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Who do you think will win the title?  

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What a breath of fresh air Lewis Hamilton is, a fantastic start to his F1 career, lets hope he can keep it up.

 

He certainly is.

 

I can't say I am surprised at what he's achieved. If you have watched his career... I don't think I have ever seen anyone so determined coming up through the ranks. The last I can remember like that was Senna.

 

He has the potential to be as good and what's more, he's showing it.

 

I am a bit tired of his performance being feted as the Second Coming. He is a very good driver in a very good car. And will the media shut the fuck up about him being the joint leader in the Championship? He might be level on points, but he's third behind Alonso (leader) and Raikkonen. The countback rules are quite clear :razz:

Agreed there was an article in one of the papers last week describing him as one of the all-time greats. He's not even won a race yet ffs.

 

One of the things about him that has most impressed me (other than his ability behind the wheel) is his unruffled style and modesty. He seems very pleasant and down to earth in a world of super-egos.

 

;)

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What a breath of fresh air Lewis Hamilton is, a fantastic start to his F1 career, lets hope he can keep it up.

 

He certainly is.

 

I can't say I am surprised at what he's achieved. If you have watched his career... I don't think I have ever seen anyone so determined coming up through the ranks. The last I can remember like that was Senna.

 

He has the potential to be as good and what's more, he's showing it.

 

I am a bit tired of his performance being feted as the Second Coming. He is a very good driver in a very good car. And will the media shut the fuck up about him being the joint leader in the Championship? He might be level on points, but he's third behind Alonso (leader) and Raikkonen. The countback rules are quite clear :razz:

Agreed there was an article in one of the papers last week describing him as one of the all-time greats. He's not even won a race yet ffs.

 

One of the things about him that has most impressed me (other than his ability behind the wheel) is his unruffled style and modesty. He seems very pleasant and down to earth in a world of super-egos.

 

;)

Your point?

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He has now ;)

 

Amazing Grand Prix today, reminded me why I love the sport and put up with the dross to get those one or two brilliant races a season. Hamilton winning was fantastic but the icing on the cake was watching Sato put one on Fat Neck Fernando right at the end.

 

I hope Kubica is okay and all he's got is a broken leg, that was a horrifying crash.

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He has now ;)

 

Amazing Grand Prix today, reminded me why I love the sport and put up with the dross to get those one or two brilliant races a season. Hamilton winning was fantastic but the icing on the cake was watching Sato put one on Fat Neck Fernando right at the end.

 

I hope Kubica is okay and all he's got is a broken leg, that was a horrifying crash.

Totally agree, Fantastic and entertaining race. Superb performance by Hamilton. I expected Kubica to be seriously hurt after that accident, looked a real nasty one.

 

Shame the post-race had to be cut short for Coronation Street.

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He has now ;)

 

Amazing Grand Prix today, reminded me why I love the sport and put up with the dross to get those one or two brilliant races a season. Hamilton winning was fantastic but the icing on the cake was watching Sato put one on Fat Neck Fernando right at the end.

 

I hope Kubica is okay and all he's got is a broken leg, that was a horrifying crash.

 

Agreed, and that crash was horrific, amazing he only suffered a broken leg.

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Yep, I have to admit I got that gut feeling too, especially from the way his head was lolling - hard to forget the Ratzenberger/Senna weekend even now. Then again, with the benefit of hindsight, his head would be lolling if he was temporarily unconscious and trapped in an F1 car on its side... ;)

 

Delighted to hear his injuries aren't too serious. You've got to pay credit to the designers of the cars mind, I'm sure it's not coincidence that it was specifically the driver's section that survived intact.

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Am I the only one who is seriously pissed off at the way they shunted the coverage off the screen to make way for Coronation Street?

 

I just complained here and suggest that anyone else who is annoyed do so to. Pathetic.

 

http://www.itv-f1.com/ContactUs.aspx

 

Hello,

 

I simply cannot believe that on a day that will go down in British motorsport (and indeed world motorsport) history your channel felt the urge to cut the coverage short to show Coronation Street. The most exciting thing to happen in British motorsport for years and you didn't even show qualifying live, something I have been told was equally exciting.

 

If you are unable to, or can't be bothered to continue the coverage (in particular the press conference) to a very excited public then please feel free to pass the it back to the BBC or even Sky.

 

Yours Sincerely,

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Am I the only one who is seriously pissed off at the way they shunted the coverage off the screen to make way for Coronation Street?

 

I just complained here and suggest that anyone else who is annoyed do so to. Pathetic.

 

http://www.itv-f1.com/ContactUs.aspx

 

Hello,

 

I simply cannot believe that on a day that will go down in British motorsport (and indeed world motorsport) history your channel felt the urge to cut the coverage short to show Coronation Street. The most exciting thing to happen in British motorsport for years and you didn't even show qualifying live, something I have been told was equally exciting.

