Hamilton: The Joker at Abu Dhabi
#1
Posted 07 November 2010 - 20:42
Advertisement
#2
Posted 07 November 2010 - 20:43
#3
Posted 07 November 2010 - 20:44
#4
Posted 07 November 2010 - 20:44
Being quicker than him but slower than the RBs is a different matter...
Frankly I have no faith in the pace of the macca anymore though, both drivers are struggling just to drive the sodding thing.
#5
Posted 07 November 2010 - 20:45
#6
Posted 07 November 2010 - 20:45
Considering how well Lewis performed last year at Abu Dhabi in a car that was not nearly as good as the Red Bull, If Hamilton wins the race (which is his only chance to the WDC) it would rock the boat for all the other WDC contenders. If Vettel, Webber and Alonso are falling behind, team orders would be useless.
The MP4-24 had great traction and was good in the slow corners. It also had KERS.
These made it a good car for Abu Dhabi.
The MP4-25 is a different animal and I can't see Hamilton being more competitive than he as been in Korea or Brazil, TBH
#7
Posted 07 November 2010 - 20:49
The maths are very complicated, but if it is a Red Bull 1-2 out of the first corner, the title rests in Vettel's hands. If Hamilton or Alonso are up there instead, the race is on.
#8
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:10
#9
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:13
Hamilton told the BBC: "If we're not quick enough here, we won't be quick enough in Abu Dhabi."Considering how well Lewis performed last year at Abu Dhabi in a car that was not nearly as good as the Red Bull, If Hamilton wins the race (which is his only chance to the WDC) it would rock the boat for all the other WDC contenders. If Vettel, Webber and Alonso are falling behind, team orders would be useless.
The best possible result would be a podium(3rd) for Lewis
perhaps he can beat one of them.
#10
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:17
Hamilton told the BBC: "If we're not quick enough here, we won't be quick enough in Abu Dhabi."
The best possible result would be a podium(3rd) for Lewis
perhaps he can beat one of them.
More realistically only if one of them DNF's. I think it's fairly clear from the last few races that the Red Bulls and Ferrari have the pace of him.
#11
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:19
Yep that was 24 points down the drain and handing position to Alonso twice the last 2 races, imagine where hammy could have been if not for those silly mistakes.Hamilton's crashes at Monza and Singapore are proving to be very costly in terms of the championship. And so is his error in Korean which handed the win to Alonso.
For Abu Dhabi he'll be an extra, in fact all macca will be as they've 2nd in the WCC more or less wrapped-up.
#12
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:21
#13
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:24
Would Hamilton race to deny Alonso the championship?
What would he do different other than to race to win to do that? I'm sure he wouldn't let Alonso through so he could win the WDC, but he wouldn't let through Webber or Vettel either.
#14
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:29
Hamilton's crashes at Monza and Singapore are proving to be very costly in terms of the championship. And so is his error in Korean which handed the win to Alonso.
The difference in their tyres suggest you're dreaming again. The outcome was not a forgone conclusion, Alonso was actually pressuring Vettel, he was handed nothing.
#15
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:52
True. However, I wonder whom Hamilton prefers to win the WDC. Alonso, his main rival in the long run, or Vettel who would take away from him the youngest WDC ever title. Probably the answer is Webber.What would he do different other than to race to win to do that? I'm sure he wouldn't let Alonso through so he could win the WDC, but he wouldn't let through Webber or Vettel either.
#16
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:54
#17
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:54
True. However, I wonder whom Hamilton prefers to win the WDC. Alonso, his main rival in the long run, or Vettel who would take away from him the youngest WDC ever title. Probably the answer is Webber.
Probably the answer is that he only cares about who wins if he is in the fight.
#18
Posted 07 November 2010 - 21:56
I'm sure he wouldn't let Alonso through so he could win the WDC, but he wouldn't let through Webber or Vettel either.
That's what I'm wondering, would he do something special to Alonso that would make it harder for him to win the WDC? Either letting other drivers through, racing Alonso harder than other people etc.
There's no love lost between the pair of them. Admittedly there's little Hamilton can do to help Vettel win but would he if he had the opportunity? Vettel can't win it on his own performance, he needs to win the race and atleast 3 cars between him and Alonso in order to win the championship.
