16860 replies to this topic

[bauss]

as65p, on Jan 19 2011, 16:17, said:

Yep. Pesky bike training anyway. So much more fun hangin' out with a guy like this

Yea, freaking Lewis....spent all his winter eating pot brownies with Diddy

[Crafty]

Bonaventura, on Jan 19 2011, 14:22, said:

Lance Armstrong isn't a good ambassador of "clean" sport for me.
I don't know if it's good to train together with him

Sorry, don't understand what unproven rumours about Armstrong have to do with Jensons training ?

[as65p]

bauss, on Jan 19 2011, 16:21, said:

Yea, freaking Lewis....spent all his winter eating pot brownies with Diddy

OTOH, in Lewis' case could be that the brownies would only make him stronger. After all, pretty much everything does...

[undersquare]

bauss, on Jan 19 2011, 15:21, said:

Yea, freaking Lewis....spent all his winter eating pot brownies with Diddy

A story from celebitchy.com

[Buttoneer]

I'm not sure what Jenson's training partners, pot brownies or the provenance of a link has to do with Lewis Hamilton's 2011 WDC prospects.

Please keep on topic.

[teejay]

Dont care how, as long as its a drama free run ie no scandals etc , I just want to see Lewis take it home in 2011.

[Snap Matt]

klyster, on Jan 19 2011, 07:55, said:

If McLaren produce a competitive car (read that as you want) then he'll be back to fight for the title, again.

The reason I say this is, he had a car that was less than perfect, and was still fighting for the title anyway.

Sure, he made a few mistakes (which driver didn't?) but he was up there with a chance until nearly the end of the season.

He doesn't need a better car as some drivers do, he just needs a car as good as his rivals.

I hope Jenson gels with the new car too, it would be nice to see a constructors title this year.

If Lewis gets a car on par with the other top tier cars, he'll win again.

What he said.

If Lewis works hard and has a car that can take on the leaders, he has as good a chance as any driver does of taking the title.

[Grenada]

wrexter, on Jan 19 2011, 14:39, said:

I have a good feeling about Lewis this season.

- Prospect of a competetive MP4-26
- Increased training.

And not to mention, somehow he seems to improve every season in my opinion although the results often dont show it.

To those who watch him closer than the other 23 drivers on the grid, he is special. I miss 2007 and 2008 where we saw his talents shown through with a competitive car. Although he would regard 2009 and 2010 as disappointing years, i have witnessed some of the best racing on his behalf compared to most on the grid.

Hopefully 2011 will give him such a chance again to take home the WDC crown.

Hear hear to that!

[JPW]

teejay, on Jan 19 2011, 17:12, said:

Dont care how, as long as its a drama free run ie no scandals etc , I just want to see Lewis take it home in 2011.

He hasn't had a drama free / scandal free year in his F1 career, so I wouldn't have high hopes for 2011 to be the exception.

[F1Newbie]

Crafty, on Jan 19 2011, 13:41, said:

So Lewis is taking training very seriously this winter.

Does anyone think this might be partly due to Button being at the team ?

Button is a serious athlete, he does a lot of training and regularly competes in triathlon and "iron man" events. This winter he's been cycling with Lance Armstrong and thinks nothing of long bike rides (50km or more) before going to a gym for regular training sessions. He employs a full time trainer and has a whole bunch of friends (including other drivers like Buncombe and Priaulx) that he often exercises with.

I'm not saying Lewis was ever unfit or that he didn't train properly, just wondering if he has stepped it up a notch after seeing Jensons' exercise regime in a bid to be a better driver ?

Yes, Lewis is training hard because he is scared of Jensen, mostly jenson' s qualify ability.

