I still remember what people said about Button in his early days. Playboy, not motivated etc etc...now he's almost being hailed as a professor!
Steve link to LH comments and those of Whitmarsh. Found here. http://planetf1.com/driver/18227/7234750/Hamilton-at-a-loss-over-poor-form
Thanks D, yes pretty much agree with most of the comments posted there as well. Looking back at it, it is probably the best thing to have happened Button going to Mclaren, both him and Ham will end up better drivers because of it. However IMO Button is probably at his peak right now.
Seems like he's still looking in the wrong places. I don't see Lewis making any real changes to his attitude. He'll win more races, no doubt, perhaps even championships if McLaren produce a world beater but IMO he"ll never fulfill his huge potential.
Im getting a genuine sense JB is aware of this. He seems to simply be enjoying and relishing the life he has at Mclaren. I would hope with JB around and all the good people at Mclaren that LH will become better as you suspect. In all honesty he has no excuse not to. The harmony there is quite good it seems!
He was within 1 second of an about to be lapped car (an HRT I believe) at the detection point. He dispensed with it long before they reached the activation point, but no matter - He's still allowed to deploy....... FWIW, I believe this race was the furthest apart we've seen the detection & activation points. Cheers, Ian
Yeah, yes you are of course right , but it would be a boring site if we didn't get over excited occassionally. I still say his father and Ron Dennis (thanks to Bernie's pressure) have done more harm than good to LH's career by putting him in the McLaren. They could have paid him into a much lesser team and let him develop out of the lime light. Current generations like to look back and criticise previous generations, but over time we realise that they did what they did for a damn good reason, and that is the same with bringing young drivers into F1. They should come in via the 2nd or 3rd stream teams. Pete
While that is solid and safe it eliminates the chance (even if it is small) of a WDC in their first year...
Honest question: What good has it done LH to win so early? He is not driving as if he has won a title this year at all. Frankly are the mistakes he made as a rookie any surprise given this years difficulties? Conspiracy about year 1 not with standing is it now time to say he is a touch over rated given his issues this year? None of what I post is in any way demeaning towards him as there are fans here. I know he has the raw talent. Raw. Very much lacking the development one should see by now in my opinion. Conventional wisdom had him over Button and the move would be a disaster. Clearly not. Its been alluded in the press(BBC) he has no idea himself what is wrong. The next races are a large test of his will and strength in a team that is not completely his any longer. This to me is the big story of the end of this season. One of them at least.
Does anyone know what happened with Button auctioning off his helmet? I tried searching, but none of the sites mention how much it went for. Perhaps it is being auctioned at a later date? Not sure. I'm sure it will be more than I'm willing to spend, but who knows.
Exactly. It has done him NO good at all winning so soon and so easily. Yes Bernie was worried about TV ratings because MS retired and thus he lost the German audience. That is the ONLY reason LH was pushed straight into a McLaren. Ron Dennis resisted but Bernie won to get the British TV ratings. He was NOT ready. Yes he is fast but all drivers at this level are. Being ready is a different thing all together and we can all see he is still not ready. If I was British I would be so p!ssed with Bernie it would be unmeasurable. The guy has no right to fnck with peoples careers like that and deny England of a possible talent they have not had since Moss or Clark. Pete
I read it on Autosport or some where else, and Ron Dennis has never been this stupid with nurturing a driver before . Even if I am wrong it was still the wrong thing to do to such a talented young driver, just the blame is now squarely at Ron Dennis. Pete
Since when has F1 been about nuturing and caring for a rookie driver (or any driver for that matter)??? Its more kill or be killed and fast rookies make great press (irrespective of country of origin).
True... but IMHO it was more about opportunity than nuturing as that should have already happened in the lower formula series.
Seems Ross wants to revisit the issue too; Cheers, Ian http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95296
I've got to respectfully throw the BS flag here Pete.... For a number of reasons; - He was "ready" - He darn near became the only rookie to ever win the WDC! [Seems he's subsequently regressed, but that's a different debate.] - Love him or hate him, Ron is nobody's fool and not even Bernie is going to tell him who he contracts to drive - He'd been nurturing Lewis for years and he'd just won the GP2 championship - Generally considered the last stepping stone to an F1 seat. Ron thought he was ready, nothing to do with Bernie. - Sure, with Michael out German viewing figures declined some. But worldwide any loss is a drop in the ocean. *If* he was concerned he'd have "forced" in a young German to get 'em back. - F1's always been super popular in the UK and there were already many Brits driving. I guess the young stud Lewis may have got a few more interested, but again a piss in the ocean in the grand scheme of things. As always, my 02c, Cheers, Ian
