450SEL6.9

Very honest post, Gene.

I worked a summer at a newspaper editorial room and I thought about being a journalist so the hyped-up reporting annoys me very much. The outrageously biased British race commentators are as bad as the tabloids. Nationalistic pride aside, the press and commentators should leave one nugget leading back to their objectivity and credibility as journalists. With Hamilton, I don't think they do. I expect some of you to tell me I am whining and being unfair, but I think I have a right to disagree with Hamilton being proclaimed racing god prematurely.

I think Jackie Stewart in particular uses Hamilton to take shots at others, most notably Schumacher. After a few races, he utters some grand claim that Schumacher was not as good as he should have been, but Hamilton can be. How does he come up with that after a few races? Invariably, it leads to all the Hamilton > everyone claims. There is an interview on youtube of Stewart interviewing Senna and he makes some smug point to Ayrton about him getting into more recent collisions with other drivers than many World Champs have in an entire career. I wonder if Stewart will ever be similarly critical of Hamilton . . . I doubt it.

Perhaps Nigel Mansell is the voice of reason, objectivity with regards to Hamilton. I never thought Nige and the word reason would be in the same sentence. He tips Lewis for the title, but also points out that he had to sell his house to get started in race, whereas Hamilton was signed up at a young age and came in with Mclaren. He adds that he will not compare him to Senna and Schumacher because there is a long way to go before anyone can consider that.

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chonkoa

Precisely said- I can't agree with you more.

Remy Zero

the Hamilton hype is getting outta hand...isn't it?

anyways, here's what i think.

i think, Hamilton, is a great talent to emerge since Michael Schumacher himself. he's only 22, yet he already has 14 years of racing experience. IMHO, i think both can't be compared, or, Hamilton can't be compared to anyone at all. why?

because, he's unique. he's been under Ron's wing for ages now. he's been working very hard since he's been a kid, he has the upperhand here, because he gelled with the team at a very early age.

he's been working at the team's simulator for a very long time. he's extremely commited.

Michael, OTOH, comes from a different background all together. he was a mechanic, worked his way thru sports cars, and got lucky when he replaced a regular Jordan driver at Spa.

then of cos, we know the history from there.

but, having said all that, i can't say anything to take away credits from Hamilton. yes, it's still early too say anything, but still, beating a 2 time WDC in an identical car is something to think about.

but still, we all know Alonso is no fool. yea, he maybe a crybaby and a whiner, but, he's still a champion. like it or not. and my money is either him or Massa being the WDC end of this year.

Gene

Guess what... I completely agree with you, it isn't Hamilton's fault at all, and its completely the fault of the British media. But being the shortsighted individual I am, I can't pinpoint an individual creating the hype about Hamilton to blame them, because it isn't just one person - so I figure I target Hamilton because its the easiest thing to do.

The problem isn't Hamilton per se, or his ability, or his talent, or his luck etc, its the frustration at what I consider overhype, which is overshadowing the sport of F1 - because I want to know about the 20 drivers, not just one.

I agree with all your comments about British media - wanting to idolise him, wanting a new hero etc. If I was British I'm sure I would be proud too. Unfortunately I'm not British (even though we're part of the commonwealth), and unfortunately I'm a selfish person who wants to watch F1 for F1 and not for one man.

It is for this reason I would like Hamilton to fail in a large way, because by taking it out of Hamilton, will shut the media up in the fastest way possible . I could be wise and fair, and focus my pissed off-ness at the media, but hey I'm lazy.

Maybe I just need to watch coverage from another country When it comes down to it, this is what some would call a religious discussion - there is no winner and there is no right answer. Either you like him or you don't, and everyone's got their reasons. Although its been a refreshing discussion.

Imhotep Evil

Yep it's scary, Mansell the voice of reason. Next up, Rosberg will join him.
Prost and Fitipaldi also seemed more resonable.

I'm kind of surprised at Stewart (and Lauda), because he was a worker and had to deal with dyslexia and such.
And it took him about the same time (not to mention work) as Brabham, Lauda, Prost, Senna, Schumacher and Alonso to go from promising rookie to multiple WDC.

450SEL6.9

I reckon Montoya has already joined the "reasonable" former drivers parade. I am gobsmacked that Juan Pablo Montoya is one of the few ex-drivers who has made the point that Ron Dennis paid for Hamilton's entire career. - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Lauda surprises me too. Stewart I always thought to be a jealous, biased old Scot. Here's his interview of Senna. I always laugh when Senna refers to JYS simply as "Stewart".
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MoSs AMG

KIMI SET FOR FERRARI EXIT - REPORT Kimi Raikkonen could be on his way out of Ferrari at the end of this season, according to reports.Germany's Auto-Bild-Motorsport said the beleaguered Maranello team are already on the lookout for the Finn's successor after his poor start to the season and failure to live up to his billing as the highest earning F1 racer following his switch from McLaren for 2007.Not only is the 27-year-old struggling to keep up with Felipe Massa in the other F2007, but there are also concerns about the number of errors he's making, and an apparent lack of focus.Auto-Bild-Motorsport speculate that Michael Schumacher could come out of retirement to replace Raikkonen, while McLaren's unsettled Fernando Alonso or Williams' highly-rated Nico Rosberg could also be in the running to replace the Finn.

This tags onto the end of the above story:The speculation may also be related to new gossip this week that saysToyota could be eyeing Raikkonen as a replacement for Ralf Schumachernext year and beyond. Ferrari is now coming under intense pressure fromthe notorious and influential Italian media, with La Gazzetta delloSport headlining this week that the trip to North America was a "totalfailure" for the Prancing Horse.Regarding Raikkonen, meanwhile, the sports daily wrote: “Hopes that heis Michael Schumacher's heir are gradually fading. Australia aside, Kimihas never been brilliant in a Ferrari.“ From PitPass

The Emperor

Repost: http://www.germancarzone.com/formula...i-reports.html

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