Hamilton Makes the Wall Street Journal

Was reading my daily WSJ, and saw this article.... pretty damn good for F-1, Hamilton et al....

The Future King of Formula One?
Rookie Lewis Hamilton jockeys for the top position in auto racing
August 10, 2007
Who's the world's hottest athlete right now? Halfway through his first full season he's broken barriers, set milestones, captivated a nation, and fueled one of the most intriguing rivalries in sports. And you've probably never heard of him.


Lewis Hamilton (left) is outshining his McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso.
At 22, McLaren-Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of England became the first black driver to win a Grand Prix—as well as the first to even start a race at auto racing's highest level. He's become a first-name-only celebrity in Great Britain, where he vies for tabloid attention with Prince Harry and Prince William. And with a win in last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix (the 11th race of a 17-race season), Mr. Hamilton solidified his lead in the points championship, with a margin of seven points over his teammate, two-time defending titlist Fernando Alonso of Spain.

Often called the Tiger Woods of motor racing, Mr. Hamilton has a story that reads like a fairy tale. At age 10, he met McLaren team boss Ron Dennis and asked for his autograph… and a Formula One drive. Impressed by Mr. Hamilton's confidence, and his impressive results in karting, Mr. Dennis helped him find drives in lower-level formula races. Entering this season, Mr. Dennis made two bold moves. First he lured reigning champ Mr. Alonso away from the rival Renault team with an eight-figure salary and the promise of a championship-caliber car. And when Juan Pablo Montoya moved to Nascar after a disappointing F1 stint, Mr. Dennis surprised fans and insiders alike by giving Mr. Montoya's car to the young Brit who'd never even started a single Grand Prix.

Still, the expectations—likely even those of Mr. Dennis himself—were that Mr. Hamilton's more experienced Spanish teammate would set the pace, with the rookie struggling as he came to grips with the very powerful and technically advanced machinery of a Formula One car. But those expectations have been turned upside down. Mr. Hamilton has performed with the poise of a veteran, and the consistent quickness of a world-champion-to-be.

Through his first 11 races, he's off to the fastest start in Grand Prix history. Until this year, no other rookie had started the season with finishes in the top three in more than two consecutive races. Mr. Hamilton ran his string of consecutive podium finishes to nine. And with three wins already, he's only one away from the rookie record.

Driver Podium Finishes in First 10 Races Races Until First Win Total Career Titles
Lewis Hamilton 9 5 N/A
Jacques Villeneuve 7 4 1
Jackie Stewart 5 8 3
Michael Schumacher 3 18 7
Jim Clark 3 17 2
Ayrton Senna 2 17 3
Alain Prost 0 19 4
In a demonstration of his sheer speed, Mr. Hamilton outqualified Mr. Alonzo, thought to be the sport's fastest driver, in five of the last six races, while driving an identical car. Perhaps feeling the pressure, Mr. Alonzo was penalized by race officials in Hungary for impeding Mr. Hamilton as he attempted to leave the pits for his final qualifying lap. And, of course, if Mr. Hamilton maintains his lead, he would become the first driver to win the title as a rookie—not counting the first F1 season in 1950.

The only driver who even approaches Mr. Hamilton's level of precocity is Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, who in 1996 became the first driver (after that inaugural season) to win more than one race in his rookie year. However, Mr. Villeneuve, who would win the championship as a sophomore in 1997, was hardly a novice. Before he came to F1, he was a proven commodity, having won the Indianapolis 500 and the CART championship in the U.S. before following in the footsteps of his late father and moving to Europe.

This fast start bodes very well for Mr. Hamilton's future. While it's rare for even the most talented novice driver to earn a seat in a car that's capable of winning races, as Mr. Hamilton has, most of the greatest Grand Prix drivers of all time found themselves in the winner's circle rather quickly. For example, three-time world champion Jackie Stewart took only eight races to capture his first win, while Michael Schumacher, Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna, and Alain Prost all earned their first victories within 20 starts. Compare this to Mr. Hamilton's countryman, Jenson Button, who took 113 starts to win his first race.

Barring injury, the worst-case scenario for Mr. Hamilton's prospects would be Mr. Villeneuve's career—11 Grand Prix wins and a single F1 title, followed by a bad career move that saw him saddled with an uncompetitive car. Virtually all the other drivers who immediately pushed their way to the front of the pack—albeit not as quickly as Mr. Hamilton—won multiple championships.

So despite the retirement of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, the world of Formula One racing became much more interesting this year. In addition to his own exciting career opportunity, Mr. Hamilton has given Mr. Alonso a worthy competitor. That gives fans world-wide an exciting, rivalry that could last a decade or more.