Lewis Hamilton

[Kryten]

Wins his first race at the Canadian Grand Prix in fantastic style in one of the best races for a long, long time.

Thoroughly deserves it - nice bloke, very, very talented - a season or two more like that and people are going to be hailing him as the next Senna, if not better.
Schumacher said he was "something special" - and coming from him- it's not wrong.


Oooh and bugger me, it's good to hear our National Anthem played again there

 

[DaGaffer]

Excellent race by Hamilton, and it's pretty clear he's got Alonso well rattled!

 

[Tom]

I remember filming him in the Champions of the Future kart racing donkey's years ago. He was touted for big things even then. 1997 IIRC.

 

[Stimpy]

That crash to - amazing Kubica gets away with just a broken leg.

 

[Whipped]

Best race of the season so far. Whatever you think about the amount of attention they've paid Hamilton, I agree, it's fucking great to hear that anthem played again when it's not just for a constructor.

Should have played it twice though. Once for the Constructor and once for Lewis

Bring on Inidanapolis!

 

[Bodhi]

Bollocks to Hamilton, hero of the day was Takuma Sato, passing Ralf and Alonso in the closing stages. When he went past the reigning world champion I was in hysterics.

 

[Kryten]

Must admit that made me chuckle too - the Japanese in the stands were having a field day!

There's always a laugh in watching an underdog pissing off a champion.
Remember Damon Hill twatting pasted Schumacher, when the former was in an Arrows?

 

[Bodhi]

I do indeed. I also remember Alesi overtaking Senna for the lead in a Tyrell in 1990. Senna looked stunned.

 

[Kryten]

Thats going back a bit - Senna was McClaren back then wasnt he?

 

[Whipped]

In case anyone missed Kubica's crash. Here it is.

Only recieving a broken leg from that kind of impact is a testament to just how safe F1 now is. Bloody amazing.

 

[Litmus]

In case anyone missed Kubica's crash. Here it is.

Only recieving a broken leg from that kind of impact is a testament to just how safe F1 now is. Bloody amazing.

Yea, i know how "safe" F1 cars are these days but after watching that i was kinda worriered about his injuries, if that was maybe 10/15 years ago he would of been dead, no doubt

 

[Embattle]

He really was very lucky to escape with just a broken leg.

 

[Whipped]

Turns out Kubica has no injuries at all.

It was initially reported that Kubica had broken a leg but BMW has since made it clear that this information was wide of the mark.

Remarkably, the 22-year-old is reported to have no major injuries and is expected to be released from hospital following an overnight stay.

 

[JBP|]

Before we all climb right up Lewis Hamiltons rectum can i just point out that while he might well be a bloody good driver, having the fastest car on the track and not starting lower than 4th does not make you the greatest driver in the world ever.

When he has to have an engine change and start from 11th or 12th (or ever possibly lower on the grid) and then still manages to come in 1st i might be a bit more impressed.

 

[Yaka]

JBP the kids a rookie in F1, fuck we have had peeps sorta drive almost impressive over the years and end up being nowt, this kids different

 

[Kryten]

As we all know, he's a long way to go yet - 6 races in it's very early to say.
He's still very talented full stop, in the fastest car or not. F1 is no easy ride especially on circuits you've never been to, don't know the lines on other than when you've whipped round it on your favourite Playstation-arcade-em-up.

He's got the balls Montoya and Villeneuve had, but the skills to use them, unlike the latter two. And I'm sure he'll be able to use them by being one of the rarities in F1 - someone willing to take a risk and actually pass another car (mind you he was bloody close to overtaking the safety car, but who could blame him!) - but until the time comes, we'll have to wait and see. That will make some interesting racing without a doubt. A few more people in the field with the guts he has, and F1 will be worth being fanatical about again. Then, and only then will it be the sport it used to be.

 

[caLLous]

On a slight sidenote - is Grand Prix 4 still the best F1 game for the PC?

 

[JBP|]

I'm not saying he isn't a talented driver, i am however saying at the moment i think its a bit much to proclaim him as the next Schumacher or Senna or whoever.

And as i recall a few drivers used a playstation to learn the track in Turkey the first year they raced there.

 

[Kryten]

Aye, callous :/ Shortage of anything else decent im afraid

Especially since it's still the best cross platform for F1 - nothing is even near to it. And it's how old now? :|

 

[caLLous]

I know it was rhetorical, but...

"released for the PC on October 9, 2002"

 

[Bodhi]

As we all know, he's a long way to go yet - 6 races in it's very early to say.
He's still very talented full stop, in the fastest car or not. F1 is no easy ride especially on circuits you've never been to, don't know the lines on other than when you've whipped round it on your favourite Playstation-arcade-em-up.

He's got the balls Montoya and Villeneuve had, but the skills to use them, unlike the latter two. And I'm sure he'll be able to use them by being one of the rarities in F1 - someone willing to take a risk and actually pass another car (mind you he was bloody close to overtaking the safety car, but who could blame him!) - but until the time comes, we'll have to wait and see. That will make some interesting racing without a doubt. A few more people in the field with the guts he has, and F1 will be worth being fanatical about again. Then, and only then will it be the sport it used to be.

