Lewis Hamilton's Top Gear lap attempt 'delayed by rain'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/lewishamilton/5945026/Lewis-Hamiltons-Top-Gear-lap-attempt-delayed-by-rain.html

By John Bingham
Published: 6:46AM BST 31 Jul 2009

The world champion Formula One driver was due to film an attempt to break the record for a lap on the popular BBC programme's track next week.

But because of forecasts of possible wet conditions, the plan was postponed until next year, according to the Daily Mirror.


Top Gear stars to perform Italian Job Mini-chase in sewer Hamilton, 24, managed one of the fastest times ever in his last appearance on the show's "star in a reasonably priced car" segment in December 2007.

Despite slippery conditions, he completed the lap in one minute 44.7 seconds, equalling Jenson Button's best showing in dry conditions and just a tenth of a second behind Nigel Mansell's fastest.

It was just a fraction behind the most impressive time ever seen the show; the one minute 44.4 seconds achieved by the programme's expert test driver "The Stig", also in better weather.

Producers were so keen to give Hamilton a chance at the top spot that they decided to move him to a later filming slot to reduce the chance of his attempt being marred by rain for a second time.

He was quoted as saying: “I’m totally gutted, I was really looking forward to getting back out on the track, but Top Gear felt the chance of rain was too great.”

A spokesman for Top Gear told the Daily Mirror: “We are double gutted, as Lewis was an absolute star last time.”

 

Was this going to be in next series? Because they've finished the filming for the current series.

P.S. Ahhh British whether, isn't it great?

 

So good ole Nige pipped Hamilton's best time? Lol.

 

Mansell's lap was in the dry, Hamilton's on a damp, oily track.

 

Yup....and to all you conspiracy theorists out there, we shall see what he does in the dry.

 

Maybe Top Gear will let him go round and round for as long as it takes him to do the fastest lap.

 

Its a basic stopwatch, they stop it when they want.

You're not telling me that Hambone is 1.5 sec a lap quicker than webber, wet or not. If it was a couple of tenths i'd believe it.

However, didn't top gear win an award for most factual program? (Which is a JOKE ladies)

 

Yes, even Clarkson said "which is amazing considering we haven't had a fact in the show for the last 5 years".

 

In a different car on different tyres on a different day in a different year - yep, no worries about that comparison