Is Lewis Hamilton significantly better than all the drivers currently on the grid

He is my favourite and most respected driver, and he is first because of my choices, two were done based on old footage and stories I've watched/listened too/read, while schumi, Senna and Prost were the guys I was most excited by as a fan over forty years. They are the zenith, as far as I'm concerned, whereas today's crop are not yet at that level. Alonso comes close on talent and ability, but while in the mid-2000's looked likely to get there, he has been limited in achievements due to his equipment preventing him demonstrating his talent, he may yet have another chance to show it. Elton, on the other hand, is quick, but deeply flawed, and his championships are virtue of a dominant car (Mercedes) and extreme luck (2008) barely beating massa, a driver again very fast on his day, but no great in the mould of any on the list we were asked to rate.

I have had a great deal of involvement in racing over the years, and know what I am talking about, but others have other opinions which I respect in most circumstances. You on the other hand spend your time trying to impose your opinions on others and making up posts manipulating facts and stats to suit your own perceptions. If elton were a great, would you have so little faith that he would not demonstrate that clearly in his on-track showings one day? To date. He's just quick, one day, if he rids himself of his failings, maybe he will become thought of as great, but not yet, not now, and not by me

 

This.

 

+1

As has said ad-nauseum, he's a damn fine jockey. Who's been fortunate to drive some damn fine cars since day one; I don't hold that against him - Someone noted that being part of being a "great" was being in the right place at the right time - Fangio is a good example of this.

I'm even prepared to overlook what you call "his failings"; He's a young stud with the world at his feet. Good luck to him; the boy from the "slums of Stevenage" (sic!) has done good!

But, as of now? Top 10? Again, not a chance IMO. Yet

Cheers,
Ian

 

You sound like a big expert that can't even notice that Schumacher never had a proper teammate like Senna. As great as he was, he only beat 2nd rate teammates and needed #1 status with a dominant car to establish his records.

Do these guys that he beat with the same equipment look like something to be proud of?
Brundle- 0 wins
Patrese- 6 wins
Verstappen- 0 wins
Lehto- 0 wins
Herbert- 3 wins
Irvine- 4 wins
Barrichello- 2 wins
Massa- 11 wins

The most successful driver that he went against and beat is Massa. Same guy that you say is a rubbish driver.
The only champion he went against was Piquet and he LOST.

Like I said earlier, the only reason Schumacher is the GOAT on Fchat is because people are only looking at numbers or because he drove for Ferrari.

By the way, I left out Nico to be fair. Another rubbish driver according to you.

 

Correction, Herbert 3 wins.....
Salo 1 win (and he replaced him, not race against him)

 

Massa is better than Hamilton so it should count for something....

 

Now you're just winding him up!...... [We used to call "troll baiting" ]

Cheers,
Ian

 

Sorry, corrected to 3 wins for Herbert.
I replace Salo with Lehto. By the way, I don't think Salo ever won a race in his career.

 

If you say so. I guess beating Massa with #1 status is a bigger challenge than beating Alonso in a rookie year, Button, Kovalainen and Nico.

 

He could have but followed team orders.

 

Thanks Izzy, you know, somethimes i get so focused on the truth that i forget the "other" truth....

 

Not realy Ian, if you ask me now i'll conced i think Elton is probabaly the best of the 2, but before his accident especialy 2008 and 2009 i firmly believe Felipe was better than him....even upon his return, if you remenber their midfield batles, usualy Hamilton resorted to cheating and pushing in order to be able to overtake Massa....apart from the obvious diference in terms of machinery, i still don't see much between them....

 

+1

I think all the ''top'' in 2008 had relative poor years; notably Kimi and Lewis. Massa made a few mistakes but had terrible luck. Alonso not in contention in a rubbish car.

IMO the best (notable) drivers in 2008 where Massa and Kubica.

 

Personal attack. As per the announced standards (this link) for enforcement of respectful conduct, a 1-month ban has been applied.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

I voted no as FA has the .1% ability the rest do not have - the ability to take a car and get more out of it than it is capable of. His years at Ferrari solidified his 'best in the field' for me. The press agree fully as well. No other driver has that. LH has not shown such an ability thus far. He could in the future.
FA's results of this are documented with no dispute possible. Ferrari without him would have been far worse. They were lucky.

 

+1. Wholeheartedly agree

 

+1

 

Nope. Alonso, by miles.

Also, Hamilton in an average car, looked average. Danny boy on the other hand....

 

Significantly better is what prime Schumacher or Senna were.

Lewis is not in that league.

 

Good yes. Prodigy? Not unless he takes a dog car and wins. Guess they missed FA at Ferrari.
LH has a good press agent in the USA. This article does not exist without Mercedes.

 

They should stick to reporting on stocks and shares!, it's like fox and hounds weekly doing a review of the latest tesla

 

+1

Stevenage is *not* any kind of suburb of London, and neither is at all "working class"; A pretty "solid" middle class place IME.

Sure, he wasn't born with a silver spoon, but neither was he close to being "poor".

Cheers,
Ian

 

What is interesting in discussing F-1 with casual observers is how many (that) know the
names Prost, Senna, Mansell, Schumacher, etc. have no idea who Hamilton is.

Despite the fact that Hamilton could match Senna's race wins record this weekend and he's seen
regularly with A-list celebrity type girl friends such as Nicole Schurzinger, Rihanna and now Kendall
Jenner, his profile among those whom may not consider themselves F-1 experts seems rather low.

Perhaps a product of the times, and despite Bernie Ecclestone's high praises, F-1's current relevance
(or whatever), Hamilton seems to run under the radar outside of racing circles. It sure is curious.

All of the aforementioned drivers benefitted from being in the top machinery of their day. The
difference being, perhaps, that they were the top drivers of their particular era, it's all
relative.

BHW

 

Yap,if he likes poor guy stories and difficulties, he should look at Gilles who didn't even had a house, lived in a trailer, and in the winter had to use a blowtorch to unfrozen the water pipes in order to have water!!! KImi didn't even had a toilet inside the house, had to go take a piss trough the snow to a shed outside the house!!I'm really sorry for poor boy Hamilton.....