Over and over again ? That could be true, although it must be in reaction to people who still mentioning him as a WDC contender, or a potential GP winner, which I think he is not anymore.
I have seen Hamilton absolutely shattered after Abu Dhabi 2021, and never recovering from it. Then came the porpoising issue at Mercedes which was big drama for him, when Russell lived with the issue. I saw Russell taking the ascendency at Mercedes, and Hamilton retracting in his shell. I threw nobody under the bus: compared to how he was before Abu Dhabi, Halilton is a shadow of himself now. I said before that Hamilton was staying too long in F1, and is now tarnishing his career, like Schumacher did during his come back, or Vettel later. It's better to leave at the top. The talent is still there helped by years of experience, but his motivation has gone for good. Hamilton has no fire in his belly anymore; everything is calculated. His move to Ferrari is a cynical way to cash on his career, and I am sure Elkann knows it. You can't blame a man wanting to make money, but the pretence that he is chasing an 8th title is just poppycock !!
Since 1985. Honestly can’t think of any other fans that are so rabidly defensive when prodded. YMMV Same reason you repeatedly defend him maybe? Got to keep the balance in the F1 universe. You know, real yin/yang kind of stuff. Rest assured I’ll take my lumps next year if I’m wrong.
There is a lot that goes into winning a race and championship. You can be the greatest driver in the world but if your car is a dog you wont win anything. Even if you have the best car on the grid, you still may not win. Its all about tire management, good pit stops, good mechanics, good set up, good engine, skill and a lot of luck. You have not won the race until the checkered flag flies.
I should probably add it’s all just good natured ribbing on my end. Like any other great sport rivalry it’s just ball busting. Steelers vs. Browns, NY vs. Boston, etc.
I think we agree on something. I don't think Lewis has declined as a driver, at least not significantly, in the last 6 or 7 years. He hasn't taken any years off, he's been with the same team that has focused their development around him. His quali speed would not have really changed. At least not more than a tenth here and there. Perhaps his races should have deteriorated as an aged driver could be less hungry and less likely to take risks. Yet his races have still be a strong suit. So IMO, the same world champion Lewis that dominated in 2019 and 2020, is the same driver that got beat in 2022 and is getting beat in 2024 by George Russell.
That's not long enough then. Because I've seen people here attack when bad things are said about Schumacher or Senna etc.
Thing is, this guy has had the privilege of sitting in the best cars around 80% of his career. He never drove a dog of a car. The Mclarens in the late 2000s were not great cars, but they were not bad cars. There was some good races from both Hamilton and Button. Then of course we had the dominant era of Mercedes. Hamilton could have started every race in last position, and he could still win, due to how effective the team operated. Now, the Mercedes again, not a bad car, but not a great car. They are slowly improving, but it's like when things don't go his way, he just can't drive. He doesn't make any attempt at all. For example, there's been many times, he has been heard on the radio asking the team to retire the car, just because he's not in a position he should be, the car isn't fast etc. If we go back to the early 90s, and we saw Senna already losing motivation at Mclaren and wanted to switch to Williams. Although his heart wasn't in Mclaren anymore, i never saw one race where Senna never gave a 100%. He just went all out. And into the modern F1. 2006 Brazil. Michael's last race. Even with fuel pump issues and punctures, Michael gave his all and almost got onto the podium. Against all odds. This is what separates great from normal. This is why i will never ever categorize Hamilton as one of the greatest. He, in my book, is just an extremely lucky driver to be in the best cars most of his career. This is why when it's a bit tougher situation, he cannot come out of it. Instead of getting his head down, and just giving it all, he's forever complaining, and asking the team stuff like why he wasn't inform to have a fast outlap in Monaco. He's no warrior like Senna and Michael, and will never be. For me, it's a big big mistake Ferrari signing this overrated guy for next year.
