While I don't think LH is as amazing as everyone initially thought (aka the second coming of schumi/senna), and I think his actions yesterday were embarassing, he's definitely a bit better than this statement suggests.
I dunno about that... in all the years I have been watching F1, it is very very rare for a driver to just park it. I can't recall it ever happenning just to save the engine/gearbox. I've seen drivers park a sick car claiming it died before the finish (IIRC Massa did it just before the start line once), but I've never heard of anyone parking it because they had an otherwise good car and felt they had no shot at points that day. I am sure Lewis knows this, and also knows that if he had parked it, it would be very unusual and looked down upon (to say the least) by the fans and the stewards and the FIA. So I just can't believe he wanted to park the car and call it quits - I think he surely must have meant he wanted to take it easy and coast from them on. I think the radio response from the team sort of validates this, since they said "we'll handle the strategy, Lewis". Parking it or not parking it isn't really part of the strategy, but giving it 100% vs. taking it easy is... so I think the team also felt he was talking about easing up vs. actually quitting the race. With all the scrutiny McLaren and Hamilton have received from the FIA, I'm pretty sure Lewis is smart enough to know that parking it would have repercussions and wouldn't even suggest it. My .02 at least.
We're assuming he wanted to park it. He never said that. He radio'ed to the pits and asked if it wouldn't be better to save the engine and gearbox. What did he mean by that? He never said... so we can only assume. He either meant come in and park it, or back off (as almost all drivers do when not trying to fight for points/positions) and cruise. Given that Lewis can't be so dumb as to think that he wouldn't get smacked down hard for coming in and parking it, I think it is very probably he meant backing off the pace and just cruising to the finish, not actually parking the car. As I said, this is backed up by the team response, which was "we'll worry about strategy, you just drive" instead of "we'll decide when it's time to retire the car" or "we'll worry about when it's time to stop racing", etc. Parking the car is not a strategy I've ever seen used by a team except when the car just is incapable of correctly running. So I doubt the team would refer to it under the blanket of strategy in their response. So most likely he was talking about backing off. Even in the event he *was* talking about parking it (despite the only evidence showing he didn't mean that), it's not really a valid thing to crucify the guy over. He had a damaged floor and brake duct, and the car was handling like crap. I think it's reasonable for a driver to question the wisdom of keeping a damaged car out on track, especially when said driver is the one whizzing by at 200mph in it. The team later told him there wasn't a safety concern, and Lewis didn't belabor the point about wanting to come in. So if he *did* mean to say maybe they should park it, then it doesn't seem unreasonable at all that his query was based on his desire to be running in a damaged car that he could feel was handling like crap.
I think the key here is that on several occasions I can recall, Michael going from 18th on the track to win or atleast podium. I remember Nigel grabbing a piece of crap and hauling it up to the top tier of the race because he willed it so. Who could forget Gerhard Berger taking a completely uncompetetive Ferrari and putting it on pole and out right winning the Austrian G.P. the weekend his father passed....one of the most inspiring drives I have ever seen. A true racer never gives up period! Not for saving the engine or any other crap reason Lewis can come up with. As I recall Michael almost finished a race on 3 wheels and stayed in the points!!! Talk about a reason to park it....Lewis' comments were disapointing, and the young man has much to learn.
Not only were his comments embarassing for a defending WDC, but the fact they were at the Nurburgring and rain was very possible was obvious to everyone. Can you imagine if it rained and a backmarker got lucky on the fuel strategy/tires and ended up in the points while LH was in the garage with his Daddy and girlfriend?! I wonder why McLaren allowed that transmission to go out on TV. Maybe to cover their bases....
LOL, brilliant! Actually Lauda parked a car once due to rain, and he had a WDC at stake. But Lauda is his own man and has bigger balls than most. Pete
+1. But comparing LH to MS is a bit harsh on LH. True performances come from the heart, I honestly don't think LH lives to race (like MS and others) but races to live ... doing what his father has told him for all those years, then it was Ron. Pete
You're probably right but since LH has been held as the heir apparent he's being judged by a higher standard. BTW Even Lauda came out against Lewis' actions in Germany.
