Anthony Hamilton is fast developing into one of those Father's that have for so long been seen lurking around Women's Tennis. Nothing worse than a pushy parent living their life vicariously through their kids.

Great start by Lewis

My dear friend Layla sent me last Sunday's New York Times with a note attached.

"After reading the enclosed magazine article, written by Cathy Horyn, I am very much sold on the guy you keep banging on about.
New York Times Magazine article

Hope you enjoy it.
Jp

Entertaining thread.

(Especially the predictions/comments from several know-it-alls)

As expected his detractors took full advantage of the 'only good as your last race' rule to gloat about Lewis' error and crow about how supposedly undeserving he is of the WDC despite all his on-track passes, spectacular wins and domination of his team-mate

However since Lewis seems to be performing well at tracks he didn't perform well at last year and vice versa I have full confidence that he is well equipped to ignore the doomsayers willing him on to repeat what happened last year- a nice Silverstone/Hockenheim style run instead would be fun ;)

FANTASTIC!!!!!
Jp

The best won. The title.

Wooohoooooo !

Word Driver's Champion; first title, youngest thus far, first for a Black driver.

Great job.

Great race from Alonso, Massa and Vettel as well.

True racer in and out. Reminds me alot of senna. Senna and fangio were the best drivers ever but hamilton has the bloodlines of a true racing driver His detractors have now been silenced Iam soo happy for mclaren ....been nine years of heartbreak since mika....never felt so happy since then.

Lots of humble pie being eaten by the likes of ...................-----

Fill in the blanks LOL!

P/S No hard feeelings u get me!

Congratulations to Hamilton for the WDC...

But c'mon - lay off the "silencing his detractors" and "true racer" and "Like Senna and Fangio" tripe.

With the team support he had, and the best or equal best car on the grid, his backing into the WDC with a rather fortunate 5th today after getting passed in the last laps by a Toro Rosso is hardly reminiscent of Senna or Fangio... I know, I know, we will all be treated to the fact that this is evidence that it was a "mature" drive, but let's face it - it wasn't - when Vettel passed him he had lost the WDC - he was not to know that they'd catch Glock at the last corner.

This year was pretty good to Lewis, and congratulations to him - but given the car and his situation, winning as he did in the last race is unlikely to silence any existing detractors.

If he wants to win another WDC next year, he'd better hope that McLaren build him a much better car, because, on the evidence of this year, he's going to need it, unless he can up his game, stop making silly mistakes and achieve greater consistency.

Hamilton was very nearly beaten by MASSA... nuff said.

Was Kubica on slicks in the final lap¿?

No, WET.

Doesnt say much for Kimi that, does it

I agree. I wish the media too would end this "new Senna" BS. Although why would they end it when Hamilton himself too feeds his hype by making comments how he reminds himself of Senna ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport...one/7686562.stm )?

Yeah - I know - which is why you'll see in my "top ten list" (in that thread), Kimi is a good deal behind both Felipe and Lewis.

Kimi not only had a bad season, I think he had an EMBARRASSING season.

Well done dude, 4 years and 11 months after your first post you were proven dead right!

Newpaper report says that a man in Peterborough put £50 on ten years ago at 1500/1 that lewis would be F1 WDC before he was 25....

Nice payday.

Wait, so we have Lewis Hamilton (merged) and Lewis Hamilton 2008 (merged).... which do I post in

He could buy Peterborough.

I am waiting for Lewis Hamilton XP (merged)
But not bothering with Lewis Hamilton Vista (merged)

He could have bought Peterboro with his original stake ten years ago. I think he made a better investment though. ( )

Get set and goooo

Perhaps we should dedicate a separate thread on how the brit press went off on lewis win.

According to the every trustworthy daily mail, lewis is set for a 100 million pound ANNUAL salary. Cost cutting anyone?

Why not start one? Perhaps you can think of a suitable troll, I mean Poll, to add?