@Remy Zero Hamilton "has had the privilege of sitting in the best cars around 80% of his career." No, He earned his way into an elitist sport. Stroll, Guanyu and Mazepin all were raised in families of billionaires - THEY have the privilege of sitting in F1 cars. This is obvious. Ham's father would pick up used tires from the other 'youth' teams to further his son's racing. Shummie, jr and Verstap, jr are the sons of .... former F1 drivers who are alive (no disrespect to MS intended). This is quite a small, elite circle that they GREW up in. LH began his racing career 30 years ago (at a similar age to many F1 drivers today). He did NOT have the best cars on the grid for 24 years of his career. "...dominant era of Mercedes. (HE) could have started every race in last position, and he could still win, due to how effective the team operated." - No, he couldn't. He had to beat his teammates first: Rosberg (WDC) and Bottas (10 F1 victories and WDC 2nd place twice) [as comparison Perez has 6 F1 victories and WDC 2nd place once BUT has been an F1 driver two years MORE than Bottas.] In the earlier racing eras you mention, frequently there was a lead driver and an inferior #2. Rarely did LH have a number two driver as a teammate. Ask Verstiffen, Sr. about being #2 behind MS, Sr. "Now,..." - well, you are ignoring the past two and a half years of porpoising that MB engineers got woefully wrong. "...the Mercedes again, not a bad car, but not a great car." A few other teams also had this issue, but MBs were the worst. Undriveable. Period. An analyst described it this way, 'LH (like many leading drivers) is used to his car being a certain way. not even close. GR had no MB history at that point, so everything new to him.' Tip of the hat to his adjustment. "....like when things don't go his way, he just can't drive." Min's whining about the flaws in his car when in second place is getting old. Lambiase has often told him to keep quiet so that other teams dont figure out what problem his RB is having (which are few). "He doesn't make any attempt at all." Uuuh, Hamilton won an F1 race on 3 tires (!). Also, last race, he pitted at the SAME time as his teammate and beat his teammate and the entire field for fastest lap of the race with 15 laps to go. Yeah, he makes the effort. "If we go back to the early 90s, ... i never saw one race where Senna never gave a 100%. He just went all out." Senna did not race on a half-billion$ racing team. When MS was with SF, the SF 'bonus' from F1 was in the hundreds of $millions. Money was no object. Present day, Ocon had the 4th most $ damage last year and will be (is?) out of a seat after this year's crashes. As Ocon demonstrated in Monaco, if you go all out, YOU are out. Charles had nearly $2M in car damage last year, Carlos had $3.6M in damage. Who did SF keep? Last year, LH had less than $900k in damage and this year he has $0 in damage. One could point out that replacing CS with LH saves the team $2.7M upfront in valuable budget cap. "And into the modern F1. 2006 Brazil." You're joking, right? Modern? That's almost two DECADES ago. I'll show you current: In the dealer showroom TODAY, SF90 Stradale has MORE horsepower than ALL the F1 engines on the 2006 grid. Oh, USA SF90s also have catalytic converters and mufflers. 2006 is ancient history in F1. Some readers have more horsepower in their street ferraris today than what you call modern in 2006. "This is why i will never ever categorize Hamilton as one of the greatest." That's unfortunate, since I have eliminated your subjective reasons with real facts. He is One of the Greatest WDCs in F1 ever with 7 WDCs. There are a couple others too. The others you mention were in different eras with different challenges, but not better. Did Senna ever 'lose' pole position because he tied the fastest driver like Min did last week? Nope. AS won/lost pole in some case by full seconds - not Tenths, Hundredths or Thousandths or zero like Min. Its a different era. "it's a big big mistake Ferrari signing this overrated guy for next year." Its a bigger mistake questioning Vasseur and Elkann (you CAN question these successful managers, but you need VALID reasons to do so- you havent presented any.) Each man has his objectives with the idea of (lack of better word) 'improving' upon Carlos (who is a top driver himself). Which driver can achieve both men's objectives (racing AND corporate) TODAY better than Carlos? This list is very short. Many F1 drivers are lacking in one category or the other. Ocon is available (stop laughing.) Do you see him as a brand ambassador for the Roma in Monaco? ('Can be squeezed into smaller driving lanes than you or I can imagine....') Oliver -great potential- but the Princess' St Bernard dog is older than him. In your 'modern' era --at the time that Senna and Schumacher won their championships-- neither racing team was part of a publicly traded company. LH's MB Petronas entire career has been under the managerial supervision of a public company. Ferrari is a publicly traded company as well. CH heard a public reaction of concern to his 'issue' from a future (NOT current) partner -Ford- that is a public company. Among other objectives, the racing teams are to win and, maybe, make a profit. The corporate parent companies are to make a profit and preserve the brand. Lewis fits the criteria rather well at the right time for these directors and their objectives. You are entitled to your opinions which are deeply buried under, but not inside, the record book of categories that Hamilton has amassed in F1. I wish you find a way to support the entire Scuderia Team in the upcoming F1 seasons. Ciao.
