Is Lewis Hamilton your favourite current F1 driver?

HE CHANGED THINGS AROUND....That is just not right! Rosberg got the first podiums in 2010 and won his first GP for Mercedes in 2012 so Mercedes showed a tendency upwards even before Hamilton joined. In 2013 Rosberg won another 2 GP and Mercedes made the next step with Hamilton to 2nd in WCC. But it is wrong that this development started with Hamilton.
And where they are today has nothing to do with the drivers development as it is simply the PU that is superior to anyone else, but with this limited tests I doubt that the drivers could have any noticable input in that.
The only guy in your list that really developed the car was Schumacher in the unlimited tests at Fiorano trying every single bits and pieces the engineer brought over to the track to the fullest.
Vettel obviously was the one that suited best the car Newey designed and therefore was the optimum driver for RB in this situation. Just as Rosemeyer in the Auto Union was the first to really take advantage of the rear engine design was Vettel with the blown diffusor.
I doubt that Vettel had that much input in the car but I am certain that Hamilton has even less in the current Mercedes. Not because he is not able but because he is not allowed (in French one would differ between "savoir" and "pouvoir").
So Hamilton is lucky indeed that he got the most dominant car ever as he actually did nothing for that apart from being clever enough to sign the contract. He might be one of the quickest drivers out there but in the current situation it is more the car that makes the WDC than the driver as he only has to beat a single guy in the grid: his team mate.

Edit: regarding your edit: Right at the moment you do not have to be the GOAT to beat Rosberg just as others say you did not had to be the GOAT to beat Webber but still you get the WDC by doing so.

 

So then using that logic, Rosberg is a top echelon driver? As i said in another thread, if they brought a rookie like Alex Rossi behind Rosberg as a number 2, Rosberg would be a WDC on the verge of number 2 this year.

I don't deny his talent, to me he's the 2nd best driver on the grid right behind Alonso. And lets please not bring up their years at McLaren. But to say that he developed the car into the winner is pure BS.

 

I'm sure a lot of the criticism of Hamilton IS a result of 'fanboi noise', but to be posting anti-Hamilton stuff purely because of what some 'fans' are doing is rather less than mature. Hamilton's not responsible for things his fans are writing.

 

Not bad for a #2 Webber like opinion, afterall it is just your opinion....The game changer was the smaller engines and turbo's, Newey knew they had thrown all their resources into clinching a 4th WDC, he was on record saying they would struggle the following year, Hamilton jumped ship just at the right time, was that luck.

T12 is right, besides part of being a good driver, is sensing what ship to jump to, obviously Merc were on the rise, otherwise Hamilton wouldn't have gone there in the first place. And one can assume Mr Brawn no doubt helped at the time to clinch the deal.

But you can put all down to luck if you want.

 

He's #1

 

Hahaha stop making sense Ian..

 

Agreed, I thought it was a dumb move at the time.

 

Quicker than Vettel, more natural speed than Alonso too and bested him in his rookie year. Far more wins than your idol jackie Stewart - how can Hamilton not be a goat but Stewart can be? This is nonsensical now. Since last year Hamilton has done a lot to prove it to his doubters and whilst doubt is slowly evaporating some don't think he's a goat.

He will go down as a legend and one of the best of all time when he's done, I am sure of that

 

I do not know whether you have seen it but actually you agree more with me than with tifosi12 because he said that Hamilton is the game changer and I think he is not. Just as you I mentioned that Mercedes was already on the move when he joined and I said he was clever enough to sign that contract just as you did.
I do not think that it is only down to luck because obviously Mercedes thought he is the right one for them and that did not come from nothing. But it is simply not true that he is the reason Mercedes is on top now...And you do not have to be GOAT to beat either Rosberg or Webber and so I think with the cars they both got neither Hamilton nor Vettel is...They might be one day, for example if Vettel actually wins a title with Ferrari (as this is still something special for most of the drivers) but they are not yet.

 

Yes we can only hazard a guess, at what really is said/done and goes on I suppose.

 

I still say he was sacked.

Look at his body language at the time and McLarens lack of doing anything reasonable to retain him.

And then the Fickle Finger of Fate stepped in.

 

He will go down as a great driver, but not as a legend. As stated in another thread, Senna is a legend because of what he did and who he did it against and how he did it. People who aren't blind Hamilton fans acknowledge his talent. He's extremely talented. But he's not the best.

And I'm not doing this stupid comparison with you again.

 

It depends on how you define Legend.

He is currently racing against 4 other WDCs and a few that missed it by scants.

His rookie year was the best ever.

Ever.

If not for smoke and mirrors he would have won.

Now that's legendary.
And honestly I'm not a Lewis fan that much any more.

How he will go down is yet to be written.

 

+1000

 

+44

He will most likely go down as a quadruple WDC, which puts him at #5 in the all times greatest list.

 

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Why is this argument still going?