Lewis back to McLaren ?

Well…being the original poster about “bulldogs and earrings”, I confirm that what I was trying to say is simply that Lewis is not mature enough because he is not focused enough towards his driving. It has nothing to do with me being "elitist", and furthermore I am very convinced that it really affects his driving.
In fact, he acts just like he believes that talent and racecraft would suffice to be crowned World Champion again; but he will need more than that, I’m afraid. Talent and racecraft are not enough to win a championship; it’s not always the racers who wins: you need determination and focus in one single direction, which I think Lewis somewhat lacks. And that’s a pity, because I like the driver a lot.
What happened at the Belgian Grand Prix seems to be just a race incident to me, indeed a clumsy attempt by Nico to show that he was not ready to capitulate, that’s all; so let's forget about this particular incident.

Your point is that Nico has had more luck this season so far; sorry, but I don’t buy it at all. Nico simply was smart enough to be there when any opportunity arose, which is completely different; more akin to being clever, I would say. Some guys are always at the wrong place at the wrong time, some are always at the right place at the right time: this is not what I call luck. Nico makes the most of every opportunity, and he has to, because he wants to be World Champion. And, as we all know, championships has been lost by very slight margins: exactly 1/2 point in 1984, a year when the championship also went to the smartest driver, not the fastest one.

I like Hamilton a lot, and I like to watch him race. Furthermore, I really don’t care which of the two drivers will be crowned; but if it could be Daniel Ricciardo, I would be pleased no end. I’m simply sorry to see that Lewis is still, again, like in 2011, his own worst enemy. I fear that there is no need for Nico to worry about anything: I guess that Lewis will shoot himself a bullet in the foot, like he always does. And that’s a pity; and, to me, it does indeed come from him not being mature enough, not focused enough to the job at hand, and, I believe, not up to the task by lack of dedication.
His edge in racecraft will be largely irrelevant in today’s situation: he needs something that he does not seem to have for a complete season: focus and dedication to his job. If he find these one day, he will then be not only a very good driver, but a great one. For the time being, I can’t escape the feeling that his talent his somewhat wasted by his own shortcomings.

Rgds

 

Well, not exactly Phill; the occasion was when he criticised the CAR, saying that "it drives like a truck"; but dissent has been growing all season long with the Sporting Director, so it was only an occasion for which some has been waiting for sometime.

Rgds

 

+1 and the lack of focus was evident early on in the race asking to quit. That sums up his attitude completely. FIA rules DO NOT just let you quit. The team told him to stay out and even Brundle said, although a rational question from LH, the team told him to keep driving in case an OPPORTUNITY arose like a safety car etc. Brundle said he needed to drive because that is what he gets paid for. His biggest fault was on display in Belgium - a lack of polish/professionalism after the VERY minor and clear RACING incident. When was the last time FA pulled this on the radio on lap 5.

Also LH didnt help the damage on his car by going back to the pits so fast - per Brundle during the race. Another mistake.

 

Ask Ron Dennis. Or Frank Williams.

Excellent

 

+1...Especially on the last bit. I was astounded when he drove back so fast, the whole back of the car ripped apart. He should know how damaging a puncture is to the back of the car when you drive too fast...

 

Tis true again, however right now Nico maybe beating him in the unpopular stakes, to be honest if it had happened the other way round, jeeezzz I dread to think of the noise level on here..

Maybe I have fond memories of the Honda Mclaren from yesteryear's..

 

It is a very big assumption to make to assume that because he has other hobbies and interests he is not as focused on F1. But it is a plausible theory so I will entertain it.

By more luck I would mean less bad luck. But then again, Lewis's bad luck is Nico's good luck. If there is a car failure during race/brake failure/fire/taken out by an idiot there is not much Lewis can do about it. None of these have anything to do with Nico being clever. Being "focused" wont change any of these problems for Lewis either. Arguably the one errors Lewis has made this season are a select few in qualifying.

Personally I think he is focused this year.

 

Well: again: I wish he would be, but I'm not sure: read post # 53 in this thread by "DF1", it pretty well sums-up what I feel. Lewis lacks dedication, and I'm sure he is throwing valuable points out of the window. Should he miss the title by one or two points at the end of the year, he would be the only culprit.

And, again, let's make this clear: I don't know the guy, never met him, never talked to him, our paths will never cross, but I rather like what I know or see of him. Great racer, but he is still his own worst enemy.

Rgds

 

From: Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website - Hall of Fame

"In 1991 Ferrari fell off the pace and for the first time in ten years Alain Prost failed to win a race. He blamed the Italian team for losing the plot, went public with his criticism and was fired before the end of the season."

As I recall it, he criticised both the car and the team.

 

He asked to retire as a tactical move to a) save his engine and b) allow him to make changes to his car by classifying it as a retirement. He said himself that safety car or not he wouldn't have finished in the points. The Saubers were lapping quicker than him. You guys say he doesn't think with his head and then when he does he gets criticized for giving up

 

So why did he continue on for so many laps, openly and constantly asking the team to retire the car to save the engine, which ended up with the team making a pathetic radio announcement that no one really believed, about damage to the car and having to retire it?

If he was thinking so much ahead and he actually had a pair on him, he would have made the decision for them by bringing the car in and parking it without having to ask for it!