#19
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:06
Yep that was 24 points down the drain and handing position to Alonso twice the last 2 races, imagine where hammy could have been if not for those silly mistakes.
For Abu Dhabi he'll be an extra, in fact all macca will be as they've 2nd in the WCC more or less wrapped-up.
He is probably helping Alonso win to gain favour with Ferrari in the hope to get a ride there some day.
Advertisement
#20
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:09
That's what I'm wondering, would he do something special to Alonso that would make it harder for him to win the WDC? Either letting other drivers through, racing Alonso harder than other people etc.
There's no love lost between the pair of them. Admittedly there's little Hamilton can do to help Vettel win but would he if he had the opportunity? Vettel can't win it on his own performance, he needs to win the race and atleast 3 cars between him and Alonso in order to win the championship.
They have a lot of respect for each other, they are the best 2 drivers in F1 and I'm sure they know it. Don't see any point in trying to belittle Alonso at all. The better Alonso looks, the better Hamilton looks in 2007 and in the future when Lewis will probably get to beat him to a title.
What would you rather tell your grandchildren, I beat a 3 time world champion, or I stopped a 2 time world champion winning 3?
Lewis will just race as hard as he can on the day. When Vettel overtook Lewis at Brazil in 2008, Im sure he wasn't motivated by spoiling Lewis's title hopes (which he very nearly did). IIRC I think vettel said he was having fun.
#21
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:15
If you mean he has no preference, I disagree. Whether for personal sympathy or for convenience —as any other mortal— he must have a, at least gut, preference. Webber aside, I dare to say the option for Alonso would flatter Hamilton's achievements.Probably the answer is that he only cares about who wins if he is in the fight.
As I suggested before, I'm not implying he's going to have a different approach depending on who he is fighting against and its relation to his preferred personal option.
#22
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:22
#23
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:24
I.e. a few of his fans are getting excited but its not going to happen. Its been a decent season for him and maybe next year will be his year.
Edited by Les, 07 November 2010 - 22:37.
#24
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:36
Lewis Hamilton chances in Abu Dhabi remind me of a scene in Dumb and Dumber where Jim Carrey;'s character asks 'What do you think is the chance for a guy like me and a girl like you?', the girl said 'about a million to one' to which he said 'so we have a chance?!'.
I.e. a few of his fans are getting excited but its not going to happen. Its been a decent season for him and maybe next year will be his year.
True. In all honesty he was no better than Alonso/Vettel this season, and in a car that is sligthly weaker compared to Ferrari and RBR he had to outperform them instead of being at their level - which he did up until Monza.
1. Monza - completely his fault
2. Singapore - should have been more careful
3. Japan - who knows if it would happen without his FP accident
4. Korea - had really low chances of keeping Alonso behind so I don't think it was his fault
5. Brazil - same as Korea, but his chances were slightly higher here at least.
3-5. points are dubios, but even if you take only 1 and 2 as something where he definitely could do a better job you're still left with a fact that he probably spilled some 20-30 points in those two races which would put him in much stronger position today of course.
All in all, things have gone very wrong for him from Monza onwards, and while he was definitely driver of the season by far up until Monza, he basically evened out his overall season performance with Alonso and Vettel now. In the end fact that Webber had best car and Alonso had absolute #1 status in Ferrari probably decided the current scoresheet (Vettel was unlucky with reliability, Hamilton had slightly weaker car), overall driver performance of Alonso/Vettel/Hamilton was similar, with Webber being somewhat worse.
Edited by velgajski1, 07 November 2010 - 22:40.
#25
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:48
Edited by Coral, 07 November 2010 - 22:49.
#26
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:51
I really don't think Lewis will be a factor at Abu Dhabi unless Alonso and the Red Bulls DNF. Fourth is as good as it gets, sadly. And I definitely don't think that Lewis would make things difficult for Alonso. Despite everything that has happened in the past, I really believe that Lewis and Alonso have the utmost respect for one another. At Korea Lewis went straight up to Fernando and congratulated him. When Lewis says he would like to be his team-mate again, he means it. And I would love to see it happen, for F1 needs Lewis in a competitive car.
