Best era of F1 ?

[zako85]

Basically Lewis is saying, that he wants to be competing in a car which gets its butt kicked every week and were the sport is dominated by someone else. Maybe the MB is the best place for him after all

I thought the same thing. It's funny. If Senna and Prost were driving the only McLarens, what would Hamilton be driving in the era, and against whom would he be competing? But then I remembered that Hamilton was a poster child of McLaren, so surely he thinks he would have gotten a McLaren seat in the 80s.

[zako85]

I've read the article in the top post and I also read it in the paper yesterday. I didn't think it deserved the over sensational tone you were trying to give it though. Its sounded sarcastic for no good reason which is why I said 'Huh?'.

Once I saw "a man out of his time", I thought my (or any other) sarcasm was certainly justified. Who in his right mind think that Hamilton is out of his time? Newspapers? He himself? I don't know.

[henners88]

I thought the same thing. It's funny. If Senna and Prost were driving the only McLarens, what would Hamilton be driving in the era, and against whom would he be competing? But then I remembered that Hamilton was a poster child of McLaren, so surely he thinks he would have gotten a McLaren seat in the 80s.

It might also be that he just made a comment like any lad would about wanting to drive in F1 in a chosen era. I used to say I'd love to be an F1 driver but nobody over analysed my youthful statement and pointed out all the technical details as to why I couldn't or responded negatively. This particular interview was a light hearted discussion and this comment was made with very dreamy ideals. Its hardly a revelation or something that deserves any level of criticism. All the top drivers have said at some point they would have loved to have raced alongside Senna or Prost. Hamilton just appears to be more popular than the rest of them and gets a thread dedicated to him whenever he gives an opinion, which is nice.

PS: The quoted article on this thread is a lot shorter than the article I read in a newspaper yesterday and only contains a fraction of the interview. Perhaps its things like this that lead to fans jumping on the bandwagon a little too quickly?

[Ranger]

If we are looking at the depth of driving talent of the entire field, 2012 was just about as good as it gets.

[Koz]

I feel sad for Hamilton. It is such a drag to have to compete against the substandard drivers of 21st century. He has defeated them all by now and is dying from boredom. What a tragedy.

Sarcasm is very hard to detect on the interwebs.

[Koz]

If we are looking at the depth of driving talent of the entire field, 2012 was just about as good as it gets.

I say the last 6-or so years we have had the greatest amount of talent and professionalism we have ever seen on the grid.
This year however there has been a significant drop.

[Rollo]

I thought the same thing. It's funny. If Senna and Prost were driving the only McLarens, what would Hamilton be driving in the era, and against whom would he be competing? But then I remembered that Hamilton was a poster child of McLaren, so surely he thinks he would have gotten a McLaren seat in the 80s.

Not bloody likely.

Raikkonen was brought to Ferrari as Schumacher's replacement on $51m at the time, which meant that Alonso was brought in to replace him.
Hamilton was brought in to replace PDLR who in turn replaced Montoya. Quite frankly, the fact that Lewis even challenged Alonso was odd, as think that not even Ron Dennis originally saw him as anything other than a number two.

If Hamilton thinks that he would have knocked either Senna or Prost out of those seats, then he is delusional. Maybe in 1990 in lieu of Berger but certainly not in 1988 to replace Johansson because Senna was to be honest, quite brilliant.

[dj_bytedisaster]

Not bloody likely.

Raikkonen was brought to Ferrari as Schumacher's replacement on $51m at the time, which meant that Alonso was brought in to replace him.
Hamilton was brought in to replace PDLR who in turn replaced Montoya. Quite frankly, the fact that Lewis even challenged Alonso was odd, as think that not even Ron Dennis originally saw him as anything other than a number two.

Lewis was a McLaren protegé since his early karting days. I think he was 13 when they gave him his first contract. He was groomed to be McLarens next big star since childhood, so I don't think they brought him in as a number two.

[Rollo]

He was groomed to be McLarens next big star since childhood, so I don't think they brought him in as a number two.

Remember, Alonso was the defending double World Champion when Lewis was stepped up.

Hamilton's F1 drive is a dream come true - Motor Racing - Sport - The Independent
Yesterday, Dennis made Hamilton's teenage dream come true when he confirmed that the 21-year-old from Tewin, in Hertfordshire, will drive for the revamped McLaren-Mercedes team in the 2007 Formula One world championship, alongside the title holder, Fernando Alonso.

What is the likely story here? Hamilton would be equal number one with a defending double World Champion without himself raced in F1 before?

[dj_bytedisaster]

What is the likely story here? Hamilton would be equal number one with a defending double World Champion without himself raced in F1 before?

Well, when Senna joined McLaren his team mate was a double world champion with McLaren already. Didn't stop him from challenging him and neither did it stop McLaren from allowing him to do so. So why shouldn't Lewis have been allowed to in 2007. McLaren never had a #1/#2 hierarchy.