Lewis Hamilton.

[petecossie]

I used to be a big fan of LH but in recent years I've got so I can't stand him with all his earrings, tattoos and brads etc. Call me old fashion but I like my racing drivers to be racing drivers not want-to-be pop stars/musicians, fashion icons etc. In the modern era I admit that he is probably the best driver going, mind he is I think the only driver who has been able to stay with one team for the last 6 consecutive seasons so has a distinct advantage of over everybody else in car development. However Max and Charles are really great prospects for the future. Hopefully they have success next season, I just love their raw talent.
I'm also not an advocate of comparing drivers of different eras and saying Lewis Hamilton is better than Ayrton Senna, Stirling Moss, Fangio or Jim Clark etc. Looking at the cars from the older era they were no were near technically comparable to today's cars. Lewis even gets told his brakes or tyres are getting too hot, what power mode to use, it was all seat of the pants stuff in the old days.
Having recently visited Jim Clark's Museum at Duns you can really appreciate what a tremendous driver he was in multiple formats, Grand Prix, rallying, sports cars, saloon cars, Tasman series and Indianapolis 500, all going on at the same time in his career which was unfortunately cut short in the fatal crash in the FJ race at Hockenheim. So to my mind you cannot compare the two drivers from such totally different eras .
Just my opinion of course but we can't all like the same thing, apart from Z3/Z4 cars!!

 

[Ian&Sue]

I agree that you can't really compare drivers from different eras & I'm no fan of the "help" that modern drivers get via technology & radio coms. As for LH's tattoos etc. well it would be a dull world if we were all the same.
Ian.

 

[andyglym]

Mansell once said that you can only be the best of your generation, I agree. However, a number transcend generations. Fangio, Clarke, Stewart, Senna, Schumacher and Hamilton due to their over and above expertise with the machines of their time.

 

[Nodzed]

Mansell once said that you can only be the best of your generation, I agree. However, a number transcend generations. Fangio, Clarke, Stewart, Senna, Schumacher and Hamilton due to their over and above expertise with the machines of their time.

I liked Mansell total p***** out of the car but a gladiator in one

 

[andyglym]

I liked Mansell total p***** out of the car but a gladiator in one

Red 5 w

 

[DelGue]

Next to the great Schuey he's the best in history in my view. All being well he'll go on to surpass the great man. Very few reach his levels of skill and of Those that do fewer still have his mental strength, drive and determination, that's the difference between the very good and the greats. I'd argue that he's one of if not Great Britain's ever sportsman/woman. He, like Schuey, Federer, Woods, Johnson, Lewis, Phelps, Pele etc etc transcend the sporting World.

It's always good coal in the fire to try naming the "best ever". The development of cars, technology, and drivers specializing in one series makes it difficult to campare eras. Are Schumacher and Hamilton, greater than Moss, Fangio, McLaren, Clark or Stewart, who drove sportscar, F1, GT, sedan or what you call Saloon cars? Would Schimac is er. Hamilton, Senna, Prost, or Lauda be as successful as the others, if they suddenly were put in position to drive in series other than F1, without the drivers aids and aerodynamics? Would Fangio or Moss not be as great with today's technology and driver aids? (I think Fangio would have trouble fitting in a modern F1 car, ). I think it is safe to say they would all be very competitive and very close. Having said that, it's clearly obvious the best ever is Moss, my favorite driver of all.

 

[andyglym]

It's always good coal in the fire to try naming the "best ever". The development of cars, technology, and drivers specializing in one series makes it difficult to campare eras. Are Schumacher and Hamilton, greater than Moss, Fangio, McLaren, Clark or Stewart, who drove sportscar, F1, GT, sedan or what you call Saloon cars? Would Schimac is er. Hamilton, Senna, Prost, or Lauda be as successful as the others, if they suddenly were put in position to drive in series other than F1, without the drivers aids and aerodynamics? Would Fangio or Moss not be as great with today's technology and driver aids? (I think Fangio would have trouble fitting in a modern F1 car, ). I think it is safe to say they would all be very competitive and very close. Having said that, it's clearly obvious the best ever is Moss, my favorite driver of all.

It's a great debate for sure. Mansell once said that a driver can only be the best of his era, some logic in that. The stats say that Jim Clarke would be the best ever, all subjective though. Moss, certainly the best never to win a World Champuonship for sure.

 

[Paul Rice]

Always difficult to say the best ever, somewhere along the path of time would be somebody somewhere given the right breaks and money could have been the best. My favourite James Hunt absolutist p***head but very entertaining, oh and 1976 world champion.

 

[DelGue]

It's a great debate for sure. Mansell once said that a driver can only be the best of his era, some logic in that. The stats say that Jim Clarke would be the best ever, all subjective though. Moss, certainly the best never to win a World Champuonship for sure.

I was fortunate, and thrilled, to meet Stirling Moss at the Monterey Historics in the late 90s. I worked Timing and Scoring for the SCCA, who provided all the course workers, fire and safety, and T&S for the event. I was in my mid 50s, and was like a 6 yr old meeting Santa Claus. He was charming, friendly, and very accommodating to us waiting to get an autograph. Everything I hoped he would be.

 

[benf]

Now I dont know a lot about f1, but surly it's all about the car, would Lewis have won all those titles if he had remained loyal with McLaren? or Schumacher with Benetton? I doubt it, stick him in the worst car and see how he goes on

 

[andyglym]

Now I dont know a lot about f1, but surly it's all about the car, would Lewis have won all those titles if he had remained loyal with McLaren? or Schumacher with Benetton? I doubt it, stick him in the worst car and see how he goes on

If you had a level playing field Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen would be at the front. They have the killer edge about them. Hamilton has already proved his skills by winning 3 of his titles in the second best car. He's beat all his team mates comprehensively over a season less Rosberg on 1 occasion where Hamilton had significantly more failures and still only lost by a few points. Generally the best drivers are paid to drive the best cars.

 

[benf]

Never watched a race from start to finish, I've tried but get bored after 10 or so laps, had free tickets to British gp in 98, went with my brother, great day out but couldn't tell you who won it! spent most of the time in the Ferrari hospitality area

 

[andyglym]

Never watched a race from start to finish, I've tried but get bored after 10 or so laps, had free tickets to British gp in 98, went with my brother, great day out but couldn't tell you who won it! spent most of the time in the Ferrari hospitality area

And why not indeed. F1 is not every bodies cup of tea TBF but I love it. Pure racing then Touring cars is the series to watch, tek, power, strategy, tactics and drivers is F1