In 2008 Jenson could hardly buy a point with Honda (and believe me, they paid top dollar); he was labelled “washed up” at the tender age of 28. This season, he has won three out of four grands prix and been praised to the rafters for his “smooth” driving style and maturity.
Well which is it? Car or driver? Was Jenson really that bad, or indeed is he really that good?
The truth is that in F1 the car is the decisive factor. I couldn’t put a percentage on it but if pushed I would say 80 per cent car, 20 per cent driver. Put Lewis Hamilton in a Force India and they still wouldn’t win a race, although they might do a little bit better than they are now.
This dynamic is true of other sports. Ryan Giggs was yesterday named the PFA Player of the Year, but would he have won that title if he had not been playing for Manchester United? Probably not…Â Details
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The Times F1 Debate: Is what Lewis did any worse than Michael Schumacher’s shenanigans at Monaco in ’06?
STOP PRESS! McLaren receive suspended three-race ban
Bearing in mind that McLaren – or Martin Whitmarsh to be precise – will go before the FIA in Paris tomorrow where the team will be punished over the so-called “lie-gate” affair, I thought we should have a go at this comparison.
I was talking to a former Formula One driver about this the other day and he was arguing that what Lewis did in Melbourne and then Kuala Lumpur – deliberately trying to deceive the stewards under the guidance of Dave Ryan to gain third place at the expense of Jarno Trulli – was far less serious in comparison to what Michael did at Rascasse during qualifying in 2006…Â Details
Mercedes doesn’t intent to pull out of Formula One racing despite large first-quarter losses by its parent company and massive cost-saving measures.
Daimler, the parent company, reported a net loss of $1.7 billion in the January-March period compared with a net profit of more than $1.74 billion in the first quarter of 2008.
“We look into our Formula One commitment every year. But even if we dropped out of Formula One now, we wouldn’t be saving a cent because the contracts are long-term,†Daimler’s chief financial officer Bodo Uebber said Tuesday.
Mercedes supplies engines to the McLaren, Brawn and Force India teams…Â Details
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PARIS — Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton’s title defense is in disarray just four races into the season, and things could get worse when his McLaren team faces charges of bringing the sport into disrepute at Wednesday’s hearing in Paris.
Hamilton trails championship leader Jenson Button by 22 points, and could fall further behind if the World Motor Sport Council severely punishes McLaren for lying to race stewards at the Australian Grand Prix last month.
Hamilton could face a race ban or a points deduction — perhaps …Â Details