Is Lewis Hamilton the greatest of all time, why or why not?

More McDonalds locations have gone out of business than any other <single named> burger joint, too.

On the other hand, I have not eaten a McDonalds hamburger in over 30 years.

 

So, can we conclude that McDonalds has done more to fatten up America than any other burger joint ?

 

So, we all know what Hammy can do with a clearly dominant car. Now we see what he can do with a mediocre car. The answer: . . . about average. He did luck into a podium when both the Bulls dnf's in Bahrain.

 

Mercedes looks after Mercedes' interests. Having another feud among drivers was to be avoided.

So they took Bottas, a safe pair of hands and experienced driver as #2, with instruction to follow, not challenge.

There is really not much difference between Bottas at Mercedes, and Irvine, Barichello and Massa at Ferrari, or Perez at Red Bull.

But Mercedes was criticised for this policy, not the other teams.

Now, with Hamilton aging, a replacement had to be found, and Russell got the job.

Russell won't be kept on a leash like Bottas was, because he is the future, so change of tactic.

 

I wouldn't judge so quickly; the Mercedes has serious deficiencies at the moment. I would give it time.

 

Well based on his performance vs. Russell is hard to ascertain he’s the greatest. Hamilton is a very good driver that clearly benefitted from the car. Essentially every thread about this subject should really be changed to, is The Hybrid Mercedes team the greatest in F1 history. Hamilton certainly has all the major records, but he’s definately not the greatest driver ever. Watch the likes of Walter Rohrl or Michele Mouton in the Audi Quattro’s if you are really interested in discussing someone’s all out “driving”

 

Has LH not seen the most reg changes no? Along with Alonso? Who LH beat in equal but over fueled car?, thought so, has also won titles at every team hes been at, also outside f1....

Pretty impressive.... Nice long time hes had being top in multiple series...

 

I disagree the "Perez with RedBull" part.

RedBull let's BOTH their drivers race....regardless who it is. Max is just that good with his team-mates.

 

It's incredible the length people will go to discredit Lewis Hamilton !

Even to compare him to rally drivers !!! It's apples and pears ...

 

I think Red Bull is more focussed on Max than Checo, but treat them equally apparently.

Max is Red Bull's creation, Checo is a driver recruited outside their pool of talents for his experience.

 

I’m not trying to discredit anyone, read what I wrote, he is a very good driver. The question at hand is “is he the greatest driver ever”? The answer is clearly NO. He’s statistically the most successful F1 driver, but not the greatest driver ever. Just in the F1 discipline there are far better pure drivers. Senna for one was a far better “driver”

 

These are drivers....Modern F1 drivers are video game pilots, and Hamilton is a damn good one.

 

You know, I think we may be onto something here..."Hamilton, the McDonalds of F1 Drivers."

 

For some one who was unsure if he wanted to race after the sport just robbed him of an 8th title i woildnt be suprised if he has an off season, even more when you see how much the rules have changed and how if this seasons rules was in place last season for wheel to wheel and the sport actually followed its own regulations then he would have won with ease last season against a redbull car that Redbull them selfs claim was the best on the grid last season, i think he deserves a season off form... I still dont think GR will beat LH over the season though.... Would be happy if he did though...

LH has been at the top for a very long time, he has to fall eventually. But his records will always stand untill beaten by the next driver....

Then we will all be saying the exact same things about that driver as people do MSC, vettel, and LH..

 

+1

 

I judge men (and my world champions) by character not numbers. Statistics have a function, but rarely portray actual reality. Yes, Lewis excelled at lower levels, but the McLaren money insured he had good equipment in top teams all the way to F1. Yes, he had to perform, but he also had an underlying advantage.The same kind of advantage he has enjoyed while at Mercedes, to build his career and image with.


I think most fans recognize his talents but many also find considerable fault in his character. It doesn’t really matter why, they have their opinion just like his supporters have theirs. I don’t dwell on numbers, but more on driving style and what drivers were able to achieve with what they had or against overwhelming odds. Without character, all the number in the world don’t really add up to much. At least not in my mind.

 

It is absolutely hilarious (or would be, if the motives not so deeply cynical and unpleasant) to see the haters desperately cackling and scrambling to discredit, revise, or even outright undo ~15 seasons of history each and every time Lewis has a "not-even-so-bad" race.

Sadly nothing new though...no other motorsport figure has constantly needed to reprove his value (and even his mental fitness, lol) again and again and again...this all the while consistency performing at the highest level - in the mix at the sharp end of grid, and winning races in every season - that type of longevity at the top (one of the main markers of greatness imo) is almost unheard of at this level of motorsport.

Over the next few races, when the natural order is likely resumed and Hamilton has a somewhat comfortable margin ahead of the hater's next great hope (as was the case in Bahrain), no doubt Geroge will begin being slagged off as slow and subservient, or else being martyred as the victim of Merc favoritism yada yada...all depending on how the wind blows each week. Just as was the case Bottas and others before him.

 

I don’t judge him as average.
In any ways !
Even I dislike his behavior, one has to say he is a great driver.
I expect him doing some great drives this year with an inferior car.

 

If Ferrari and Charles wins both championships this year ( hypothesis), it’s a lot better that Mercedes and Lewis are still there.
In my book, achievements are greater when your opponents are strong.

 

Many where quick to cackle and discredit Vettel in 2014.

Were they haters too?

 

Red Bull has to be seen as Ferrari's main opponent, not Mercedes.

 

Vettel had his detractors on this forum when he was winning at Red Bull, and some kept on criticising him after a couple of years at Ferrari when his form went down.

 

And equally, Lewis has his detractors as well. Vettel was written off during the qualifying of the first 2014 GP, forget the years after at Ferrari. Lets see how the rest of the season plays out for Lewis but he can't have many shockers like he did here if he doesn't want his abilities questioned.

 

For now exact,
I still can't believe Mercedes won't be right there shortly.

 

If their problem is packaging (centre of gravity too high, all components are very much in the centre and eventually you run out of space so have to start stacking upwards) I can't see how they can fix it (at all) this season without going to a brand new chassis...and with the cost cap in place, how can they possibly have a completely new chassis and still have the funds to complete the 2nd half of the season unless financial trickery is going on. Changing the chassis means changing the entire philosophy of the car.