Timstr11
Sep 11 2006, 16:48
Originally posted by lordy
A well deserved championship victory for Lewis. Really, the minimum he can expect now is a McLaren test driver's seat next year. I have no doubt he could jump straight into the race seat and cut the mustard though.
Please Ron, don't give the drive to the insipid PDLR 
With an intensive winter test program, I am sure he can jump straight into the MP4-22 next year.
Rosberg and Kubica are proof that you don't necessarily need a full year of testing with a team to have respectable performances in F1.
molive
Sep 11 2006, 17:12
Originally posted by brooster51
Don't care if the dude is a Brit or Black. He's damn fast and deserves a good chance in F1.
agree on all accounts.
so far, Lewis has merited the hype.
Wouter
Sep 11 2006, 18:06
Originally posted by Timstr11
With an intensive winter test program, I am sure he can jump straight into the MP4-22 next year.
Rosberg and Kubica are proof that you don't necessarily need a full year of testing with a team to have respectable performances in F1.
Kubica's recent performance, and Rosbergs relatively decent performance over the year have increased Hamilton's chances of jumping in straight in a McLaren. We probably won't know until after the winter, though.
pippin
Sep 11 2006, 18:31
I really hope Lewis can get a race seat at Maclaren. PDLR started off OK in the Maclaren but he's really done nothing so special as to deserve a full year of racing. I do feel a bit for Gary Paffett though because he's tested for a year already, but again there's been nothing in his out and out testing pace to suggest he'd be anything special. Lewis OTOH has put in some unbelievable drives this year in GP2 - proper top drawer stuff.
Personally I will settle for either Gary or Lewis in the other Macca, but if I had to choose right now it'd be Lewis, no doubt about it. The kid is a superstar in the making.
>>The kid is a superstar in the making.
Absolutely right. Why hold him back? If he can't get placed at Midland with Merc engines, get him next to Alonso. He NEEDS to be racing.
race addicted
Sep 11 2006, 19:36
I've always said that it'd be very, very un-McLaren to put Hamilton straight in one of their own cars, but surely even Dennis, Whitmarsh and Haug will have to consider that very seriously now.
Kubica manages well, Vettel was quick straight away, and if they can, then Hamilton can do it as well. His racing experience from GP2 is also not too far away from F1.
I think de la Rosa will have to make a big impression to make the pendulum swing his way for 2007.
...'Cause that's what I thought McLaren would do; put de la Rosa alongside Alonso, and put Hamilton on an extensive testing schedule.
Now I'm not sure at all.
ensign14
Sep 11 2006, 19:59
Originally posted by race addicted
I've always said that it'd be very, very un-McLaren to put Hamilton straight in one of their own cars, but surely even Dennis, Whitmarsh and Haug will have to consider that very seriously now.
Ron Dennis probably still has nightmares about letting Ayrton Senna through his hands in 1983. The only thing is now he must have SO much data at his fingertips about Hamilton that he will have very good reasons for not plonking him into a race drive.
F1Johnny
Sep 11 2006, 20:04
Ron Dennis is a very careful manager. He will test Lewis against PDLR and GP before just putting him in the car. If they had Friday test duties he would have tried him there.
I think Lewis will be faster than GP, but PDLR will be a bit faster, as he has the experience of F1, both testing and racing. But Lewis has been dicing and racing whereas PDLR has been barely managing in the races.
I would try Lewis first and if he makes a mess of it in the first half put him back into a testing role. I don't think we will know who Alonso's teammate will be until November.
race addicted
Sep 11 2006, 20:18
But that's exactly what Dennis/Whitmarsh is afraid of I believe; that Hamilton gets off to a bad start, and if they feel they have no choice but to demote him from a racing driver to a test driver, he can get scarred. Confidence is sooo important. Another reason is that he'll be put against the mighty Alonso- not easy even if he'll get 10.000 km's pre-season testing.
I think Hamilton would have very little problems being quicker than Paffett. de la Rosa is much tougher, 'cause as you say, he's much more experienced, and know how to apply himself in both racing and testing.
Hamilton must surely have more potential though.
Punisher6
Sep 11 2006, 20:31
I think Ron has seen what Frank Williams has done with Button and now Nico and it has changed his mind. I expect to see Hamilton run the car next year racing, not testing. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Ron knows what he has and needs to go ahead and take advantage of it. Remeber all the talks of Uncle Ron wanting to get a hold of Nico after Bahrain.
jokuvaan
Sep 11 2006, 20:39
Mclaren might need Hamilton in just few years time if Alonso has some performance clause to dissolve contract. Hamilton has to be fully ready in 2008 or at least 2009 and only way to do it is put him in real school.