[halifaxf1fan]

Bonaventura, on Jan 19 2011, 07:24, said:

Lewis has a new personal trainer
His new "full-time"trainer wich spent with him the pre season training in the mountains is Antti Vierula:
"Antti Vierula is a professional Finnish Coach and Trainer, who works with drivers in F1, WRC, MotoGP, GP2, F3 and LeMans Series. Prior to working with Sense Motorsports, Antti worked at Kuortane Sports Institute in Finland and coached three Track and Field athletes to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Antti is a former track & field athlete and also played ice hockey and football."
Vierula comes from the same sport & healthcare company in Swiss in which Dr.Aki Hintsa & Adam Costanzo Lewis former personal trainer & confidant (2006 -2009)
are involved
http://www.sense-core.com/people.html

Lewis 2010 trainer Clayton Green got a senior position within the Human High Performance programme at the MTC.

( source: http://mclaren.com/home)

To me this is significant. I would think that this probably has come out of an analysis of Hamilton's poor performance in the second half last season.

It makes sense looking back that Lewis's fitness level may have been a contributing factor in his late season fade. Perhaps Whitmarsh imposed this requirement on him or he is looking at Alonso's late season heroics and wants to be in his league next season and took the initiative himself. Either way it is a good idea as the season is longer this year so more late season concentration will be absolutely necessary.

This added emphasis on training combined with staying away from Hollywood and the hiphop scene on his summer break may see a better performance from one of the sports 'top' stars.

[Bonaventura]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 18:46, said:

To me this is significant. I would think that this probably has come out of an analysis of Hamilton's poor performance in the second half last season.

It makes sense looking back that Lewis's fitness level may have been a contributing factor in his late season fade. Perhaps Whitmarsh imposed this requirement on him or he is looking at Alonso's late season heroics and wants to be in his league next season and took the initiative himself. Either way it is a good idea as the season is longer this year so more late season concentration will be absolutely necessary.

This added emphasis on training combined with staying away from Hollywood and the hiphop scene on his summer break may see a better performance from one of the sports 'top' stars.

If the trainer/fitness,was the reason, than McLaren should dump/replace all their fitness people
What about Buttons poor performance?
the cars poor performance??
The teams poor performance
even Whitmarsh himself could have done better

All unfit the Macca guys
bring back Ron.

Edited by Bonaventura, 19 January 2011 - 17:56.

[undersquare]

Bonaventura, on Jan 19 2011, 17:55, said:

If the trainer/fitness,was the reason, than McLaren should dump/replace all their fitness people
What about Buttons poor performance?
the cars poor performance??
The teams poor performance
even Whitmarsh himself could have done better

All unfit the Macca guys
bring back Ron.

Dunno why you take that cr*p seriously mate. Better to ignore than reward.

[halifaxf1fan]

undersquare, on Jan 19 2011, 14:05, said:

Dunno why you take that cr*p seriously mate. Better to ignore than reward.

Not really crap at all. After Spa and his USA vacation Lewis came back and was the lowest scoring driver out of the top five. He scored 58 points while FA scored 111, SV 105, JB 67 and MW 63.

Probably a combo of too much partying and too little training last August resulting in a slide in his performance. You should see this as positive if this was the cause because it is fixable. So the extra training is a good thing if we get to see Hamilton on better form, makes for a better show.

Bringing back Dennis - bad thing.

[gillymuse]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 18:20, said:

Not really crap at all. After Spa and his USA vacation Lewis came back and was the lowest scoring driver out of the top five. He scored 58 points while FA scored 111, SV 105, JB 67 and MW 63.

Probably a combo of too much partying and too little training last August resulting in a slide in his performance. You should see this as positive if this was the cause because it is fixable. So the extra training is a good thing if we get to see Hamilton on better form, makes for a better show.

Bringing back Dennis - bad thing.

Belgium was AFTER the holiday.

[halifaxf1fan]

gillymuse, on Jan 19 2011, 14:22, said:

Belgium was AFTER the holiday.

Thanks gillymuse.

Congrats on your Guess the Winning Time victory.

[mlsnoopy]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 19:20, said:

Not really crap at all. After Spa and his USA vacation Lewis came back and was the lowest scoring driver out of the top five. He scored 58 points while FA scored 111, SV 105, JB 67 and MW 63.