Ppl who think that Lewis would make it harder for Alonso because of 2007. are dumb
#27
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:52
The gearbox would still have had a failureTrue. In all honesty he was no better than Alonso/Vettel this season, and in a car that is sligthly weaker compared to Ferrari and RBR he had to outperform them instead of being at their level - which he did up until Monza.
1. Monza - completely his fault
2. Singapore - should have been more careful
3. Japan - who knows if it would happen without his FP accident4. Korea - had really low chances of keeping Alonso behind so I don't think it was his fault
5. Brazil - same as Korea, but his chances were slightly higher here at least.
3-5. points are dubios, but even if you take only 1 and 2 as something where he definitely could do a better job you're still left with a fact that he probably spilled some 20-30 points in those two races which would put him in much stronger position today of course.
All in all, things have gone very wrong for him from Monza onwards, and while he was definitely driver of the season by far up until Monza, he basically evened out his overall season performance with Alonso and Vettel now. In the end fact that Webber had best car and Alonso had absolute #1 status in Ferrari probably decided the current scoresheet (Vettel was unlucky with reliability, Hamilton had slightly weaker car), overall driver performance of Alonso/Vettel/Hamilton was similar, with Webber being somewhat worse.
Without his FP crash, probably a DNF,
because the team wouldn't have overlooked the car so carfully and therefore found the first defect gearbox
If he had gone into the race with this gearbox ,I don't think lewis would have finished it.
The second "new" gearbox, had also a failure, but he was able to finish the race and get some pionts.
Lewis & Mclaren have also lost about 35 points due to mechanical failures/stategys at the first half of the season, this points would have counted as much as the other points.
This pionts would have made the difference, too
In the end, if Lewis had a faster/better car, he wouldn't have had to take the risks which have caused some errors.
Edited by Bonaventura, 07 November 2010 - 22:54.
#28
Posted 07 November 2010 - 22:59
1. Vettel - 2. Alonso - 3. Webber - 4. Hamiltom - all within 10 secs.
Vettel decides he'd rather have Webber win WDC than Alonso, slows Alonso enough to let Webber catch up and have a go. Webber goes for it, but in the ensuing melee takes out both Alonso and Vettel. hamilton cruises to the win and the WDC.
#29
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:00
Every WDC contender has had mistakes, so you could also say that alonso, vettel and webber could be all champions already without the mistakes. And its not like mclaren is the car to have this year.Hamilton's crashes at Monza and Singapore are proving to be very costly in terms of the championship. And so is his error in Korean which handed the win to Alonso.
#30
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:01
The gearbox would still have had a failure
Without his FP crash, probably a DNF,
because the team wouldn't have overlooked the car so carfully and therefore found the first defect gearbox
If he had gone into the race with this gearbox ,I don't think lewis would have finished it.
The second "new" gearbox, had also a failure, but he was able to finish the race and get some pionts.
Lewis & Mclaren have also lost about 35 points due to mechanical failures/stategys at the first half of the season, this points would have counted as much as the other points.
This pionts would have made the difference, too
In the end, if Lewis had a faster/better car, he wouldn't have had to take the risks which have caused some errors.
This is all true, and by no means I wish to put down great job that Lewis did this season for McLaren. However, realistically speaking, his overall performance wasn't stellar - and to beat Alonso and Vettel in better cars (plus Webber in best car) - it had to be.
#31
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:02
Good post although expect to get crucified because you didn't adhere to the "hail hammy" dogma.True. In all honesty he was no better than Alonso/Vettel this season, and in a car that is sligthly weaker compared to Ferrari and RBR he had to outperform them instead of being at their level - which he did up until Monza.
1. Monza - completely his fault
2. Singapore - should have been more careful
3. Japan - who knows if it would happen without his FP accident
4. Korea - had really low chances of keeping Alonso behind so I don't think it was his fault
5. Brazil - same as Korea, but his chances were slightly higher here at least.
3-5. points are dubios, but even if you take only 1 and 2 as something where he definitely could do a better job you're still left with a fact that he probably spilled some 20-30 points in those two races which would put him in much stronger position today of course.
His teammate outshining him in the beginning of the season, then a comeback only to throw it all away with a really bad series of races from Monza onwards. Maybe the boy should take some time to think at Abu Dhabi to figure where it (he) went all wrong this year.