i have no clue what i have just read. Seriously, you need to re-read what i posted. You are going way off topic.
What's funny is if you look at the actual outlap data, Lewis' tyres actually worked better than George, Lewis' combined S1 S2 time was faster than George. If there was a tyre temp issue dating back to tyre blankets that surely can't be the case. List of 2024 excuses: Cooling issues on coldest Bahrain GP Battery issues Broken seat that wasn't broken 18 year old debutant owning 7 time champ Set up is for the race stupid Mercedes purposefully sabotaging Lewis's car Porpoising 2k24 Blaming Pit Stop strategy despite bottling quali once again Sim software running on Microsoft Vista Operating window as distant as Lewis's 8th title It's all the push rods fault A breeze so strong it pushes you out of Q2 We don't understand how to build a car (that was build after my wishes) Blame Charles even before you're team mates Professor Hamilton back in China Chinese wind only affecting Lewis Car is on a knife edge so let's keep changing it 180 change of wind somehow only affecting Mercedes Performance was in The Prestige with those disappearing acts "I'm washed" My tyre blankets definitely stopped working, no one checks the facts anyways
Another check mark needed to prove the previous era Merc. Russell jumped in his car Sakhir 2020 and out drove bottles and nearly won the race. the car was on another level. Russell looked like a star on a car he never drove.
Please quote me “defending” him… I’m sick (and have been) of a pack of has beens/never weres smacking around a guy because of the clothes he wears, his political passions, etc. He has accomplished much…how about just congratulating him on a great career???
If you go back you’ll see many times where I said I respected his accomplishments and record. I just think it’s funny to make fun of his shenanigans as I do for everyone else. Most sports fans call out their opponents and take shots when they can. It’s part of the fun. Just because some people think Lewis is the F1 black Jesus doesn’t mean he’s immune to some prodding. If anything it makes it more fun to rile them up! After all Lewis is still a seven time WDC even when he’s being an attention whore or circus clown. Jokes aside nothing will take that away from him.
Why do you blame Sir Lewis Hamilton if top teams see he's a great talent and keep hiring him? It takes two parties to participate when a driver enters a contract. If top teams didn't do this for past champions, that's not his fault. As for being a warrior, all past champions were not warriors all the time. Schumacher is not a warrior when he cheats. Now if you want to say he was a warrior at cheating, then that makes more sense. Saying Senna or Schumacher gave %100 effort is useless. Perez can give %100 effort for the next 50 years, he will never be a great. Sir Lewis Hamilton was already a great before he drove a F1 car. You saying he does not give effort and still can get 8 championships is a complement.
https://images.app.goo.gl/5k6L2HTfkSrtW9aTA Sent from the X-31 Space Modulator using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Lewis: Don't spread the rumour that I started Hamilton asks F1 fans not to spread "negativity" with favouritism claims (autosport.com)
Lewis Hamilton has even said that the Silverstone ticket prices are too high. "It's an incredible event. So many fans come and have a great weekend. The only thing I would ever say is that we have to watch ticket prices. I think they're continuing to rise. The cost of living nowadays, I think, is too high. Of course, it's wrong of me to say that, but I'm just thinking from the perspective of a fan. It's hugely expensive. So I think it's looking into ways where we can make better accessibility for people."
