F-1

[Mr9146]

Damn, that Lewis Hamilton kid is fast!!

Back to back wins in his rookie season. Leading the points!!

[Chuck Miller]

Hey Marco....

I just learned that unlike the US, that starts our 'Cadet Class' karting kids at 7 years old, the Europeans and South Americans start their 'Infant Class' at 4...

Hamilton started winning his karting championships around the same time he was learning to 'wipe' ... and his last before he was old enough to drive a car...

... and the rest is history that HE'S writing every week.....

[911pcars]

And he purportedly signed a driver development contract with McClaren when he was 13 years old.

I was struggling to put my pants on correctly at that age. Amazing driver. Two in a row. Let's see what happens in France.

Sherwood

[Mr9146]

I loved the drag race down the straight with Alonso. Hamilton just kept his foot in it and made Alonoso make a move ... which he couldn't. It showed great maturity that he didn't throw a block, either. He just plain outdrove the defending champ.

F-1 is looking great this year.

Oh, and I heard mention that traction control is going to go the way of the Dodo next season. This year they limited the RPMs to 19K and next year they're gonna make the drivers drive; the future is bright for Formula 1. I still think they need to have more than one tire manufacturer, though.

[911pcars]

Is it the end of the road for Ralf? $20mil/yr. contract; takes out Barricello, Coulthardt and himself on C1/L1 (corner 1, lap 1). Goes to show that it sometimes takes a $500 mil annual budget to match the likes of Spyker and Aguri Suzuki.

Sherwood

[Bernie B]

and next year they're gonna make the drivers drive;

Now there is a novel concept...

[Chuck Miller]

And hopefully they'll make all the rules more straight forward and simple...

When it takes 3 racing buddies to help me figure out all the fuel/tire/RPM - engine usage/ and pit stop rules to me, someone who's INTO IT... something is wrong...

Just think how many Americans their losing who can't make heads or tails of it... and won't care.....

[silver911]

And he purportedly signed a driver development contract with McClaren when he was 13 years old.

I was struggling to put my pants on correctly at that age. Amazing driver. Two in a row. Let's see what happens in France.

Sherwood

No purportedly about it...he has been a McLad since he was 13.. that's nine years he and the team have had to get to know each other.. to let each other know how they like things done and so forth...which in this 'knife edge' advantage game is the difference between winning and being in second place.

I certainly enjoy his winning ways but it should not come as a massive surprise. I hope his season is unmarred by mechanical reliability iusses and accidents and we see a real battle to the end...good as he is he will make mistakes...and I hope it brings the Championship down to who wins the last race...what a novelty that would be...

[ttweed]

It showed great maturity that he didn't throw a block, either.

I couldn't believe Derek Daly's commentary at that point, accusing him of blocking on Alonzo! They should put a sock in that guy's mouth, sometimes. As far as I could tell, Lewis made just the one (permitted) move to take away the inside line going into turn 1 and make Alonzo go around the outside, which he couldn't accomplish. It looked like hard, clean, smart racing to me.

Hamilton's abilities and accomplishments come as no surprise to anyone who watched him in GP2 last year. Ron Dennis and McLaren have very carefully nurtured and developed his skills over the years to make him the most outstanding F1 rookie in history. Instead of the disaster that was predicted for McLaren after letting Kimi go to Ferrari, it is looking like a masterstroke of strategy.

That Sebastian Vettel kid is looking pretty racey too, taking over Kubica's seat at the tender age of 19 and scoring a point in his first race.

TT