Why hamilton is so good at overtaking

[vall]

is there statistics of the overtakes for 2007-2009?

[raymondu999]

While I do admit that Hamilton is an overtaking demon, there is something I've noticed of late. Whenever he's close to the next car, he goes for it (or tries to anyways). While this is a desirable quality, this leaves him constantly in traffic, dirty air, and with less downforce most of the time, and he then burns out his tyres easily. He burnt them out behind Kubica in Abu Dhabi, there were the various no grip messages in 2009, and in 2010 behind the ferraris in melbourne, and also behind Hulkenberg in brazil 2010 etc.

[PlatinumZealot]

His closing laps are still astonishingly quick though. Maybe he can still drive fast on worn tyres? He has a good feel they say.

[snowy]

is there statistics of the overtakes for 2007-2009?

Perhaps:

http://www.cliptheapex.com/community/forums/statistics/

[PlatinumZealot]

I cannot access the page can you copy the data over here please?

[irishbore]

A. He is usually in a car capable of winning races

B. He does have the natural ability to be on the limit immediately rather than some drivers having to build up to it.

C. he never gives up even to his detriment.

I was at Club at British GP and caught this clip on the last lap with Massa which shows why. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmK8BgEOauI

[HampusA]

Crazy feel for brakes aswell.

[beelsebob]

A. He is usually in a car capable of winning races

B. He does have the natural ability to be on the limit immediately rather than some drivers having to build up to it.

C. he never gives up even to his detriment.

I was at Club at British GP and caught this clip on the last lap with Massa which shows why. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmK8BgEOauI

In addition to B – He has the natural ability to find grip on even wet/dusty tracks.

[Just_a_fan]

But mostly he has total self belief. Not just high self belief, but total self belief.

He absolutely knows that the move will work and that the car will deliver the grip. He doesn't believe it will do so, he knows it will do so.

We often hear Brundle saying things like "the driver has to trust that the car will grip at that point" and "there has to be total trust in the car to deliver" when discussing moves or even just driving in challenging conditions.

The difference between the good overtaker and the great overtaker is:
"Will the car grip?"
"The car will grip!"
Same words, very different meaning.

Look at Hamilton's move on Alonso in to a wet Copse at Silverstone. He was off line on the wrong tyres and still the car went round the corner. Everyone knows that doesn't work. Everyone except Hamilton, that is, and on that day he was right and everyone else was wrong.

[Fil]

The difference between the good overtaker and the great overtaker is:
"Will the car grip?"
"The car will grip!"
Same words, very different meaning.

I like that a lot! Beautifully concise! =D>

But mostly he has total self belief. Not just high self belief, but total self belief.

He absolutely knows that the move will work and that the car will deliver the grip. He doesn't believe it will do so, he knows it will do so.

"Total self belief" can also be construed as 'Blind faith". When he's right, he's on it. But when he's wrong, you get Monaco..


And there's the other difference, getting it wrong (like Monaco 2011) doesn't faze him, doesn't change him.

[SiLo]

I do love watching any battle with Hamilton involved. Like against Webber at Germany, he made a mistake, didn't fight too hard to defend because he knew that he could just take him into the hairpin and that would be that.

Overtaking where it usually wouldn't happen also makes it harder to defend against too.

[HampusA]

Look at Hamilton's move on Alonso in to a wet Copse at Silverstone. He was off line on the wrong tyres and still the car went round the corner. Everyone knows that doesn't work. Everyone except Hamilton, that is, and on that day he was right and everyone else was wrong.

Pretty bad example there though. That overtake you talk about a few people did during that race, Vettel was one of them, on Massa.

That move was more brave then anything else since there was a clear dry line which he would cross sooner or later.

Moves that really stick out is if you watch his two first ever F1 starts, excellent raecraft and positioning while everyone else are following each other like a train.

[ringo]

Hamilton is the greatest overtake ever to grace F1.
When people mention the difference between a great overtaker and a good one, they can't seem to call any names as to who is a great overtaker.
And no Senna wasn't the greatest overtaker in my observation.

No overtaking specialist is perfect, but you'd be hard press to find one who is better than Hamilton.

And it's not about bravery either. If you watch silverston 2011 as Well as the early laps in canada and the best parts of China 2010, you will see a certain driving technique that he alone seems to be doing.
I call it the "tron" racing line. Don't know how it works so well in the wet, but it's working.

[myurr]

Part of what Hamilton does is experiment with different lines through almost every corner, allowing the nose of the car to run alongside (or very close) to the car he's trying to get past. This both allows him to get closer to the car in front than he would otherwise be able to do, as well as allowing him to constantly explore the track looking for grip and see if an alternate line will let him get on the power earlier or brake later to give him a chance to get past. It's this positioning of the car and hustling of the car in front that creates the overtaking opportunities for him. His ability on the brakes and great car control is what makes them stick.

[Just_a_fan]

Indeed. He spends a lot of time and effort working out the overtakes. People talk about Button being a thinking driver because he's supposedly good at race strategy but he doesn't seem to be as good at thinking racecraft.

If you could distil both in to one driver you'd have someone very special...