#32
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:03
This is my dream scenario: in the last ten laps
1. Vettel - 2. Alonso - 3. Webber - 4. Hamiltom - all within 10 secs.
Vettel decides he'd rather have Webber win WDC than Alonso, slows Alonso enough to let Webber catch up and have a go. Webber goes for it, but in the ensuing melee takes out both Alonso and Vettel. hamilton cruises to the win and the WDC.
...then you suddenly wake up! *Beep* *Beep *Beep* Damn alarm clock!
#33
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:05
He has had 1 really big mistake in Monza and even that was a little unlucky, in singapore it was an racing incident, which do happen in F1. Ok, he has made some mistakes, but its not easy to finish on podium with clearly the 3rd best car at best.True. In all honesty he was no better than Alonso/Vettel this season, and in a car that is sligthly weaker compared to Ferrari and RBR he had to outperform them instead of being at their level - which he did up until Monza.
1. Monza - completely his fault
2. Singapore - should have been more careful
3. Japan - who knows if it would happen without his FP accident
4. Korea - had really low chances of keeping Alonso behind so I don't think it was his fault
5. Brazil - same as Korea, but his chances were slightly higher here at least.
3-5. points are dubios, but even if you take only 1 and 2 as something where he definitely could do a better job you're still left with a fact that he probably spilled some 20-30 points in those two races which would put him in much stronger position today of course.
All in all, things have gone very wrong for him from Monza onwards, and while he was definitely driver of the season by far up until Monza, he basically evened out his overall season performance with Alonso and Vettel now. In the end fact that Webber had best car and Alonso had absolute #1 status in Ferrari probably decided the current scoresheet (Vettel was unlucky with reliability, Hamilton had slightly weaker car), overall driver performance of Alonso/Vettel/Hamilton was similar, with Webber being somewhat worse.
#34
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:05
...then you suddenly wake up! *Beep* *Beep *Beep* Damn alarm clock!
One can dream, but alarm clocks suck.
#35
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:08
Good post although expect to get crucified because you didn't adhere to the "hail hammy" dogma.
His teammate outshining him in the beginning of the season, then a comeback only to throw it all away with a really bad series of races from Monza onwards. Maybe the boy should take some time to think at Abu Dhabi to figure where it (he) went all wrong this year.
And perhaps Vettel and/or Webber and/or Alonso should take some time to reflect where they went wrong too, or is your focus just Hamilton?
#36
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:13
The car went worse after the summer break/ the other cars got betterHe has had 1 really big mistake in Monza and even that was a little unlucky, in singapore it was an racing incident, which do happen in F1. Ok, he has made some mistakes, but its not easy to finish on podium with clearly the 3rd best car at best.
#37
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:23
#38
Posted 07 November 2010 - 23:25
He has had 1 really big mistake in Monza and even that was a little unlucky, in singapore it was an racing incident, which do happen in F1. Ok, he has made some mistakes, but its not easy to finish on podium with clearly the 3rd best car at best.
I'm a McLaren/Hamilton fan but its realistic that he didn't drove a better season than Alonso for example. Alonso had most of his blunders in early part of season Hamilton in late part of the season. Overall I rate their performances on similar level this season (like in 2007 too for example).
I'd even go as far as saying that McLaren wasn't even a slower car than Ferrari overall, but more that Lewis has been just really unlucky on many occasions. He lost almost as many points as Vettel on reliability issues, had a bit of bad luck with team strategy blunders in early season, and also luck didn't serve him too well in his Singapore incident. He was pretty lucky with stewards though this season.
Overall, Lewis did a really great job this season, but not a perfect one and he also lacked some luck and car speed in dry races.
Edited by velgajski1, 07 November 2010 - 23:26.
#39
Posted 08 November 2010 - 08:23
Hamilton's crashes at Monza and Singapore are proving to be very costly in terms of the championship. And so is his error in Korean which handed the win to Alonso.
Come on, the same could be said for the errors all the other drivers made this year. No one has been perfect.
As an Alonso fan, I would be perfectly happy with a Hamilton victory in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately though McLaren really seems to be clear third best car now.
Advertisement
#40
Posted 08 November 2010 - 08:26
Edited by Tenmantaylor, 08 November 2010 - 08:26.
