Does Hamilton prove it? Car > Driver.

[Ari]

Well?

I, like the next person, was thrilled with Hamiltons result on the weekend. Absolutely fantastic. A podium finish on his first Grand Prix is an incredible milestone.

BUT.

And I say this with all respect, purely for the purpose of discussion.....

Is Hamilton really a better driver than all those who finished behind him?

It kinda highlights just how important the car is these days. With a good car all you need to do is be consistant and finish the race. With a mid-field clunker you really don't stand a chance.

Is that what Formula One has become? I guess it has. It happened long ago. Just kinda disappointing.

Agree or disagree?

[tinchote]

It was like that when I first started watching motorsports in 70s. It was probably true even before that. It is usually possible to tell a good driver even if he is driving a bad car. But a driver will be at the front only with a good car.

[rlenis]

Well?

I, like the next person, was thrilled with Hamiltons result on the weekend. Absolutely fantastic. A podium finish on his first Grand Prix is an incredible milestone.

BUT.

And I say this with all respect, purely for the purpose of discussion.....

Is Hamilton really a better driver than all those who finished behind him?

It kinda highlights just how important the car is these days. With a good car all you need to do is be consistant and finish the race. With a mid-field clunker you really don't stand a chance.

Is that what Formula One has become? I guess it has. It happened long ago. Just kinda disappointing.

Agree or disagree?

is this a discovery ? are you new to F1? The coincidence is that the top teams also happen to hire the best drivers for obvious reasons.

[Rollo]

Well?
It kinda highlights just how important the car is these days. With a good car all you need to do is be consistant and finish the race. With a mid-field clunker you really don't stand a chance.

Is that what Formula One has become? I guess it has. It happened long ago. Just kinda disappointing.

Agree or disagree?

In the 1984 Monaco GP during atrociously wet conditions, Murray Walker made the comment that rain was the great leveller and the under normal conditions a race result was about 80% car and 20% driver. This was mentioned as the late Ayrton Senna was charging his way around in the Toleman.
Now 23 years later you've seen the same principle.

The question of whether Hamilton is a better driver is almost entirely misdirected but is the combination of Hamilton/McLaren better than the rest behind him, then obviously yes - he came third.

You are correct, you don't really stand a chance in a mid-field clunker. It's those moments like Olivier Panis' win in the Ligier at Monaco or Hill's drive at the A1-Ring in the Arrows that live long in the memory.

[F1boat]

I think that we must wait and see how will Hamilton advance. Of course that his podium finish is stunning. Naturally, the way he fought with Alonso is spectacular as well. But remember Nico last year. Points finish and fastets lap in race 1, with a Williams this is probably equal to that podium of LH. Kubica also scored podium pretty quickly.
On the other hand Heki struggled. So I think that LH is very, very good driver, but whether he is awesome like Kimi or Alonso, we must wait and see.

[ioan]

...but is the combination of Hamilton/McLaren better than the rest behind him, then obviously yes - he came third.

Well, no! There was at least one car-driver combination that finished behind him and was for sure better.

[Dazz9908]

Well, no! There was at least one car-driver combination that finished behind him and was for sure better.

More car than driver.
Also with Kimi's shumi like demolition of the opposition, Proves the car was the star more than Shumi was.

[V12]

In 1950 if you didn't have an Alfa Romeo you might as well have not bothered turning up - the car has ALWAYS been the most important factor in how well you do - and that will never change.

What impressed me about Hamilton was not that he finished third - with that car and Massa's problems that's where he should have finished - it's the fact he gave Alonso a real headache for about two thirds of the race...

[Ranger]

Unfortunately, like Montoya, we'll probably never see Hamilton in anything other than a top team.

The fact that he was so quick compared to Alonso is the tell-tale fact here. So it's a good mix of both.

[Ian McC]

Firstly you have to look at what he has done before, Hamiliton is a proven race winner, then compare him against his team mate in the race. He certainly held his own against FA and at some points edged him.

It's the same with most motorsport, you need the best car to win, even in single make series you see some teams are better at set up than others.