have potential weather issues and cooler temps. The Mclaren is a more reliable machine overall and copes better with the potential weather. LH only needs to finish strong to take it. Felipe still has a large uphill battle ahead to take the WDC.

 

Well, I will doubt the "all around driver" part.

Lewis is one of the top drivers at vehicle control -- better than Massa, when the traction goes away.

But he lacks the vehicle development and maturity to make him the "complete package", yet.

A bit more time in the garage would help the first, and a bit less fawning from the brit press might help with the second.

Felipe, though, could improve a lot from some drifting practice during the off season. Maybe he can do some rallying with Kimi.
(Or, for that matter, just taking a 433 out in a snow covered parking lot a bit.)

 

+1

The difference between a Force India and a Ferrari is only about ~2-2.5 seconds per lap. Compare this to the difference between the Minardi and Ferrari of several years ago, where it was sometimes 4-7 seconds.

Here's a link for an example/proof

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd_HyPBd0lM

 

Er, I was on about FA ..

 

Why would LH fight from the back or middle of the grid, he has never had to fight for anything his whole life ...

Man life must be so easy for him being gifted the very best car on the grid, have Bernie kissing his @rse every time he farts, has a team that will sacrifice a guaranteed WDC just to support him, has bimbos falling over themselves to get a piece of him.

Too much too soon and unfortunately for LH a public demonstration on why baby boomer parents are not good parents. Basically LH does not know how to tough it out, because Dad (and/or Mum) would normally be there doing it for him ... and I see so many of these parents everywhere nowadays, basically ruining their kids lives.

LH has amazing talent, but no brain/aptitude to back that up yet ... again take him out of the McLaren and stick him in the Honda. Under Ross Brawn he will learn how to develop a car, he will learn how to make a race come to him, he will find the man within and leave the shallow boy that his parents have made him behind. Then we will have a driver worthy and ready to be a WDC.
Pete

 

Pete shurrup

 

Come on there is some truth in my post .

Challenges in life make a person, LH has had very little. Now his parents on the other hand have had plenty for him. Now they have benefited from that, but unfortunately their son hasn't ... other than he is sitting in a F1 car making plenty of money. But what we are now witnessing is his real character, which in all of us come out when we are under pressure. Only practice through out our lives can make you stronger in these situations.

This is why these baby boomer parents that do everything for their children are not actually setting their kids up well. A life without challenges would be completely hollow ... I believe this is directly related to the increase in suicide in young people.

As I say to my kids, its their acheivements that they will look back on and use to judge themselves ... not just ticking the years off (which is all that is left for many kids nowadays as their parents run around doing everything).
Pete