Exactly. Why anyone would think that comment is some kind of "news" is beyond me.

 

Except that's not what the man said. Don't make the assumption that's what he meant.

As much as I like Alonso, and as much as I despise Ferrari, I wish Hamilton and Alonso would take each other out, and Kimi win the damn thing. Then I'd really have a use for my bag of asterisks.

 

Kimi has merited the title . . .

He's made the fewest mistakes, has the most victories, and IMHO is the only one of the remaining three in contention who has fully conducted himself like a World Champion.

Had it not been for that tough stretch from Barcelona to Indy, he might already have it wrapped up.

 

+1

 

I don't think I'm the one making assumptions here. . .



How SHOULD he have said it so that he could avoid controversy? Seems like you're expecting him to actually go out of his way to clarify that there is no conflict in every statement he makes, a pretty unreasonable expectation if you ask me. He HAD to use we, not Lewis, considering he was talking about pit strategy (when to change tires); unless of course he wanted to imply that the tire mistake was Lewis's fault.

Ron Dennis has ALWAYS supported competition between drivers (fastest driver in practice always gets first choice of pit strategy, regardless of who is the perceived "number one"), this isn't something new this season.

As far as "conducting yourself like a World Champion", I fail to see how Lewis has failed to meet these requirements, short of one brief incident (passing Alonso, which led to the famed "lollypop waiting"). Remember, it was his DAD, not him that complained about his contract. He's a rookie, and he's in position to win a world championship. Its kind of uncharted waters as to how a "rookie world champion" is supposed to act, so I cut him a little slack. The current world champion hasn't exactly set the bar too high. . .

That does suck for Kimi, imagine what he might have been able to do in this years McLaren. I don't think we'd have a driver controversy if he was head to head with Fernando (or Lewis).

 

It's called a Freudian Slip. And Ronny boy went large on it.

 

Familiar with the term, don't believe thats what happened here. I guess I'll simply agree to disagree with you. Everyone is so anxious to jump on the controversy that I think they are hearing what they want to hear in what he said. His comment, in a vacuum (i.e. without the pit blocking incident, stepney-gate and Alonso's blackmailing, etc), is not controversial in the least bit. Obv its not a vacuum, I understand that, I guess its just a question of whether you give the benefit of the doubt to Fernando or Ron.

I happen to think Fernando is a whiny baby, and that Ron and Mclaren are professionals (the first statement is not arguable, the second, one could make a case either way), and thus choose to give it to Ron, but you are obviously free to interpret it how you want, its not 100% clear cut.

 

As much as I like Formula 1 this thread, at times, has a bite to it relative to how I see people treating and reacting to one another. Please take a second, a breath, reread your post before hitting send so that its not perceived as being confrontational with others in the thread. I thought it was about a mutual interest anyway...not about running each other off course.

Mark

 

I agree with you, in part. My impression of Lewis was that he is an exceptional sportsman. I've just been a bit turned off by some of the things that he has said over the past several Grands Prix which I found unnecessary.

It's an abstract thing for me . . . I'm beginning to feel like he's not quite the person that I thought he was, and I found his driving behind the safety car in Japan questionable. Not punishable . . . but immature.

With that said, he has proven himself and although I don't yet rate him on the same tier as Kimi and Fred, I believe that he will be a World Champion.

Kimi, on the other hand, is never rattled by anything, keeps his mouth shut, and simply gets in the car and drives it as fast as he can.

 

Kimi has my interest this year. Hamilton good or bad this next rat has done so welll, but I do think Kimi is the best this season and I think Alonso is an ***-hole.

 

I didn't actually see the Japan race, so I can't speak to that too much, although to argue that the didn't conduct himself well is to argue that there was intent. He IS a rookie, and yo-yoing is a common practice to keep heat in the brakes, particularly in the rain. Perhaps he just took it a bit too far.

I'll grant you, Kimi does a better job at keeping his mouth shut, but almost to a fault if you ask me. I like how Lewis is approachable, yet professional in most of his interviews. Kimi simply refuses to talk to anyone except when he's forced to.

 

Part of my perception is a product of the ITV coverage. ITV is definitely pro-Lewis (as one would imagine), but I have found them balanced.

Anyway, Brundle's reaction to Hamilton's opening laps behind the safety car was to label it a tactic to catch Alonso out. If he is correct . . . there is the "intent"

I did not notice Hamilton stopping and starting so erratically in the latter safety car period following Alonso's crash. In my mind, there was a definite difference . . . although Webber saw it differently!