Interesting thing is that Pedro doesnt know will he drive for rest of the season....
Wouter
Sep 11 2006, 20:42
Originally posted by race addicted
But that's exactly what Dennis/Whitmarsh is afraid of I believe; that Hamilton gets off to a bad start, and if they feel they have no choice but to demote him from a racing driver to a test driver, he can get scarred. Confidence is sooo important. Another reason is that he'll be put against the mighty Alonso- not easy even if he'll get 10.000 km's pre-season testing.
I think Hamilton would have very little problems being quicker than Paffett. de la Rosa is much tougher, 'cause as you say, he's much more experienced, and now how to apply himself in both racing and testing.
Hamilton must surely have more potential though.
The advantage is that being slower as Alonso would not be seen as a failure for a rookie, even a supposedly very talented one. As long as the difference isn't too dramatic, at least. Alonso's reputation is such that nobody would expect Hamilton to match, leave alone beat him right away. And as no other driver available is likely to do so, McLaren might not lose out in results anyway.
Much will depend on comparative tests between De La Rosa and Hamilton in winter testing, I suppose. If Hamilton can quickly match or better De La Rosa, the seat will probably be his.
race addicted
Sep 11 2006, 20:43
Yeah, I've read that as well, Jokuvaan. Ron sounded pretty positive on his behalf earlier though. Putting Hamilton in in one of the remaining races could be very risky I think, for the reasons I mentioned earlier; a bad performance, through bad luck or that him and his race engineer can't find the right set-up, and he can be scarred. Surely he should overcome that in the following weeks and months of testing, but it will have an effect, and that might pop up in his mind again in free practice Melbourne 2007...
Surely the best thing to do is pop him into the car tomorrow and let him test throught the winter.
Get to know the car, the people and so on.
He will have enough time to race next year.
F1Johnny
Sep 11 2006, 20:48
Originally posted by race addicted
But that's exactly what Dennis/Whitmarsh is afraid of I believe; that Hamilton gets off to a bad start, and if they feel they have no choice but to demote him from a racing driver to a test driver, he can get scarred. Confidence is sooo important. Another reason is that he'll be put against the mighty Alonso- not easy even if he'll get 10.000 km's pre-season testing.
I think Hamilton would have very little problems being quicker than Paffett. de la Rosa is much tougher, 'cause as you say, he's much more experienced, and now how to apply himself in both racing and testing.
Hamilton must surely have more potential though.
I agree put him in the car. Lewis would have to be a disaster to be demoted to test driver. One thing that Lewis and his father should consider is an impartial manager to handle his affairs. When you get into Ron's team it's important to have someone that can handle professional affairs that is not tied to either Lewis or Ron.
Rubens Hakkamacher
Sep 12 2006, 08:09
It's not likely he's going to NOT perform in F1. It's totally clear he's in his own rarified air, and GP2 isn't *that* far off from F1.
He should be given the fast track like Kimi got. There's no reason to make him be a tester, he knows the tracks already. He needs experience in the car? Let him race for it; testing will do nothing to show his skills as a *racer*, that won't be fair.
Do we know how good Davidson is as a *racer*? Not really - and are we ever really going to know? Not that LH needs to fear for that fate, but at the same time they need to keep his momentum going - he should be *RACING* next year. It's what he needs, and what F1 needs with MS gone.
Has anyone see a more deliberate display of skill and dramatic race than the one he drove in Turkey.........?
Rubens Hakkamacher
Sep 12 2006, 08:37
You know, I haven't seen anyone posting any technical bits about what LH is doing...
I mean, he's going around the outside, the inside, changing the apex, all sorts of things. I think he's doing two things that are actually new, at least unorthodox, but I'm not sure yet if he *always* plans on doing these two things - so I'm not going to embarass myself by saying what I think they are yet
BUT...
..anyone care to discuss whether they think he runs more/less wing than the rest...? He's obviously carrying more momentum through turns than anyone else, seeing how he out accellerates everyone on exit as if he has an extra 30 bhp. It sometimes looks like he's almost going to get snap oversteer, but it never happens -
In the infamous Silverstone/Maggots pass, he looks like he's actually drifting a hair; but he pulls out from behind like the front end is glued down.. then there's a trace of the rear end stepping out, but he catches it... It *looks* like his car is better balanced, but maybe it's actually twitchier in the back? I mean, it *looks* like he's got significantly more HP and downforce than the rest, but obviously he doesn't - he's got to be running less downforce to pull past people on the long straights without a tow...?