#41
Posted 08 November 2010 - 08:58
#42
Posted 08 November 2010 - 09:26
That Mclaren was a bullet by the time Abu Dhabi came around last year.
#43
Posted 08 November 2010 - 09:29
That Mclaren was a bullet by the time Abu Dhabi came around last year.
That McLaren was also a bullet around the Hungaroring and Singapore ;)
Different year, different cars.
#44
Posted 08 November 2010 - 09:35
Lewis could be a threat to Alonso, maybe in qualifying or maybe if he start just behind Alonso in the race, but I doubt he will be a threat to anyone in the race.
So hes going to be last?
#45
Posted 08 November 2010 - 09:46
Hmmmm, I don't think you thought that one through before you posted did you?His teammate outshining him in the beginning of the season, then a comeback only to throw it all away with a really bad series of races from Monza onwards. Maybe the boy should take some time to think at Abu Dhabi to figure where it (he) went all wrong this year.
#46
Posted 08 November 2010 - 10:13
I think most of the drivers have what-ifs for this season, to be honest. I'm sure Webber is absolutely kicking himself about Korea, and if Vettel hadn't have dropped too far behind the safety car at Hungary, he wouldn't have to contemplate handing the lead over to his team mate in the next race.It could have been a tremendous achievement for Hamilton if he hadn't messed up at Monza and Singapore. He could be in the lead and, quite frankly, taking the title in what hasn't been the best car in any race this season is great. The Mclaren had a handful of good races in mid-season, but even then it wasn't better than the Red Bull.
I think Lewis has still had a very good season. He's made mistakes, but all drivers do. In the end, they might not have mattered if McLaren had got the car right.
Though I do wonder if he's become over-cautious about collisions or demotivated from the last few races. He had a good start yesterday, but backed straight out of it once Webber showed him a wheel. And practically gifting places to Alonso for two races in a row through mistakes is most unlike him.
As for Abu Dhabi...I can't see him running any higher than 3rd to be honest. And if Alonso is 4th, then that would be enough to give him the title unless it were Webber leading, or if Red Bull switch their cars.
Edited by KateLM, 08 November 2010 - 10:14.
#47
Posted 08 November 2010 - 10:31
So hes going to be last?
I mean Vettel, Webber and Alonso, he could be 4th without any problem.
#48
Posted 08 November 2010 - 13:09
The thing is though, how unlikely would a Vettel engine failure be and Webber smashing into Alonso taking them both out? I don't think it sounds that crazy. I can certainly see one of them suffering a DNF.
But it realistically it's over for Hamilton. Monza and Singapore cost him the title, shame.
I'm cheering on Webber now but I don't mind if Alonso wins it, he has been superb over the last 5 or 6 races.
#49
Posted 08 November 2010 - 13:35
I think Hamilton could be one of the jokers in the pack. He'll always be there or thereabouts in qualifying which will put him at the sharp end at the start of the race. If he splits the two Red Bulls or one of the Red Bulls and Alonso at the start, he'll definitely play a part. If he's 4th at the first corner probably not. The ban on refuelling has effectively put paid to clever strategies to get a like for like slower car ahead of a faster car at race end.
I just can't see him winning the race without something happening to the other three or weather intervening in some way. Both Button and Hamilton, in their own ways, are complaining that the car isn't quick enough compared to the two Red Bulls and Alonso. Bit of a mystery to me why Alonso is so much better than Massa in the same car mind.
#50
Posted 08 November 2010 - 13:45
I think Lewis has still had a very good season. He's made mistakes, but all drivers do. In the end, they might not have mattered if McLaren had got the car right.
Though I do wonder if he's become over-cautious about collisions or demotivated from the last few races. He had a good start yesterday, but backed straight out of it once Webber showed him a wheel. And practically gifting places to Alonso for two races in a row through mistakes is most unlike him.
Sorry to pick on you , but sometime back we had a discussion over Vettel and We agreed that out of car ability or reliability vs mistakes, its the mistakes bit which should be given more weight age because its in the drivers hands.
So even if Vettel has lost 60+ points to reliability he still had only himself to blame for losing the WDC.
Same would apply to Lewis, agree his car is not the best but he made some very obvious errors in the second half and that is the real reason he will lose the WDC.
Lewis has had if not the worst but definitely a very avaerage season in 2010 - the car notwithstanding.