Are you sick of people praising Hamilton at expense of F1 greats?

Question

Ever since that spoiled brat Hamilton came into F1 (with the fastest car and Mclaren support since 13, I might add), people have bent over backwards telling us how great he is. Some Brits insisted that he is already the greatest ever and one former world champ already said that Hamilton can be better than Schumacher.

Now F1 journalist Peter Windsor wrote, "I think Lewis is better than both Senna and Prost".

WTF! I am sick of people in F1 kissing Hamilton's butt at the expense of guys like Fangio, Senna, Prost, Schumacher, etc. . . For these multiple time world champs and F1 legends to even be put in the same paragraph as a rookie is a ridiculous and insulting.

What do you think?

Answer 1

I agree ! Schumacher has like 31 records he holds ! and Senna was like a king ! ''Him'' should be mentioned in the same sentence or paragraph ! I think the press has gone overboard ! And people say that if he was in a spyker he would still win ! I wish ! I think rubens, dc, webber and jenson need a better car ! and they will be like ''him'' !!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

I think he is definitely worthy of some praise because it's been a very long time since a rookie has come into the sport and accomplished the things he has so far.

HOWEVER, he has had a great benefit by getting into a car that was already fast. After all lets remember that even 2 time World Champion Fernando Alonso got his start in 2001 driving for Minardi and was regularly 3 or 4 laps down when he did finish. What would have happened if he were in the Ferrari or McLaren? Could he have possibly done what Hamilton has done this year? If Hamilton were driving the Spyker he would be just another rookie tolling around at the back of the field.

I think the British fans and press are desperate for a British world champion. Something they haven't had since Damon Hill. But to say that Hamilton is better than Senna, Prost, Schumacher, etc.... at this point is just ridiculous.

Answer 3

Yes. He is acting like he's the F1 King and that he can do anything. Since many people started putting him on a pedestal, instead of making him become a better driver who's humble, he became an arrogant dude.

It is silly to conclude that he is the next Schumacher at this stage. Yes, he has performed brilliantly and utterly well but it is too early to say anything of that sort. This is only his first year in F1! Maybe people are forgetting that!!!! How long has Michael been in F1 compared to Lewis? Comparing them is a sin!

I think that Lewis is getting his taste of fame too soon and that distracts him from driving his best. People should remember that Lewis Hamilton is Lewis Hamilton and not Michael Schumacher, or Senna or Prost.

Answer 4

I think its a shame Anthony Davidson gets little praise from the British media. The man did a damn good qualifying at Turkey dragging that Super Aguri up to 11th position. As for comparing Hamilton to the greats, I dont recall Senna,Prost,Fangio,or Schumacher starting their first seasons in what is clearly the best car on the grid., so comparing their debut seasons to Hamilton's isnt a very fair comparison. Also, I'd hardly say Hamilton has done any "fantastic" drives yet, i.e Schumacher Barcelona 1996, Senna Donington Park 1993. Lets see how he copes with the pressure before we make him out to be the next great.

Answer 5

I'm sick of listening to the things about how Lewis is great driver and how he showed Fernando that he's better than him in US GP.
And I will never listen to Brits when they are talking about Hamilton,because of so much praising for nothing.
He's still a rookie that drives the best car in this season,with the British team and Spanish double world champion mate.
That's pretty good for him.
I also think that Lewis is MORE lucky than any other driver in F1,he just had one technical problem this year,while Fernando,Felipe and Kimi very often had problems with car.
And I think that this spoiled rookie will never be in the same paragraph as Senna,Schumacher and Prost...
Senna,Schumacher and Alonso should be in the same paragraph because they are brave on the rain and usually have the best time when it's wet.
the best example is European GP this year:
When rain started Lewis immediatelly went off the track,and Alonso was the one who speeded up to walkover Massa while it was raining...


VAMOS EL NANO

Answer 6

To say what has been said, yes, that is a little overboard.

Its probably better to say that he has the potential of Prost, Senna, Schumacher, etc. (which is the case), not already as good as, or better than the 3.

If Hamilton is winning championships left and right a few more years down the road, yeah, you can go ahead and say that, but for now, its potential that he has a chance be as good as.

Answer 7

It's just human nature, at least for post-modern humans, to get wound up on hype for something, and for F1 fans it is hype for Lewis Hamilton.

It is certainly too early to say he's another Schumacher because what Schumacher had was the ability to keep his focuse regardless of his winnings. The guy could just keep winning and winning because there was nothing else for him. Then you have guys like Villeneuve who did not win again after his championship year, and who maybe twice since had podiums before his career was finally ended.

So let us wait and see what kind of mental fortitude Lewis Hamilton has over the long run before we say he's as good as Schumacher; or Senna or Prost for that matter. All of them had the ability to keep sharp and focused regardless of how many wins they piled up.