He was always unbelievable late on the brakes in GP2.
I think the GP2 cars seem in general very twitchy.
tidytracks
Sep 15 2006, 15:16
Originally posted by Rubens Hakkamacher
You know, I haven't seen anyone posting any technical bits about what LH is doing...
I mean, he's going around the outside, the inside, changing the apex, all sorts of things. I think he's doing two things that are actually new, at least unorthodox, but I'm not sure yet if he *always* plans on doing these two things - so I'm not going to embarass myself by saying what I think they are yet
BUT...
..anyone care to discuss whether they think he runs more/less wing than the rest...? He's obviously carrying more momentum through turns than anyone else, seeing how he out accellerates everyone on exit as if he has an extra 30 bhp. It sometimes looks like he's almost going to get snap oversteer, but it never happens -
In the infamous Silverstone/Maggots pass, he looks like he's actually drifting a hair; but he pulls out from behind like the front end is glued down.. then there's a trace of the rear end stepping out, but he catches it... It *looks* like his car is better balanced, but maybe it's actually twitchier in the back? I mean, it *looks* like he's got significantly more HP and downforce than the rest, but obviously he doesn't - he's got to be running less downforce to pull past people on the long straights without a tow...?
Turkey Race 2 was a prime example of this. From what I understand of the situation the night after Race 1 he went to the team and asked them to take as much wing off as they possibly could. Their reaction was simple... "But Lewis, if we do that you'll have no grip in the corners."
Lewis' reply?
"You give me the speed on the straight, and I'll worry about the corners."
armonico
Sep 15 2006, 15:29
Today in the BBC midday news, they were excited about Hamilton starting F1 with images of him in Paragon but mostly they were talking about his colour with headlines like: The first F1 black driver.
They were talking about the new opening market chances because he is black and compared him with the impact Tiger made in golf. At least they expect Hamilton being as good as Tiger.
VoidNT
Sep 16 2006, 06:15
Sorry guys if maybe it was answered earlier, but I have a question looking at this picture:
http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/58367
Who is Nick Hamilton? Lewis' twin brother?
It is his younger brother.
Apart from his father, who now acts as his manager, Hamilton is accompanied to every race by his brother. "Nicholas is seven years younger and he's a great character. He might have cerebral palsy but he definitely wants to do something special with his life - maybe in the wheelchair Olympics or even something around F1. I wouldn't put it past him trying to be a commentator. We hang around together a lot and he gives me real perspective. He's the one member of my family who'll keep my feet on the ground - especially when I get to F1."
Link
Timstr11
Sep 16 2006, 10:57
Now which other team do you guys think has offered Hamilton a guaranteed race seat for 2008?
I am thinking RedBull or maybe even Toyota.
The offer for a race next year must be a lower ranking team.
Sep.15 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton's manager and father has admitted that a likely test at Silverstone next week is likely to determine the 21-year-old's immediate future in formula one. The British youngster, who at Monza sealed his championship crown in GP2, is tipped to take either a test or race seat at the team in 2007. It is also possible that he will replace Pedro de la Rosa as the temporary occupant of departed Juan Pablo Montoya's 2006 race seat. ''Based on his performance (at the test) they will decide whether, at this stage, he is good enough for formula one,'' Anthony Hamilton told the Mercury. But Lewis' father also admitted that 'other options' might be explored for 2007, as Hamilton's long term management contract with Woking based McLaren is set to expire at the end of the year. He revealed: ''We have been offered a drive for next season with one team and a testing role with a guaranteed seat for 2008 from another.''
santori
Sep 16 2006, 11:58
Prodrive?
jokuvaan
Sep 16 2006, 12:18
Yeah it might very well be that Hamilton's background team doesnt want to do same mistake as Nico, jumping into sinking ship.
race addicted
Sep 16 2006, 15:40
Testing and a guaranteed seat in '08 could just as well be McLaren, while the race seat for next year could be Spyker.
The seat in '08 certainly sounds like McLaren to me. Spyker might be the '07 drive, but I'd have thought Doornbos was the shoe in there. I wonder if Red Bull might take him? He'd generate loads of publicity for them, and after a year they can drop him for one of the drivers from their stable.