Probably a combo of too much partying and too little training last August resulting in a slide in his performance. You should see this as positive if this was the cause because it is fixable. So the extra training is a good thing if we get to see Hamilton on better form, makes for a better show.

Bringing back Dennis - bad thing.

So you left out Spa. Why?

[undersquare]

@TheFifthDriver
McLaren
Lewis is at MTC - it's his turn in the simulator today

[OS X]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 18:20, said:

Not really crap at all. After Spa and his USA vacation Lewis came back and was the lowest scoring driver out of the top five. He scored 58 points while FA scored 111, SV 105, JB 67 and MW 63.

Probably a combo of too much partying and too little training last August resulting in a slide in his performance.

mlsnoopy, on Jan 19 2011, 18:30, said:

So you left out Spa. Why?

Because using the real results would skew the data by being realistic. Everyone knows when you go when you go on a four week partying spree and undertrain, the short term benefit is improved driving skills (Spa) followed by a drastic drop in skills approximately two weeks afterwards.

The points from after the mid-season break are:
Alonso 111
Vettel 105
Hamilton 83
Webber 81
Button 67

Edited by OS X, 19 January 2011 - 19:12.

[bauss]

OS X, on Jan 19 2011, 19:42, said:

Because using the real results would skew the data by being realistic. Everyone knows when you go when you go on a four week partying spree and undertrain, the short term benefit is improved driving skills (Spa) followed by a drastic drop in skills approximately two weeks afterwards.

The points from after the post-season break are:
Alonso 111
Vettel 105
Hamilton 83
Webber 81
Button 67

[OwenC93]

IamLewis4real (Lewis Hamilton) said

Hey all, been at mtc 2day on sim and trainin. Car feels good, never know how others will be but I'm happy with where we r. We'll keep pushin

Hello everyone, I've been at MTC today on the simulator and I have also done some training. The car feels good, you never know how fast other teams will be but I'm happy with our car. We will keep pushing.

Edited by OwenC93, 19 January 2011 - 18:50.

[tifosiMac]

Glad to see Lewis training hard, it can only give him more mental and physical strength this coming season.

After him having the strongest season of the top 4 in 2010, it can only be positive from now on..

[OS X]

JackTorrance, on Jan 18 2011, 20:47, said:

No I dont think he will bounce back, unless Mclaren builds a car that is 2 seconds a lap faster than the other cars, and then hell have to deal with ultra consistent Jenson Button.

By the way, did you know that Lewis was the only driver to be running in the top six at every grand prix when the race ended or when his race ended. (Mech. Failures: ESP=2, HUN=5, Race Incidents:
ITA=4, SING=4). So in terms of consistency, you could argue that Lewis was the most consistent driver and the thing that prevented him getting closer to the title was that he didn't have a car capable of getting those "home run" 25 points scores to distance himself from his adversaries.

[jjcale]

OwenC93, on Jan 19 2011, 18:47, said:

Quote

(IamLewis4real (Lewis Hamilton)[/b] ]
Hey all, been at mtc 2day on sim and trainin. Car feels good, never know how others will be but I'm happy with where we r. We'll keep pushin

Hello everyone, I've been at MTC today on the simulator and I have also done some training. The car feels good, you never know how fast other teams will be but I'm happy with our car. We will keep pushing.

[tifosiMac]

undersquare, on Jan 19 2011, 18:05, said:

Dunno why you take that cr*p seriously mate. Better to ignore than reward.

Exactly, don't feed..

[jjcale]

Bonaventura, on Jan 19 2011, 11:24, said:

Lewis has a new personal trainer
His new "full-time"trainer wich spent with him the pre season training in the mountains is Antti Vierula:
"Antti Vierula is a professional Finnish Coach and Trainer, who works with drivers in F1, WRC, MotoGP, GP2, F3 and LeMans Series. Prior to working with Sense Motorsports, Antti worked at Kuortane Sports Institute in Finland and coached three Track and Field athletes to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Antti is a former track & field athlete and also played ice hockey and football."
Vierula comes from the same sport & healthcare company in Swiss in which Dr.Aki Hintsa & Adam Costanzo Lewis former personal trainer & confidant (2006 -2009)
are involved
http://www.sense-core.com/people.html

Lewis 2010 trainer Clayton Green got a senior position within the Human High Performance programme at the MTC.