Lauda was fresh from the horrific fiery accident which nearly cost him his life and influenced that decision, don't leave that part out.
If the car was handling badly due to the damage he could have come in and parked it and that would have been it-I don't expect a driver to continue if there's a safety risk. LH could have said the car is handling like sh!te, that he didn't feel good about it and that would have been it-no need to talk about saving the engine and tranny....
Lewis = great driver with potential. Comparing Lewis to Schumacher is blasphemy and simply ludicrous.
Back in the mid 90's MS was racing a Ferrari at Spa and for some reason the steering developed play. He was either leading or running a close second at the time. He radioed the pits his concern regarding safety and they decided it was okay to continue ... and he completed the race with this steering play. I can think of few tracks worse for having concerns about your steering than Spa! That is what I expect from a F1 driver, not oh **** my cars not handling well and I'm scared. If the car moves you should aim for points! Pete
Actually it has happened before. Alesi parked his Ferrari in 93, I think it was, I forget what track, because the car was handling so bad it was scary. Mansell did something similar in 1990 in Germany I think, where he went off and then retired the car when the damage didn't seem so bad. I guess when a driver knows that he is not in position for the championship but is going only for race wins, his mindset changes and if he can't win, he see continuing on as pointless if he is too far behind. The engine rules that exist this year only serve to justify Hamilton to some extent.
To be fair,he was in position to win at the time. It's a little different if you are 16th and have to use the same engine and gearbox for 4 races.
Correct Luis yet some can't see beyond there hate, so ineffect it renders they posts as completely clueless.
Mika parked his McLaren a couple of times, when it was clear his car wasn't competitive, with some rather vague reasons. But I think that was his last year in F1. I'm wondering: if Kimi leaves Ferrari for WRC, will that open the door for Lewis to make the leap, too? From watching Hamilton's driving style, I really think he'd be happier on gravel than in an F1 car. But then, Lewis is young -- he might just be going through a bout of "attention deficit". The "vunderkinds" who do too well out of the gate in racing have to learn that struggling to develop a poorer car is part of the career, too. I think Alonso is a much better package for his time with the back marker Renault. (Although his "media mouth" syndrome may be just lacking opportunity, rather than having gotten better. ) Lewis is going to have to learn car development, if he wants to stick around in racing. Given the "driver assembly line" that got him to F1, he might never have had the chance, before. Maybe he should look at this year as an opportunity. (Except that FIA has that testing ban. )
If you are going to park it for the sole reason of saving the engine/tranny then you shouldn't be in F1; if you're in the points with a sick car you should try to bring it on home; if your car is hopeless and you are well out of the points then I can see parking it; lauda also did that at brabham once.
as opposed to your well thought out dribble and innuendo .... Webber seems to have come in a long way ahead of your boy in the McClunken in quite a few races this season , so much for god's gift to the racing world, just another over-hyped pommy bastard .... unfortunately I quite like Buttons attitude to his success, he realises it's the car
What about returning value to your fans and sponsors? True fans, and Lewis undoubtedly has many, wish to watch the lows as well as the highs their driver has. Can't help thinking his attitude may have been different had he had the usual F1 introduction of a tail-ender drive to begin with and placed some value on just finishing the complete race distance.
LOL!!! Lewis is going to leave F1 for WRC after one crappy season in his 3 years? I don't think he quite qualifies as a "burnout" at this point in his career (like Mika & Kimi). I agree that he's not handling adversity too well, but that's probably due to the fact he finished #2 and as WDC in his two previous campaigns. That said, I can see the logic behind his wanting to park the car (I hit the "reset" button often if I wreck my car in an F1 game) but in a year like this you just keep driving. It's one thing if you're competing for the title and need to save the car, but quite another when you have nothing to lose. I still say you learn more from failure than success, so he'll be the better for this season. However, I SERIOUSLY doubt he's on the verge of jumping to another series because of one lousy season.