As I read it, he simply decided he wasn't playing any more because he couldn't win and he was taking his ball home too!

 

True, but i think lots of Fchatters here, myself included, probably think that he could not believe his tough luck in being out of the race so early, and maybe within 10 laps, his head and heart decided to give up.

 

I would MUCH rather be an unpopular world champion than a well liked 2nd place finisher anyday!
Bet Nico feels the same way

 

Can't just retire a car without reason. The team had to find one. Frame it however you like. As stated above, I disagree with your view.

 

Given his lap times from lap 10 up until he retired remained consistent it is hard to say he suddenly gave up and his heart and head weren't in it. If that were the case the laps would've gotten a lot worse. He was still driving the **** out of his broken car.

 

Phil,

What I was trying to say in my post is that dissent has been growing during all the 1991 season, and he criticised the team many times, no doubt about this; but the "sparkle that lit the powder" was at the arrival of the Japanese Grand Prix when, asked by a journalist about his car, he said "It drives like a truck". Perhaps it was the straw that broke the camel's back, perhaps it was what Ferrari has been waiting/hoping for.

He then went back home for rest; took an aeroplane for the long trip to Adelaïde, Australia, for the next race; while there just before practice, he got a phone call from his lawyer telling him that he has been fired by Ferrari, and advising him not to comment on this with anybody due to possible legal action (Autocourse 1991-92 page 236 on this specific part)

Rgds

 

Well John, you're aware that Alain Prost will turn 60 (sixty, yes; time sure flies...) next February? He won't come back to save the team again, will he?

Rgds

 

Not for giving up at Spa: for not being able to be, and stay, level-headed on the length of a whole season, in each and every race, one after the other.

Although I never cared much for the new points system (aka: 25 - 18 - 15 - 12, etc) and wish sanity would prevail with F1 coming back one day to the only one I consider correct (first six drivers only gets points: 10-6-4-3-2-1)...nevertheless even with such a system we are entering a turn in this season where each and every point cashed in will be of more importance by each race, especially when you have a 29 points deficit.
Of course I wouldn't like "Lewis the racer" to adopt now a "bean-counter" tactic, but ONE point maybe enough to loose the title (remember 1984...).

Besides, even if the Benzes (what's the plural of "Benz" in English?) still got a huge performance margin at Spa over the other cars, I now have this feeling that the others are somewhat catching-up. Should the Benzes trip over and fell again, that Danny boy from Australia might actually be in good place to snatch the title from them at the last minute, especially with the doubling of points for the last two races. Not very probable, but who knows? (I remember Kimi Räikkönen in 2007 saying "as long as there is a mathematical possibility to get the title, even if remote, I will not give up").

But, as numerous others have already said, the team has some responsibility also in this: were Ross Brawn still there, this "feud" would, I guess, never have happened.

Rgds

 

Weren't the Benzes 2 seconds a lap faster when they tried? It's hard to know with all the different tactics used during the course of a race, but I think the others still have a lot of catching up to do.


1 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 2:07.130 2:06.723 2:05.591 22
2 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 2:07.280 2:06.609 2:05.819 22
3 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 2:10.105 2:08.868 2:07.717 24
4 14 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 2:10.197 2:08.450 2:07.786 21

 

Yes Peter, agreed; but it was even more difficult to judge because of the weather also.
But in race trim, taken Hungary and Spa into account, I am under the impression that their margin of superiority is "somewhat" eroded.
What i'm trying to say is: not yet eroded to the point that they could be actually challenged directly by others, but eroded to the point that should they trip and fail, somebody else will snatch the victory from them (and I'm fine with that somebody being Danny boy from Australia). Whereas at the beginning of the season I was under the impression that the Benzes' superiority was such that they'd even had enough margin to trip and fail, catch up again, and win. I don't think this is the case anymore. Their drivers must now better watch out their antics I guess.

Rgds

 

Gotcha. Agreed.

Fastest laps of the race, FWIW

1 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 36 15:13:56 228.161 1:50.511
2 99 Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 36 15:14:57 224.301 1:52.413
3 19 Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 37 15:16:45 224.104 1:52.512
4 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 40 15:21:36 223.698 1:52.716
5 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 36 15:14:21 223.229 1:52.953
6 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-Renault 44 15:28:43 223.187 1:52.974
7 25 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Renault 31 15:05:12 222.592 1:53.276
8 22 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 38 15:18:05 222.186 1:53.483
9 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 40 15:22:12 221.934 1:53.612
10 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 33 15:09:26 221.748 1:53.707
11 14 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 29 15:00:51 221.413 1:53.879
12 21 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 32 15:07:16 221.178 1:54.000
13 7 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 39 15:19:43 221.004 1:54.090
14 26 Daniil Kvyat STR-Renault 26 14:55:19 220.870 1:54.159
15 20 Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 28 14:58:53 220.785 1:54.203
16 11 Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 28 14:59:03 220.151 1:54.532
17 4 Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 31 15:06:16 218.785 1:55.247
18 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 21 14:46:01 218.025 1:55.649
19 9 Marcus Ericsson Caterham-Renault 26 14:56:22 217.553 1:55.900
20 17 Jules Bianchi Marussia-Ferrari 32 15:08:32 216.717 1:56.347

 

Interesting once they cleared the debris off Felipe's car at pitstop 2 he was faster than Bottas.