( source: http://mclaren.com/home)

So basically if you want to get promoted at Macca ... work with LH.

Anthony... looks after young drivers
Phil... Chief Race Engineer
Clayton... also now promoted.

[halifaxf1fan]

mlsnoopy, on Jan 19 2011, 14:30, said:

So you left out Spa. Why?

Sorry about that I got the dates wrong. Lewis did very well at Spa but still suffered to the end of the season especially wrt Alonso and Vettel. An extra focus on fitness may be the answer, we shall see.

[mlsnoopy]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 20:06, said:

Sorry about that I got the dates wrong. Lewis did very well at Spa but still suffered to the end of the season especially wrt Alonso and Vettel. An extra focus on fitness may be the answer, we shall see.

Or both Alonso and Vettel had a better car. I chose the car.

[undersquare]

OwenC93, on Jan 19 2011, 18:47, said:

Hello everyone, I've been at MTC today on the simulator and I have also done some training. The car feels good, you never know how fast other teams will be but I'm happy with our car. We will keep pushing.

206 characters tho, so Hammy wins after all

[Bonaventura]

Pedro de la Rosa
said in an iterview about the Pirelli tyres (a section of it was shown on RTL today)
The best drivers are Hamilton and Alonso atm, and than Vettel
he thinks the new tyres would benefit to them

[chuffbiscuits]

In 2011, Hamilton will be mostly eating.... pasta.
In 2011, Hamilton will be mostly driving... a McLaren.
In 2011, Hamilton will be mostly snogging... Nicole Scherzinger

I also predict he won't change his approach and will continue to drive balls-out for victory. Just the way we like it

Hamilton vs Alonso will be the big showdown for the WDC this year - that's another prediction, though it's more of a fervent wish really. Hamilton vs Vettel or whoever just wouldn't have the same edge. I want to see him and Alonso duking it out all season, and would swap that for a five or six-way title fight any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

EDIT: Unless of course Schuey can rediscover the old magic. Now LH vs FA vs MSC.... phwoar!

Edited by chuffbiscuits, 19 January 2011 - 19:28.

[undersquare]

Bonaventura, on Jan 19 2011, 19:13, said:

Pedro de la Rosa
said in an iterview about the Pirelli tyres (a section of it was shown on RTL today)
The best drivers are Hamilton and Alonso atm, and than Vettel
he thinks the new tyres would benefit to them

I always thought Pedro did pretty well not to get caught in the crossfire between Lewis and Fernando, be perceived as taking sides one way or the other. He must know their driving pretty well from the simulator anyway, so his opinion should be taken seriously, though I'm predicting more of a gain from the Pirellis for Lewis than for the others.

[as65p]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 20:06, said:

Sorry about that I got the dates wrong. Lewis did very well at Spa but still suffered to the end of the season especially wrt Alonso and Vettel. An extra focus on fitness may be the answer, we shall see.

Well, even in Spa he was a hairs width away from making your point really obvious. Good race no doubt but victory aided by a massive dose of luck when he slid off all on his own and just missed the barriers.

[Bonaventura]

as65p, on Jan 19 2011, 20:30, said:

Well, even in Spa he was a hairs width away from making your point really obvious. Good race no doubt but victory aided by a massive dose of luck when he slid off all on his own and just missed the barriers.

The two others Alonso and Vettel chrashed all on their own in this race, what about their summer break?

[gillymuse]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 18:29, said:

Thanks gillymuse.

Congrats on your Guess the Winning Time victory.

I didn't win the competition I was hosting it


But congrats on your Guess the Grid Championship

[tifosiMac]

Spa was a great win in difficult, changing conditions where every driver had off track excursions at some point during the race.

