Hamilton deserves more respect

I honestly didn't even like Rosberg. I thought he was a silver spoon fed pre-madonna. I thought he was overhyped because he set the FL in his first race. Nothing really changed my mind until 2010. Sure Schumacher was coming back off a 3 year break, which is hard to do in F1. But there was no denying what Schumacher had done in his career and what he was capable of. So when Rosberg was mopping the floor with him, it was evident quick that Nico was no push over and he was a worker. How much he improved as an F1 driver, in speed, consistency, and mental toughness is incredible. He raised his game when Lewis joined Mercedes as now he was fighting for a championship, not just for podiums and the odd win. There is probably very few people that would rank Rosberg in the top 10 of the all time greats, but you have to give credit to someone that is that committed to beat the two drivers that many see as the top drivers all time. In this final 3 years I really started to like Rosberg for his no nonsense, say it as it is, not a push over kind of attitude. I think what he offers to the F1 broadcasts are perhaps the best of anyone. Some of his youtube videos are quite entertaining as well.

I seen a clip of him being asked if he would be able to return to F1. He openly admits he wouldn't be able to just jump into a car and be fast, that he would expect to be several seconds off the pace. Suggesting that the braking would be hardest part to get back. Makes you respect any driver that can come back and be competitive.

 

Interesting.
TODAY is 24,228 day since I never won a Formula One Race.

 

I think Alonso is almost as much as you!

 

How many starts?

 

Don’t get bogged down with “details”

 

yea, it's a tuff crowd, respect tho from 99% of people here

 

Leaving on top and on your own terms is a complete move in control. Well said above!!

 

Interesting stats
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This is why I rank Max a level above Leclerc. On his day, Leclerc can be as fast as anyone over a single lap. But it's in the race where Verstappen can get closer to the limit more consistently than any other driver in F1 currently. If people want to say its all due to the car, then they need to look at his results before he had the car with the best race pace.

Schumacher was very similar. 91 wins with 68 poles (134%). But people need to remember that Schumacher, and Alonso and even Hamilton had to qualify with race fuel. MSC and Alonso particularly had to endure the 1 lap quali period (03-05), so it is possible their qualifying stats would have looked a little differently if it was an even steven format like we have now.

 

Of those four with cars that were capable of pole, only Leclerc has had to deal with reliability issues, inferior race pace (eaten tires), and retarded strategy. As always, the problem with Ferrari is Ferrari, not its drivers.

 

Absolutely true.
Vettel was a beast in qualifying.
He also won 53 gps.
In the end the young and inexperienced Leclerc annihilated him both in qualifying and races.

 

I still rate Vettel highly but he's clearly in the camp of looking incredibly special...in the right machinery. He was an incredible hard worker, just like Schumacher, but missed the supreme talent Schumacher had of being extra-ordinary in anything he drove. Time waits for no one and Schumachers' Mercedes career after coming back was clearly affected by that. Despite his age though he still gave Rosberg more of a fight than the statistics show (reliability pretty much always was an issue on Schumachers side).

Schumacher, Alonso, Verstappen are in the rare camp of being damn right special no matter what they drive. Alonso is also affected by age now, that's clear. A young Alonso would get 3 tenths a lap better out of this car on any day.

 

Alonso with the dog F2012 was one of the most extraordinary drive I have ever seen in Formula One.
Time will do him justice like Prost I guess ( and hope !)

 

I'm genuinely annoyed with myself that I spend all the time he was at Ferrari disliking him.

Probably for beating Schumacher and Kimi in 2005-06 and then taking Kimi's drive in 2010...

 

Very honest statement from you Bas!
I have to admit myself I didn’t really realized he was so good until 2012-2014.
The way he dominated Kimi in 2014 was properly outrageous..

 

agreed. 2014 showed that Kimi, despite his insane natural speed, showed that he's more like vettel and other ''mere mortals'' that insane speed is really only truly shown in the car that's absolutely suited to them. But once the guys like Vettel, Kimi do get in a car that's in line with what they need...Good luck beating them then!

 

Alonso’a 2012 campaign was really on another level. I have not seen that level of performance from anyone since I started watching 15 years ago. It’s remarkable to think he nearly won it all with just three victories when Vettel had five and Hamilton had four. I will never forgive Romain Grosjean for Spa.

 

Schumacher was unquestionably the Guvnor with Alonso very close behind (especially when the FIA suddenly switched tyre regs to thwart MSC)
We are fortunate to be seeing that again with his performances at Aston.

 

You just have to remember the winter test in Jerez and the disastrous first laps for the F2012 to realize what Alonso has achieved this same year..

 

Agreed. Though we can't deny Leclerc has made his share of costly mistakes.

 

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I looks like it, but when you brake down the races, you'll find plenty of mistakes from him...Canada was a disgrace for example. And in the last quarter of the year, Felipe was regularly faster than him and had to give way several times, they even came to the ridiculous of penalizing Massa on purpose to get Fernando up the grid....

 

Nahh, you just disliked him cause he's a snake, a liar and a cheater......good driver, but that's it....i like him better now, he had become more amiable, he even believes Lancelot can be worl champion, lololo what a comediant!

 

he sure did play the villain role quite well. British media played their part, too.