So... the question everyone is thinking...

[ringo]

hmm.. difficult to say, so much depends on the Car. If they have the best car they'll probably end up doing 1-2s all the time, but I expect Hamilton to consistently qualify better, but we'll see how the races play out. Next year should tell if Hamilton is the tire burner he is made out to be and if Jenson is Mr Smooth. Very interesting!

Edit: Hamilton 1.25:1 got my vote. The worse the car, the bigger the marginal I think.

Well we need to see how next year tyres perform. Button is smooth but he always has an undesteer problem and tire warming issue. These can be critical in the first few laps with Alonso and Massa on your gear box. Hamilton is an on and off tire burner, The races next year will be the same as this year in terms of tire management, maybe more forgiving as the car gets lighter. But this is just an idea, i guess we have to wait to Australia and Bahrain too see what's up with the Mp4 25 as you say.

[lebesset]

I think that anyone who is an impartial observer [ not many of those about ] would agree that hamilton is the quickest driver currently in F1 , by a margin now ...he was as quick as alonso in his rookie year ; but there is more than being fast , a champion has to be consistant as well

but the old adage is ...to finish first , first you have to finish , and there are none better than button at that ! so I think hamilton is going to have a lot more competition than he thinks , a team-mate easier on tyres AND fuel , on a different strategy ; and don't forget button now has the monkey off his back , with a contract which could be for the rest of his career , if that is what he wants [ at a guess the real reason he left brawn who wouldn't give it to him ]

the greatest driver I ever saw was jim clark who could drive the car at 99% all the time ; on one occasion he punctured and lost a lap , then drove at 100% until he overtook the entire field ...only to run out of fuel on the last lap because he never used that amount normally , a huge advantage



and even mugabe wouldn't regard this poll as fair

[tarzoon]

WTF?!?!?!

Why can't Button score more than Hamilton?

This poll is completely biased

[ringo]

I think that anyone is an impartial observer [ not many of those about ] would agree that hamilton is the quickest driver currently in F1 , by a margin now ...he was as quick as alonso in his rookie year ; but there is more than being fast , a champion has to be consistant as well

but the old adage is ...to finish first , first you have to finish , and there are none better than button at that ! so I think hamilton is going to have a lot more competition than he thinks , a team-mate easier on tyres AND fuel , on a different strategy ; and don't forget button now has the monkey off his back , with a contract which could be for the rest of his career , if that is what he wants [ at a guess the real reason he left brawn who wouldn't give it to him ]

the greatest driver I ever saw was jim clark who could drive the car at 99% all the time ; on one occasion he punctured and lost a lap , then drove at 100% until he overtook the entire field ...only to run out of fuel on the last lap because he never used that amount normally , a huge advantage



and even mugabe wouldn't regard this poll as fair

Hamilton's finishing record is pretty amazing actually. And the easier on tyres thing is not what it seems to be. They need to be in the same car first, and i can't quite remembering Lewis complaining of tyre wear as much as his team mate Heiki. Easier on fuel is not very clear, the team constantly monitors these things and can tell the driver when to turn down the mix. For next year the one who burns off fuel weight the hardest, when needs, be will be victorious, it sounds counter intuitive.
Button is one to watch for sure, I can see him making the best of his car, though i can't see him outpacing or being more consistent in lap times than Lewis.He will at some point triumph in terms of avoiding altercations on track since a,t least ,he has the experience to deal with pesky Massa and Alonso.

[Giblet]

Hamilton is hard on his tires, that is not conjecture.

Who else smokes the inside front at almost every corner? He's very quick, but he is harder on his tires than some other drivers, namely Jenson.

[kilcoo316]

Why can't Button score more than Hamilton?

Because compared to Hamilton he is absolutely sh!t.


This poll is completely logical.



If you want, I can bring it back up at the end of the 2010 season to make some people look very silly?

[Giblet]

Yeah, we are the silly ones, because we want a fair and unbiased poll

[axle]

Reported thread for its unbalanced nature. I don't like 1 sided discussions.

[toshinden]

nice thread ......... for Hamilton's fans

[zgred]

Why can't Button score more than Hamilton?

Because compared to Hamilton he is absolutely sh!t.
This poll is completely logical.
If you want, I can bring it back up at the end of the 2010 season to make some people look very silly?

Yeach, I feel that too. Moreover I am very happy that he made this mistake because we will be able to compare situation to Alonso-Hamilton little war, suggestions about unfair treatment and finally it will be hint about real winner of 2009 season – car or human. But the way You constructed this pool does not encourage to discussion. This board and site is neutral and even if You are proposing subject that criticize driver and make comparison to other one there should be room for opinions and poll results from other side. Otherwise soon Ciro will move this thread to “The "Fanboy Ying Yang" thread”.

[ringo]

At least give the option to select Button as being the to outscore Hamilton 2:1
His fans are now team Mclaren, they have dreams too!

I can see how it would feel if i was rooting for Jenson.

[lebesset]

I don't think that turning down the fuel is going to be much of an option next year ringo , starting the race with enough fuel to last the race is going to be a pretty good idea

and in any case it also means slow down !

[ringo]

Hamilton is hard on his tires, that is not conjecture.

Who else smokes the inside front at almost every corner? He's very quick, but he is harder on his tires than some other drivers, namely Jenson.

Yes he is, ie when needs be. I am sure he has shown complete control over their performance. About smoking the tyre once in a while (not flat spotting), is there evidence or indication to suggest it reduces performance or life considerably? Just curious.
here is Abu dahbi qualifying, It seems he has found away to lightly lock the tires on limit, while at the same time preventing any severe smoking or flatspots like he used to.

I think he is definitely harder on them than Jenson, Jenson is an extreme case, but i don't see Lewis radioing in complaining he shot the tyres and he has to come in 6 laps before time.
Next year may not necessarily have less pitstops either, we have to see what strategies work best for the cars. The narrower tyres may not necessarily wear quicker either, nor should Lewis' tyre locking directly affect how he performs on them. We may just have to wait and see what happens with these changes.

[ringo]

I don't think that turning down the fuel is going to be much of an option next year ringo , starting the race with enough fuel to last the race is going to be a pretty good idea

and in any case it also means slow down !

Ok, i see, but then the most aggressive fuel burn is the best way to go then, if it means the theoretically most efficient finish is to literally empty the tank as the car crawls into parc ferme.
I have heard of fighter planes dumping fuel behind the engines and burning it off to reduce weight increase their flight ceiling. The driver who gets rid of those pounds without compromising his race should be able to gain a perpetual advantage.

I haven't got any indication if driving styles drastically affect fuel consumption, ideally the throttle and brake pedal should opperate like OR logic gates. Never should their be a moment when one is not used, this is the ideal to maximize time. There are exceptions when the car has to coast around a corner to get the proper line on exit still.
There are so many things the FIA could clarify about this sport, yet they fail to capitalize on the need for knowledge of the fans.

[lebesset]

well actually the optimum strategy is to be able to start the race with a lower fuel load ! starting with the equivalent of a couple of laps less fuel could mean 0.2 secs/lap as well as quicker off the line !

btw , I think there is something not fully appreciated here

this year button was severely disadvantaged by the change to slicks because the front size was unchanged from the previous treaded tyres ; very difficult therefore for a driver with such a smooth style to heat the front tyres on the brawn chassis if the track temperature was cool

next year BIG drop in front tyre size , will be much easier to get up to optimum temperature and also much easier to overheat them as a consequence

jim clark would have loved that ; I suspect the likes of button and heidfeld will as well .....if brawn ends up with nick on board I think rosberg will get a nasty shock ! !

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