Vettel missed his breaking point and took Button out and Alonso rode the curbs to wide and span into the barriers. Lewis's low speed detour was a simple mistake which was well corrected and nothing came of it. It was a dominant win overall.

[as65p]

Bonaventura, on Jan 19 2011, 20:44, said:

The two others Alonso and Vettel chrashed all on their own in this race, what about their summer break?

To be discussed in the respective threads?

This is supposed to be about how Hamilton fared after the break. Which is rather worse than before it, isn't it?

[as65p]

tifosiMac, on Jan 19 2011, 21:00, said:

Spa was a great win in difficult, changing conditions where every driver had off track excursions at some point during the race.

Vettel missed his breaking point and took Button out and Alonso rode the curbs to wide and span into the barriers. Lewis's low speed detour was a simple mistake which was well corrected and nothing came of it. It was a dominant win overall.

Well corrected?

There's no shame in having a bit of luck now and then, for nobody. Well, other than sugar-coating it as "well corrected".

[tifosiMac]

as65p, on Jan 19 2011, 20:04, said:

This is supposed to be about how Hamilton fared after the break. Which is rather worse than before it, isn't it?

I wasn't disappointed but then again theres no point dwelling on it as none of us or Lewis can chnage it or wishes to change it.

For the sake of arguement, Lewis had a disappointing couple of races in the second half of the season. Alonso had a few disappointing races in the first half of the season. Vettel had some disappointing performances scattered equally through the beginning, middle and end of the season.

Just about covers it... When does the 2011 season start?

[gricey1981]

as65p, on Jan 19 2011, 20:07, said:

Well corrected?

There's no shame in having a bit of luck now and then, for nobody. Well, other than sugar-coating it as "well corrected".

Luck favors the brave et all.

Was a still a dominant victory.

[Grenada]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 17:46, said:

To me this is significant. I would think that this probably has come out of an analysis of Hamilton's poor performance in the second half last season.

It makes sense looking back that Lewis's fitness level may have been a contributing factor in his late season fade. Perhaps Whitmarsh imposed this requirement on him or he is looking at Alonso's late season heroics and wants to be in his league next season and took the initiative himself. Either way it is a good idea as the season is longer this year so more late season concentration will be absolutely necessary.

This added emphasis on training combined with staying away from Hollywood and the hiphop scene on his summer break may see a better performance from one of the sports 'top' stars.

[Grenada]

Bonaventura, on Jan 19 2011, 19:13, said:

Pedro de la Rosa
said in an iterview about the Pirelli tyres (a section of it was shown on RTL today)
The best drivers are Hamilton and Alonso atm, and than Vettel
he thinks the new tyres would benefit to them

That sounds brilliant.

There isn't a written link is there BV?

[Grenada]

chuffbiscuits, on Jan 19 2011, 19:15, said:

In 2011, Hamilton will be mostly eating.... pasta.
In 2011, Hamilton will be mostly driving... a McLaren.
In 2011, Hamilton will be mostly snogging... Nicole Scherzinger

I also predict he won't change his approach and will continue to drive balls-out for victory. Just the way we like it

Hamilton vs Alonso will be the big showdown for the WDC this year - that's another prediction, though it's more of a fervent wish really. Hamilton vs Vettel or whoever just wouldn't have the same edge. I want to see him and Alonso duking it out all season, and would swap that for a five or six-way title fight any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

EDIT: Unless of course Schuey can rediscover the old magic. Now LH vs FA vs MSC.... phwoar!

You forgot:

In 2011, Hamilton will be mostly partying... with those dastardly "hip hop" stars

[Bonaventura]

Grenada, on Jan 19 2011, 21:19, said:

That sounds brilliant.

There isn't a written link is there BV?

No, sorry it was only a little piece on TV
but I think the full interview will be published somewhere soon, usually the Spanish papers Marca, As bring interviews with PdlR, especially if he mentioned Alonso there.