Anyway, you're right Hami gets credit for being a rookie and don't get me wrong, he's been very impressive on and off the track.

His recent auto-comparisons to Senna and Prost haven't done him any favors, but hopefully his awe for those drivers is such that he doesn't realize how he maybe coming across at times. He was also pretty smug in the post quali press conference for China.

Regarding Kimi . . . LOL . . . but, perhaps the joke is on us. I, especially, could learn a lot from him.

 

He clearly did something questionable, I mean the FIA did investigate the incident, but from the footage I've seen and the commentary I've heard (speed channel), it wasn't THAT bad. The FIA clearly agreed, since they didn't punish him.

Am I the only one who thinks the FIA has actually handled a year full of controversies pretty well?

 

No, I also think they've done a good job.

My only question would be in the financial aspect of McLaren's penalty . . . I thought it was a bit high, but as Flava Flav said . . . "everything is bigger in F1"

 

well, really, they should probably have been banned from the constructors championship in 2008 as well (given that the illegally obtained information is actually more useful to them for 2008 than for 2007), but in the interest of competition, they decided to go for the big $ penalty instead.

 

Cut, you and I rarely agree, but mark this one in red.

Hamilton has had it easy compared to just about every other driver. McLaren has bankrolled his development since he was a kid in karts, and his drives have been handed to him on a silver & black platter. A lot of equally good drivers never had such a sugar daddy as Ron Dennis.

Is he a good driver? Yes he is, but how he has been dealing with the cut-throat reality of F1 has been telling. Some things are not going his way for once.

 

So if/when Alonso leaves McLaren who would you like to see take his seat? I was thinking it would be cool to see Jenson there.

Discuss.

 

I'm stumped! Button's allegedly committed to Honda?

I don't think Rosberg will leave Williams but he must be one of the more attractive candidates and they've been talking about McLaren buying out his contract thus giving Frank a nice financial boost.

Odder possibilities among those looking to be without a drive at the moment:

Piquet, Fisi, Liuzzi, Ralf

Hmm. I just don't yet see those happening.

Perhaps Ron will promote Gary Paffet? McLaren's backing out of the Prodrive arrangement definitely further muddies the scenario.

If Button does find his way to McLaren then who'll take his seat at Honda?

LOL

PS Would love to see Jenson in a competitive car again

 

Actually the money is on Lewis' old mate Heikki Kovalainen.

 

Interesting. I'd not seen any of those reports.

 

I'd be surprised to see Heikki go to McLaren. My guess is McLaren has learned their lesson after this year: it pays to have a definite #2 driver backing a definite #1 driver. I think McLaren would like to get someone like Rubens (but not Rubens himself) who would be a reliable performer with no illusions of competing for the championship himself.

Who would that be? I don't know. If Wurz had performed this year, I think he would have fit the mold.

Or they go with a guy like Sutil who is an up-and-comer, but a few years away from challenging Lewis.

 

Sounds like De La Rosa or Paffet

Considering your point I can't see Button taking a drive as the No. 2 . . . not at this stage of his career.

 

Here's what Peter Windsor had to say about McLaren next year (from ITV.com):

Has Ron Dennis’s credo of giving drivers equal status has been tested to destruction this season?
Yes. As it turned out – and as many of us predicted – McLaren would have been much better off running Hamilton-de la Rosa or Hamilton-Coulthard. I hope this is the sort of balance they will have in the future.

What you need alongside Lewis is a driver who isn’t going to throw his toys out of the pram the instant he is slower than his team-mate – but is nonetheless quick enough to win if Lewis strikes trouble.

A Heikki, for instance – or maybe a 2006-vintage Massa. What you don’t need are Fernandos or (dare I say it) Nicos.

We hear rumours of an Alonso/Kovalainen swap deal for 2008. Would that make sense for all concerned?
Probably, although Fernando needs to think about why he left Renault in the first place...Heikki, meanwhile, is exactly the right driver to race alongside Lewis at McLaren.

 

I'm saying who would you like to see? Not who will we see but that's a good discussion also.

BTW: BMW F1 Coming to Vegas

 

I would like to see Jensen go to McLaren.

2 Brits on a British team would be perfect for them.

Well-spoken for the McLaren PR that Ron Dennis demands.