 

If you are unable to, or can't be bothered to continue the coverage (in particular the press conference) to a very excited public then please feel free to pass the it back to the BBC or even Sky.

 

Yours Sincerely,

 

Spot on Hugh, I feel exactly the same and have sent a similar email.

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The way the car vaulted into the wall then rolled as it broke up reminded me very much of Greg Moore's fatal crash in Indycars a few years ago.

 

Reminded me scarily of Gilles' fatal accident too but yeah, I can see the comparisons with Moore's accident. It wasn't so much the impact but the fact that the energy didn't seem to dissipate. Was pretty sure he was going to be in a bad way but to hear that he was talking within minutes was very, very welcome news.

 

Reports this morning are suggesting that all he has is a sprained ankle and that the leg isn't actually broken. If that's true, he's a very lucky lad.

 

Oh and can I take this opportunity to point out what a couple of retards Massa and Fisichella are?? If the light is red, you stay where you are..........muppets!

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Oh and can I take this opportunity to point out what a couple of retards Massa and Fisichella are?? If the light is red, you stay where you are..........muppets!

My memory could be playing tricks with me here, but am I right in saying that Kubica waited at the red light while they actually passed him and went through it? If so, not only does that make them even bigger muppets, but you could argue it'd explain Kubica being pretty wound up in the subsequent laps if he felt he'd been unjustly overtaken, hence overdoing it a bit and crashing. I'm not saying Massa and Fisichella would need to have a guilty conscience if the outcome of the accident had been worse, but I do wonder if they're breathing a little sigh of relief...

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Kubica was waiting at the light but I doubt very much their antics bothered him. They passed a red light - doesn't matter if it's faulty intrumentation and should have been green or not, it was red which means do not pass.

 

Would love to have been a fly on the wall when they had to explain it to their respective teams. That one is totally down the the driver in my view.

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Fisi is claiming he was too focused on passing Kubica to notice the light. Whereas Massa isn't even bothering to make excuses, saying he just didn't look. ;)

 

Fisi needs his super-licence tearing up then, he's an absolute fucking disgrace :D

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Good piece on Hamilton from yesterdays Telegraph, prior to his win.

Hamilton finds fame can be a rough ride

 

By James Mossop in Montreal, Sunday Telegraph

Last Updated: 11:06pm BST 09/06/2007

 

How to keep one foot on the accelerator and two feet on the ground: unless Lewis Hamilton becomes the original three-legged man of Formula One that is the issue beginning to tax him. He swept to the first pole of his career yesterday ahead of today's Canadian Grand Prix in a burst of speed that was stunning.

 

Fame is chasing him everywhere. His speed and fluency in a Grand Prix car have catapulted him from unknown to that unforgiving pigeon-hole reserved for public-property celebrities.

 

His leap to the joint-leadership of the drivers' championship in the McLaren-Mercedes has brought him accolades from all around the world. Every time he moves in the paddock here he is engulfed by an unedifying scrum of all nationalities carrying cameras, notebooks and recorders. If he pulls up at traffic lights in his road car back in England he attracts more attention than the red, amber and green.

 

He wants to be normal, just another 22-year-old dropping into the local Woking pizza parlour and playing golf at such a scrubber's level that when you ask him his handicap he laughs out loud.

 

Being an Ordinary Joe has become impossible but he manages to remain polite and understanding and his welcoming greeting in the sanctuary of the McLaren accommodation in the paddock is sincere.

 

He says: "I don't want people thinking I'm an arse. At the moment I think I am dealing with everything quite well. I am still managing, I hope, to balance it all and stay focused on the weekend, which is the key.

 

"I don't know whether I was born to fame. I was born to race and to win. The fame side of it isn't something I particularly enjoy though some parts are cool and you just have to enjoy it.

 

"It would be nice to do all the racing and win and then disappear to a normal life. I am only five races into the season and it is gradually getting worse and worse.

 

"I am going to be around for a long time so at some time it will get really bad and I'll just have to learn to deal with it. I am sure I will.

 

"I accept being public property. It would be cool to do without it but some parts are really good."

 

Perhaps the most exciting event in his off-track life so far, he says, was meeting the American singer Beyonce last weekend. "Things like that wouldn't happen if I wasn't a racing driver. I wouldn't have had the chance to meet her and other great people. I have also had the opportunity to build relationships with legendary racing figures such as Sir Jackie Stewart and Sir Stirling Moss.

 

"All of this happens because I am a racing driver. It's all different. It was cool to meet Sir Jackie but it was wicked to meet Beyonce," he said with heavy emphasis on the wicked.

 

"She is serious, incredible and beautiful. She invited me to her concert at Wembley. I sat in the crowd and people began to notice me and it was getting a bit wild. Fortunately I had my cousin's boyfriend with me. He's a huge Nigerian guy so he stood up and made out to be a bouncer."