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2008/11/03/...hamilton-s-win/


£125.000

when I'm at home from uni I live 12 miles from Peterborough... I reckon he could buy it now with his original outlay

I know a guy who was one point off a £700,000 win last year.

Should have laid it off. A nice fifty k on Kimi would have sorted that.

He was offered £300,000 in Spa to lay it off. Bummer.

Us racists is going to have a heart-attack tomorrow. This is the big one Elisabeth.

wtf?

I wonder if now that Hamilton has a title if they'll allow him more freedom to make decisions and go with what he feels is right. I would hope so. Less pressure now I imagine and less of a monkey on his back in terms of "blowing it" last year. It would be nice to see him given more freedom. I'd hate to see McLaren smuther him for years.

What, like "Renault smother Alonso, or Ferrari smothered Schumacher?

He has said he only wants to win 3 titles and doesn't want to touch Schumachers record. Is that more a case of him not wanting to beat Sennas 3 titles?

I think this might be a corruption of another news item where he said he wanted to win three titles because Ron promised him a McLaren F1 LM if he got three.

Flip-Flip-Flav

Friday
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71478
"In my opinion Hamilton will try again to throw away the title...Hamilton hasn't learned anything: we saw that in Japan. He should be told he is an F1 driver, not a martian. He is no Muhammad Ali. He is a youngster who still has to show his worth."

Tuesday
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71995
"He is great. Lewis went out there to win the title and he has won it. I believe the finale was amazing - but congratulations to Lewis."

Typical.

Oh - and if anyone wants to still pedal the 'I'm as good as Senna' nonsense..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...one/7706496.stm

From 09:15
"I don't compare myself to Ayrton. He was a phenominal driver. He was in a world of his own"

I don't know what you're getting upset at? Should Flav not congratulate the stoic performances Lewis turned in in China and Brazil? Should he not admit to getting his call wrong?

Seems like you would want to take offense no matter what Flav said.

All in all, I think his change in comments are fine and represent what a lot of people were thinking at the respective times. A lot of people thought Lewis might choke. I did.

He didn't.

And that he showed maturity in the face of extreme pressure demonstrates that he was great.

It's not hypocritical to change your mind. Often that's just stupid and stubborn.

Yes he should. He hasn't. He certainly hasn't been as grown up about it as you have. He's just contradicted himself directly - and in many many ways is an echo of the sentiments of many other people here.

Article on the difficulties faced by all drivers in trying to come up through the ranks: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/feature...with.4657615.jp

Anybody else seen the front of today's Express?

Trust them to jump on anything and turn it into a race issue, it's about people who think Tim moved deliberately and of course according to the Express they are racist for that. This may be what keeps them afloat now they've been shut up about Diana?

Lewis was just on Sky News saying that he'd backed Barack Obama and that he was pleased the Chicago senator was now President-elect.

A good week for racial integration

I wonder if it'll help get a US race back?

Only if Barack Obama would be willing to pay Bernie some extortionate amont...

Stevenage manages to contain the euphoria...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/nov/0...ton-formulaone2


"It's not like he's won X-Factor or something, oh God don't put that in the paper," says Jo, a Stevenage-raised mum of two. "But really. If he had they'd have had a massive party here. It seems a bit low key."
...
Hamilton went to John Henry Newman school. Here the euphoria is set lower, at something close to neurotically guarded caution. Perhaps this is to do with the fact Hamilton was expelled, wrongly it turned out, over claims that he had been in a fight in the boys' toilets. Today the deputy head is batting off all inquiries with a short printed statement that reveals "we are very pleased for him" but also points out: "We have so many former students who are making such an impact on the world." The reporter from the Chinese news agency looks disappointed.

Can't say I expect much better from Stevenage

or Britain

Hamilton would never win X-factor, hes not scottish

Last nights free London commuter rag had a pic of Lewis and his Pussycat Doll and she was sporting a large rock on her engagement ring finger.

"Mrs Nicole Hamilton"

Like Ashley Young and the drummer from Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.