Here is a short video:
http://www.marca.com/motor.html
(about 0:30)
in spain

Edited by Bonaventura, 19 January 2011 - 20:48.

[jjcale]

Grenada, on Jan 19 2011, 20:21, said:

You forgot:

In 2011, Hamilton will be mostly partying... with those dastardly "hip hop" stars

Can you imagine if he ever started rolling with, say, Immortal Technique and came back from the summer break spitting some revolutionary **** ... Vodafone and the FIA Foundation would have a heart attack!!

Nicole, Puffy and Pharrell are the perfect companions for a guy who drives one the world's fastest billboards.

[Buttoneer]

Back to how Lewis will fare in 2011 please.

[halifaxf1fan]

Crafty, on Jan 19 2011, 08:41, said:

So Lewis is taking training very seriously this winter.

Does anyone think this might be partly due to Button being at the team ?

Button is a serious athlete, he does a lot of training and regularly competes in triathlon and "iron man" events. This winter he's been cycling with Lance Armstrong and thinks nothing of long bike rides (50km or more) before going to a gym for regular training sessions. He employs a full time trainer and has a whole bunch of friends (including other drivers like Buncombe and Priaulx) that he often exercises with.

I'm not saying Lewis was ever unfit or that he didn't train properly, just wondering if he has stepped it up a notch after seeing Jensons' exercise regime in a bid to be a better driver ?

Yes and a fit as a fiddle Button had the jump on Hamilton at the beginning of 2010 didn't he. Lewis is covering his bases this time around as Button who has his acclimation year behind him will be looking to challenge this season.

Edited by halifaxf1fan, 19 January 2011 - 23:11.

[robefc]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 23:09, said:

Yes and a fit as a fiddle Button had the jump on Hamilton at the beginning of 2010 didn't he. Lewis is covering his bases this time around as Button who has his acclimation year behind him will be looking to challenge this season.

Yep, he was all over him at the start of the season, ahead of him in nearly every race if I remember rightly...

I'm confused by the way, was he not fit enough at the start of the season, when button was getting the jump on him, or at the end after his break with piddy and the gang? Or just unfit and rubbish the whole year?

Edited by robefc, 20 January 2011 - 00:38.

[robefc]

HighwaytoHell, on Jan 19 2011, 11:21, said:

Hes ok. I mean hes not in the class of an Alonso or a Vettel, but given a fairly dominant car he can win another WDC. I cant see that happening unfortunately as now Button will be fully in sync with the mclaren cars and the design and strategy will not be entirely Hamilton based. I think once he leaves Mclaren where he has enjoyed winning cars every year, he may fade into the background of other rising stars.

Not many drivers have had race winning machinery every year they have been in f1.

Why do you think he would need a dominant car when he won the WDC without it one year, came within a couple of points another year (with the alonso who is apparently in a different class as his teammate)?

[KateLM]

halifaxf1fan, on Jan 19 2011, 23:09, said:

Yes and a fit as a fiddle Button had the jump on Hamilton at the beginning of 2010 didn't he. Lewis is covering his bases this time around as Button who has his acclimation year behind him will be looking to challenge this season.

Eh?
I'm pretty sure Hamilton outqualified Button in 3 out of 4 of those races, and Malaysia quali you could partly put down to the weather (though personally I don't think it was an adequate excuse for any of the Macca or Ferrari drivers). Button won in China and Australia but that was again largely down to strategy and mixed weather. I don't mean to take anything away from Button because he won those races with the right calls, but pace-wise Hamilton was always quicker so I think the whole fitness theory is bunkum.

There were some weird rumours in the Finnish press a week or two ago about the team not being happy about Hamilton's attitude after the summer break, but they did seem a tad outlandish. But its possible that they were rooted in reality, even if they were exaggerated.

As for 2011 - I think Hamilton will still have Button covered for pace and I'd be extremely surprised if he lost to him, but his overall WDC position is going to depend on McLaren.

Edited by KateLM, 20 January 2011 - 01:18.