 

As we talked, a Brazilian lady stepped in to tell him he was famous in her country and that he had been dubbed Robinho because of his resemblance to the Brazil and Real Madrid football star.

 

He thought for a moment, and said: "I find it surprising and overwhelming. I didn't know I was popular in Brazil. I hope I can be a good role model for youngsters there. I feel I can identify with them."

 

Ahead of today's race on the Ile de Notre Dame, Hamilton has had five podium finishes in five races with four second places and one third. There was some controversy in the last race in Monaco when "team strategy" rather than "team orders" (what's the difference?) decreed that he stay behind his team-mate and world champion, Fernando Alonso.

 

He let it be known he was unhappy but now he has had two weeks of contemplation and a few defusing words from team principal Ron Dennis he is happy to address the situation differently.

 

He remembered the years of learning under the McLaren banner and the encouragement Dennis offered when he was anxious about driving the top cars before his time.

 

Did he feel indebted to Dennis after all? He said: "I wouldn't say indebted but there is a saying that goes 'never bite the hand that feeds you'. We have respect for each other and I am racing for his team. If it were not for him I would not have been racing these last few years. If I do a good job then I pay him back with success."

 

He will also begin to earn vast wages and, perhaps as David Coulthard suggested, buy himself a jet, a yacht, a place in Monaco and all the other accoutrements of F1 celebrity. "I haven't been earning money for years," he said, referring to his time at the McLaren academy. "I am getting decent money now but I haven't spent a dime. Nor thought of it.

 

"I love driving the road car Mercedes have given me and I enjoy going out on my bike as part of my training."

 

Further down the paddock Jenson Button was wondering when his Honda team might give him a competitive racing car to drive. His best finish so far this season is 11th; his best qualifying position is 10th.

 

He has been assured that by the time the circus arrives in Magny Cours for the French Grand Prix on July 1 he will be piloting an improved vehicle.

 

It should mean that he will go to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix a week later with a new kind of confidence. He loves the track. It is full of memories, especially the surge of support for him when he made his debut in 2000.

 

But the joy of this year's race should be the appearance for his home debut of the exciting Lewis Hamilton. A wave of mania not seen since the fans invaded the track after Nigel Mansell's win in 1992 may be about to break out.

 

www.telegraph.co.uk/mossop

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McLaren favour Hamilton - Alonso

World champion Fernando Alonso believes his McLaren team are giving preference to his rookie team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

 

The Spaniard had misgivings about his position as soon as he joined the team at the end of last season, he told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.

 

"From the first moment, I wasn't comfortable with everything," he said.

 

"It's an English team, with an English team-mate. You know all the help goes his way. I've understood that from the start and I'm not moaning about it."

 

Alonso, who won the world title with Renault in 2005 and 2006, is eight points behind Hamilton in the championship following the Englishman's maiden victory in Canada on Sunday.

 

Alonso finished seventh in Montreal after falling foul - through no fault of his own - of a new rule forbidding drivers to pit in the initial stages of the safety car being deployed.

 

I know there is some impatience for the way I arrived and how I am expected to dominate

 

Although Alonso has won two races to Hamilton's one, Hamilton has been more consistent and has finished on the podium in each of the first six races.

 

But Alonso insists he has a strong chance of winning a third consecutive world title.

 

"I'm relaxed," Alonso said. "I'm good, though I know there is some impatience for the way I arrived and how I am expected to dominate.

 

"I'm where I want to be and I have clear options for winning the title, which is what we want."

 

Alonso's remarks come just over two weeks after he won the Monaco Grand Prix, when his team ordered Hamilton not to challenge him in the closing stages of the race.

 

In the wake of that decision, and before his victory in Canada, Hamilton said he would not stay long at a team he felt was favouring his team-mate.

 

Lewis Hamilton passes Fernando Alonso after the Spaniard makes a mistake at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix

 

Alonso has made uncharacteristic mistakes at the start of two of the last three races, but Renault driver Heikki Kovalainen, who worked with Alonso last year, does not believe the 26-year-old is feeling the strain of Hamilton's brilliant debut season.

 

"He's not feeling the pressure," Kovalainen told BBC Sport.

 

"I don't think Lewis has any impact on him. Fernando is mentally very tough and is still one of the top guys.

 

"He pushes very hard for the win every race and mistakes can happen when you race like that.

 

"Yes, he made might have made a mistake in Barcelona and one in Canada, and because they have happened in a short period of time it looks very dramatic, but I don't think it affects him.

 

"He is going to be very strong, fighting for the championship for sure."

 

Hadaway and shite, man Fat Neck. Didn't you always get the preferable fuel strategy until the Monaco GP? The same GP that Hamilton was told not to overtake you?

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