But you see, for certain, Lewis Hamilton is perhaps the most exciting rookie to come along in ages.

RP

Answer 8

Well, as many people have said previously. The standard to which you race is set by the guy who races the exact same car. By that measure I'd say Hamilton is doing a grand job in his first season.
Does it matter if he's in the best car? Simply put....no.
Why you ask? Well. If he'd have been in a Honda we'd all be saying now "well done Lewis, you're beating your more experienced team mate but it's only worthy of praise because you're in a crap car"
At the minute however the feeling seems to be..."for shame Lewis, how dare you be so petulant as to be having a more successful season in the exact same car as double world champion and most over rated driver on the grid Fernando Alonso. You are a bad man Lewis, a bad man and a poor driver"
I don't get it at all. People are calling him when he's performed magnificently and far outshone his initial expectations.
Sure, we all thought he might get a couple of podiums and maybe a win at most. We all thought that Alonso would have an easy ride to another undeserved title but hey, someone threw the spanner in the works and people are too gutless to admit they were wrong about the lad.
I will agree with the point about him being compared to the likes of Senna and Prost however. He's got a lot of hard work and needs to improve in a few areas before those kinds of statements can even be thought let alone spoken.
Let us look at this another way though shall we.
In Alonso's first season he was partnered with Tarso Marques. A man who finished GPs in front of Alonso a few times and actually scored Minardi's highest placing that season before he eventually got booted out in favour of a talentless rich boy.
We rave about Alonso yet we never look at his failings.
Poor overtaker, completely unprofessional attitude, not great in the wet (to whoever moaned about Hamilton binning it in the wet, when you've actually learned to drive and know the feeling of driving through standing water then you can make fair and accurate comment and judgement with regards to aquaplaning) and he's also poor under pressure.
Alonso has always looked good at Renault because he had truly poor team mates.
Why can't people just accept that as a rookie, Hamilton is making other drivers look distinctly normal.
Hamilton has had some bad luck by the way nani .....how about a tyre exploding which promoted Alonso to the podium. How about Hamilton being ordered to hold back in monaco and ultimately gifting Alonso a win. How about Hamilton's wheel exploding causing him to crash at around120mph. How about the canadian Gp where everytime Hamilton managed to extend his lead something happened to bring out a safety car and reduce it to nothing again.
Wherever he finishes in the championship this year, 1st, 2nd, 3rd whatever, he'll have done a damn fine job that he can be rightly proud of.
I'm not going to say Hamilton is better than Fangio, Ascari, Clark, Stewart or any of those guys.
Anyone who has seen some my other answers will know that I feel it's only fair to judge who is, or was, the best of their era. I wouldn't even compare Schumacher and all his records with Fangio because the equipment they used was so different.
Hamilton just looks like someone with a bright future to me.

Answer 9

He has been on podium for every race (except one-hungary i think, i cba checking right now, and many others also came off the track in that race) you eitehr love him or hate him i feel. Nobody is saying "He's the greatest" but did Schumacher achieve these results in his maiden season? or Senna for that matter? You should search for the video of him in GP2 in turkey 2006 where we was 21st and finished 2nd, he adjusts the cra before it has a chance to fault, knowing some semi-pro racers, they say this takes years to master and he is doing it at the age of 22! I think he's just a likeable guy, i aint gonna pretend and go hes the nicest guy in f1 yayayaya cos ive nvr met the lad, but he seems to have the right attitude, he lets his right foot do the talking. Schumacher was a great driver but untill Alonso met with Renault there was no competition for him also he was a dirty racer... much like Alonso is becoming

Answer 10

Hey, sit down and have a cold drink, Lewis is being praised to the sky for a reason.
a. He has done what no rookie has ever achieved before.
b. He may well be in a great car ( the best?) but ask other great drivers who had great cars in their first year how hard it is to run up front all the time and I know their reply, bloody hard!
c.He has been groomed by Mclaren but the skill is his own , look at his performances in GP2 last year, just stunning!
d One man who's opinion I respect is Martin Brundle a great driver in his day and now TV commentator for ITV in the UK, Martin has never been given to the jingoistic comments of the tabloids or so called sports journo's and he rates him highly.

This is probably just what F1 needed after the retirement of Michael a new star etc etc...

Answer 11

hope you feel better now you've had a little rant lol!!!! you feel exactly the same way as my sister and her other half. we can all appreciate what Lewis has done. after all, its not just a question of putting anyone in the best car and they'd automatically win. Lewis still has to be in control and handle the car. i think that if the press hadn't gone into overtime with their OTT coverage then perhaps you might appreciate his achievements too. what people fail to remember is it is a long long time since we Brits had someone so good at a sport, so the press have gone completely overboard with their coverage. he is being compared to greats of old because basically he's the first Brit to have done so well for so long.