The gauntlet has been thrown !

 

One small example: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle4806012.ece

"Hamilton possibly overstepped the mark when he boasted in response to another question from Tozzi: “I'm a racing driver. I've been racing since I was eight years old and I know pretty much every single manoeuvre in the book and that's why I'm the best at my job.”"

If that's not arrogance, then Oxford needs to change the definition in the dictionary.

 

Hmmmmmm.....what was the question from Tozzi ? Perhaps he asked "Why are you the best at your job" for instance.......sounds a whole lot different when you hear it that way doesn't it ?

Believe nothing that you read and only half of what you see......

I'm sorry Gromit that's not enough to convince me he's arrogant or whatever, the interviews where I have seen him asked a question and heard his response paints a different picture than arrogant.

 

Spitfire, I'm with you. I haven't seen evidence to the indicate that Lewis is other than a confident, well-mannered young man who is thankful for what he has been given whether it be opportunity or talent.

Gromit... I'm willing to read another example if you'd like to provide it but your previous one just isn't swaying my opinion.

 

Gromit, thank you for the opportunity to catch the read. The quote from Hamilton was interesting. Yes, I too would have liked to know the question that precipitated the remark. In addition I would liked to hear his tone of voice when he said it. It could have been "tongue-in-cheek" for all we know.

Furthermore, I'm going to concur with STLMINI and SpitfireM1, the one quote does not a personality make.

IMO we have a 23 year old thrust into a court room battle which was overtly biased. The judges in the court were the tools of an overtly corrupt organization, and he was being cross examined by an attorney from Ferrari (that speaks volumes in and of itself). This was not a case of McLaren vs Ferrari, it was McLaren vs the FIA and the Stewards of the SPA race. I should think that maybe a Ferrari witness could and would be called to the stand but NOT a Ferrari attorney doing CX - that just boggles the mind. I'm not sure if I could even have handled the pressure at that age. I am sure that I would have treated any attempt by a Ferrari attorney to cross examine me with utter contempt. Based upon what little I've read, Hamilton handled it with aplumb and tact, something I could not have done - least not at that age.

Finally, in an earlier post you stated that your opinion of Hamilton goes back two years. Well since the spa debacle is only a few weeks old take me back, if you will, to when you first soured on Hamilton. Believe me, I'm NOT looking for an argument, and I'm not really trying to protect the man. In reading your posts I've come to respect your knowledge, your articulation, and your opinions. I was a bit surprised with the "McBrat" characterization and if there is more than I'm seeing, I'd like to know it.

 

Personally, I like all the drivers, they all drive with passion, even the Schu did, I always thought Mika was as cold as an icecube till that scene of him weeping....real heart touching moment, my respect for him grew in leaps and bounds

 

I must admit I don't like all the drivers. Schumacher was sooooo good that F1 became almost as boring as he was consistent. He pulled one stunt in Monaco a few years back which I thought was fairly petty, and there were a few others, but even though I've never really been a fan of his I believe he was, and is, the greatest F1 driver of all time. Could he have been as good with another marque? I believe so, he was that good.

There is however this one driver from the Iberian Peninsula who pulled a real boner in the pits last year, and when caught thought it was no big deal. I'm not fan . . . and that's a fact. With MUCH restraint I shant call him names.

 

Gromit, you are assuming that he was quoted correctly.

My daughter gave an interview in connection with the Ms. Wheelchair America pageant (which she, a MINI owner, won!). At any rate, what came out in print was so far from what she had said that it was laughable. For example, she said she loved to watch her father race Formula Vees. How? In utero? Nope--I hadn't even met the man yet!

We have, on the other hand, had commentary from the talking heads at the races. Things to the effect that he always thanked his crew, especially when he'd made a mistake and didn't finish. I'm much more likely to believe them, especially when he does it on camera, and also at post-race interviews.

 

I guess what I'm getting at is unlike NASCAR fans and their drivers, I don't actually hate them like some of those NASCAR fans feel about the others. I would imagine that some of them in person (F1 drivers) are real a-holes but who knows......

Funny I recall someone saying Lewis threw a tantrum after hitting Kimi in the chuff in Montreal yet I see in an issue of Autoweek a huge fist fight going on between two drivers.......just like bein' at the bar, girls, beer and fightin'

Ye ha !

 

Well let's see. English speaking driver talking to the BBC. Yep, I gotta think there were no misunderstandings.

 

Next weekends attire :

 

 

Standard engines?

Howett warns Mosley: Toyota to exit F1 for standard engines

 

Why do they keep pushing F1 into NASCAR ? What I love about F1 is the amazing engineering and development of technology ! Exactly what it is supposed to be ! Let the Mfg's do their thing ! It would be nice to see the return of turbo V-6's, smaller displacement V-12's and that sort of thing

 

GP2 will become the new F1 at the rate things are going.

 

Keep your fingers crossed:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/231020...opeful-gp.html

Now, if we can get Tony George to attend some of these meetings...

 

Gee--we haven't had many kablammos this season. Remember the good old days? To make it more fun for the fans, now we'll have:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/231020...m-s-unity.html

 

Ferrari to pull out if standard engines are mandated!

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...27190223.shtml

"Ferrari's Board of Directors has declared its intention to reconsider the company's involvement in Formula One if the controversial standard engine and transmission option proposed by FIA President Max Mosley ever comes into effect with the 2010 season"

 

I doubt there will be standardized engines in F1. The whole thing is just a bunch of posturing to gain an upper hand in negotiations for rules changes.

 

Take the rule book for car development and flush it ! Let them go at it ! It would be outrageous to see an F1 car with traction control, active suspension, better brakes, slicks and non-natural induction !

Make the challenge to be green ! Give an emissions standard and a fuel consumption standard and see what happens

 

Maybe Ferrari wants to be the engine supplier?

 

Wouldn't that be dull ?

 

Not necessarily. It would highlight the drivers, just as the other changes have done. There aren't that many engine failures as it is. (Just critical ones!)

I do think it would be a huge mistake for engine development to stop, just like the 5-year rule is/was a mistake. F1 should be the leader in car development.

 

I think the same engine deal goes beyond the theory of "the better driver" since there are so many variables that would cause one car to be faster than another. Two engines of the same most likely will never put out exactly the same power. Crap, if you think turn one is tight now !

F1 should remain, open engine - open chassis

If they change I surely have plenty of other things to do with my time.

 

Yep, plus I was reading an article today reminding people there've been times when sports car racing was more popular than F1.....works for me.