Timstr11
Sep 16 2006, 16:09
I am sure he was talking about options other then McLaren.
race addicted
Sep 16 2006, 16:21
Originally posted by Timstr11
I am sure he was talking about options other then McLaren.
...since they're already under their wings, yes. I thought about the same. In that case I guess it could be Spyker for next year, and indeed Prodrive testing next year, and then race for them in '08.
pippin
Sep 16 2006, 16:50
The race seat offer is most likely Spyker. As for the test in 2007 race in 2008, it could be a few teams, but how about Williams? They have Wurz for 2007, but I reckon they'd happily promise a future drive to a young English talent.
I really do think unless Lewis completely flops in testing he'll remain a Maclaren driver though. Must be nice to have options though.
Certainly seems that Lewis appears to be coming on strong for the McLaren drive, a competitive test in Jerez and things should be almost sorted. May I humbly recommend the merging of the L--e--w--i--s-- thread and possibly the Hamilton to McLaren? thread with this one to kind of put all the comments together!
Punisher6
Sep 22 2006, 03:51
It's nice to see someone genuinely excited to be driving an F1 car! He said he wants to sleep in his race suit! You can't help but like the guy and admire his class and at the same time his excitment. Between Lewis and Nico I may have found a couple drivers I can get excited for.
pippin
Sep 22 2006, 07:05
The interview with Lewis on the front page is a really nice read. When he gets to race in F1 I'll definitely be a supporter.
Originally posted by Punisher6
It's nice to see someone genuinely excited to be driving an F1 car! He said he wants to sleep in his race suit! You can't help but like the guy and admire his class and at the same time his excitment. Between Lewis and Nico I may have found a couple drivers I can get excited for.
Me too, plus Kovaleinen & Kubica - the new generation is looking really promising
Yeh, come in: Trulli, Fisi, Ralf, Webber, DC, Rubens, Heidfeld your time is up!
LostProphet
Sep 22 2006, 11:01
I'd love to see LH in the MP4-22 next year. I didn't watch many GP2 races or ... any, in fact, aside from the Turkey race. And that blew me away.
Nico did well in his first race in Bahrain, and let's face it - the major reason his performances have started looking ordinary is down to the dog of a car that is the 2006 Williams. Well maybe that's too harsh, but the bloody thing keeps breaking down!
I'm confident (and Frank obviously is too) that, given a better car, Nico would shine.
McLaren may have dropped the ball this year with their car, but whilst it hasn't been a pace setter, it's certainly been reliable and towards the front of the field rather than the back. Therefore LH should perform very strongly should he get the seat.
jonpollak
Sep 24 2006, 14:11
A little birdie told me last night she is fairly sure HAMMY will be gettin the McDrive....
I CAN'T WAIT
Jp
Timstr11
Nov 24 2006, 09:37
According to
The Times , Ron Dennis has confirmed to them that Lewis Hamilton will partner Alonso.
Great news.... it'll be so interesting to see how they get on over the course of a season
Not a McLaren fan, but this is a really good outcome I think.
Lewis is really a brilliant example of hardwork and dedication bearing fruit, and given the level of British interest in him I don't think he could possibly be at a better team.
McLaren for all their drawbacks will protect Lewis perhaps more than any other team from the scrutiny of the rabid British press. Also, being next to Fernando the expectations of his performance will be somewhat realistic. When he comes behind Fernando it is only to be expected.
If he ever finishes ahead of Fernando he will be hailed as the second coming.
It's win win for Lewis and McLaren I think.
Andy McCord
Nov 24 2006, 10:19
Well I admit I'm excited by the possibility. I hope his teaming with Alonso is positive for him - and I also hope Britain has found a superstar driver
slapstick
Nov 24 2006, 10:28
The most sensible decision. Congrats to Hamilton!
race addicted
Nov 24 2006, 10:32
With the rumours and some sites even saying a good while ago the deal was done, this was no surprise.
I'm really looking forward to watch how he does.
roadie
Nov 24 2006, 10:50
I am really looking forward to seeing how Lewis does next year. He is in at the deep end but I think he can make a good impression.
Lontano
Nov 24 2006, 10:54
i guess Pedro did not show that he deserved the drive during his races this year, but i was really hoping he would get a last chance before being retired from racing.
good luck Lewis, you will need it!
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