In response to your earlier question, yes Senna was in a McLaren when Alesi drove past him in a Tyrell. Alesi is still my favourite driver of all time because of moments like that, or in 1995 at both the Nurburgring and Suzuka lapping 5 seconds a lap faster than anyone else on slick tyres on a drying track. Or how about France 1992 when he stayed out on slick tyres on a soaking wet track and was with a second (!) of the fastest people on wets. I've never seen car control like it, before or since. He may only have won one race, but how many was he leading only to have his car fail on him?


I take exception to your comment about JV however, you can't win the Indy 500, Champ car champs and the F1 World Title with no skills - the man was a seriously good driver. It just seems that as soon as he'd got 1 world title he lost his motivation, and they were never able to mould BAR round him like Ferrari did with Schuey. OK he's a mouthy twat, but F1 needs people like him, people not afraid to speak their mind.

 

[cHodAX]

In response to your earlier question, yes Senna was in a McLaren when Alesi drove past him in a Tyrell. Alesi is still my favourite driver of all time because of moments like that, or in 1995 at both the Nurburgring and Suzuka lapping 5 seconds a lap faster than anyone else on slick tyres on a drying track. Or how about France 1992 when he stayed out on slick tyres on a soaking wet track and was with a second (!) of the fastest people on wets. I've never seen car control like it, before or since. He may only have won one race, but how many was he leading only to have his car fail on him?


I take exception to your comment about JV however, you can't win the Indy 500, Champ car champs and the F1 World Title with no skills - the man was a seriously good driver. It just seems that as soon as he'd got 1 world title he lost his motivation, and they were never able to mould BAR round him like Ferrari did with Schuey. OK he's a mouthy twat, but F1 needs people like him, people not afraid to speak their mind.

Fuck me, I couldn't have said that any better myself and yes Alesi was what I consider to be a real racing driver, not just a machine that churns out the same lap for 2 hours in the fastest car. The bloke was aggressive to the point of being unsafe at times, just like the original GP drivers 70-80 years ago. It makes for bloody great viewing and to me that is what motorsport should be all about.

 

[Clown]

We don't get many races like that these days though do we?

 

[cHodAX]

We don't get many races like that these days though do we?

Not enough sadly, too many of the courses only have a couple of spots where it is viable to overtake for a start. If they could somehow get as much overtaking into F1 as they have in the bikes in MotoGP that would kick arse but I am not sure it could be done.

Talking of MotoGP, last Sunday's race was a real thriller. The lead must have changed hands 8 times in the last 4 laps, was a real treat to watch.

 

[Kryten]

I must admit I always liked Alesi. Certainly remember him winning a cracking Canadian Grand Prix on his birthday - must have been circa 94? cant remember.

A few characters back in the day - his teammate Gerhard Berger always had me in stitches with some of the things he did. Not always on the track, but funny either way

 

[GekuL]

Hamilton may be in the best car, but to be fair so is his team mate. Haven't really been following it at all though. ITV are loving it of course.

The bike racing this year has been great, MotoGP and World and British Superbikes. I really can't see F1 competing with that sort of entertainment ever.

 

[Kryten]

F1 has always been the pinnacle of motorsport - and always will be, however as an entertainment form needs a lot to be desired these days - certainly can't compete with superbikes, rallying etc for entertainment. I've always thought of it as more of a "technological showcase" - and that's why I love F1 so much.

Always have respect for the daft sods riding round on those superbikes at silly speeds knowing that should the worst happen, you've a half-arsed helmet and half an inch of leather protecting you. (obviously give or take the reinforced parts). Fine line between bravery and stupidity - but certainly ballsy none-the-less.

I think I'm just more pleased in general that we've another decent British Sportsman, something we lack in general. Our footballers are generally shit, our teams may be the best in the world but they're full of diving nancy boys from Portugal (etc), Tim Henman, etc etc. And then most of them are about as interesting as Steve David on a particularly uninteresting day.

Gerhard Berger was famed for filling Ayrton Senna's car with frogs, throwing Senna's full suit/briefcase out of a helicopter and other such japes. Senna was an inconsolable moron underneath his skill and Berger was soley responsible for finding his sense of humour F1 is in desperate need of characters, comedy, excitement and entertainment in general to meet the everyday expectations of the average person. I love it just how it is, but thats just me

 

[DaGaffer]

Problem with F1 drivers is that they're so schooled in the PR game that they all come across as completely anodyne these days. I think the last driver that got away with not giving a fuck was Eddie Irvine (never forget when Senna decked him at Suzuka and he laughed at him). Apparently Kimi Raikkonen - surely the most boring man in front of camera ever, is actually a fucking hoot in his private life, but you never see it.

 

[Kryten]

I've heard that, and also about Mika Hakkinen. I just thought the Finnish were deadpan boring per se

 

[Whipped]

I do think that another of the reasons that watching F1 has lost it's edge is for one simple fact ..... adverts!!!

Having a race constantly broken up stops you getting as involved as you could otherwise be. I heard that some satelitte channels broadcast with no adverts and use the ITV commentary, and yet others still have the advert breaks, but the race is super-imposed over them in a little Picture-In-Picture window. Surely ITV are not beyond doing something like this in the digital age of TV?