Why hamilton is so good at overtaking

[Ciro Pabón]

Food for thought for the guys that claim he is a regular qualifier, ergo he starts back in the field, ergo etc.

You know, it is also hard to overtake Hamilton...

Taken from Brian Lawrence statistics (yeah, the ones I've posted so many times)

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Fewest times overtaken in a season (min. 10 races)

Pos.	Driver				Year	Races	No. of times being overtaken
1	Juan Pablo Montoya	2005	16		0
2	Lewis Hamilton		 2008	18		1
2	Kimi Raikkonen		 2005	18		1
2	Nick Heidfeld		  2005	13		1
5	Felipe Massa		   2007	17		2
5	Kimi Raikkonen		 2007	17		2
7	Fernando Alonso		2006	18		3
7	Kimi Raikkonen		 2006	18		3
7	Michael Schumacher	2004	18		3
7	Lewis Hamilton		 2007	17		3
7	Ralf Schumacher		2005	17		3
7	Takuma Sato		2005	15		3
7	Juan Pablo Montoya	2006	10		3

Juan annus mirabilis (no, it's not the same as "anus mirabilis", you moron... and yes, it's a picture of Villeneuve overtaking Arnoux because I like it)


Frankly, I have the same feelings for this Hamilton guy as the feelings I have for receiving a kick in the bollocks, because of his insufferable ego and his annoying dad, but, hey, analysis is analysis. Let's damn the engineering spirit that takes me to post things like this!

More food... (well, I'm giving myself away, but only for today)

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Most gains in a season

Pos.	Constructor	Year	Races	No.
1	 McLaren			2008	18		57
2	 Sauber			 2004	18		53
3	 Williams		  2004	18		45
4	 Ferrari			2006	18		43
5	 Ferrari			2008	18		42
6	 McLaren			2004	18		39
7	 Williams		  2010	 7		37
7	 McLaren			2009	17		37
9	 BMW Sauber		2006	18		36
10	Force India	  2009	17		34

Sometimes is the car, sometimes is something else (yes, that's the image of the end of F1 expressed in dollars)


Sauber in this list? Force India in this list? Who was your daddy in 2010? Williams. Williams? Yeah, you know my motto: if you cannot convince them, confuse them.

[vall]

Food for thought for the guys that claim he is a regular qualifier, ergo he starts back in the field, ergo etc.

You know, it is also hard to overtake Hamilton...

Taken from Brian Lawrence statistics (yeah, the ones I've posted so many times)

Code: Select all

Fewest times overtaken in a season (min. 10 races)

Pos.	Driver				Year	Races	No. of times being overtaken
1	Juan Pablo Montoya	2005	16		0
2	Lewis Hamilton		 2008	18		1
2	Kimi Raikkonen		 2005	18		1
2	Nick Heidfeld		  2005	13		1
5	Felipe Massa		   2007	17		2
5	Kimi Raikkonen		 2007	17		2
7	Fernando Alonso		2006	18		3
7	Kimi Raikkonen		 2006	18		3
7	Michael Schumacher	2004	18		3
7	Lewis Hamilton		 2007	17		3
7	Ralf Schumacher		2005	17		3
7	Takuma Sato		2005	15		3
7	Juan Pablo Montoya	2006	10		3

Juan annus mirabilis (no, it's not the same as "anus mirabilis", you moron... and yes, it's a picture of Villeneuve overtaking Arnoux because I like it)


Frankly, I have the same feelings for this Hamilton guy as the feelings I have for receiving a kick in the bollocks, because of his insufferable ego and his annoying dad, but, hey, analysis is analysis. Let's damn the engineering spirit that takes me to post things like this!

This is indeed useful statistics. However, it simply says that the better the car you drive, the lower the change to be overtaken....

[PlatinumZealot]

Also the condition of your brakes/tyres.

Alonso on worn hards was overtaken by Kobayashi on fresh softs in Valencia.

Hamilton was overtaken by Rosberg in Korea, legitimate overtake but the mclaren brakes were not operating well that day.
And he was also overtaken twice by Alonso due his own mistakes of running off course; once again due to bad brakes, in Korea, and another time in Brazil due to his frustrations of poor grip in the front tyres.

I can't really say he put up a defense to these any at all though, he didn't even attempt to stay on line. So yeah defending depends on the car as well as the conditions of the brakes, tyres and the driver's mindset.

[vall]

Also the condition of your brakes/tyres.

Alonso on worn hards was overtaken by Kobayashi on fresh softs in Valencia.

Hamilton was overtaken by Rosberg in Korea, legitimate overtake but the mclaren brakes were not operating well that day.
And he was also overtaken twice by Alonso due his own mistakes of running off course; once again due to bad brakes, in Korea, and another time in Brazil due to his frustrations of poor grip in the front tyres.

I can't really say he put up a defense to these any at all though, he didn't even attempt to stay on line. So yeah defending depends on the car as well as the conditions of the brakes, tyres and the driver's mindset.

+1 I have seen people making a big fuzz about Koba taking Alosno, or Sato taking him in 2007, but miss the fact in what situations those overtakes took place. The same goes for Alonso-Hamilton in 2010, Alonso - Shumi in Hungary 2006, etc, etc. Bottom line is what we all know eill - in normal circumstances with cars of similar pace it is really, really hard to overtake in F1 these days.

[SennaMclaren]

Hamilton is so good because he brakes so late and he does it so well.Also he doesn't afraid to take risks.
Hamilton is the most fun to watch driver last 15 years.He is aggressive and he is the only driver who reminds something of the two Greatest drivers ever.Ayrton Senna and Gilles Villeneuve.
He is the best overtaker since the master Ayrton Senna.

[rayden]

Top speed helps.
He's always had one of the, if not, the strongest engine in the paddock.

[ringo]

He's better than Senna at overtaking. He's more like Mansell.
Not hard to objectively say he may be the best of all time at it. He's got the endless portfolio.

Let's see how the 2011 treats him. He may not look so special on the ARW zones as every driver will have a go, but should shine in the unexpected overtaking areas.

[myurr]

Top speed helps.
He's always had one of the, if not, the strongest engine in the paddock.

So did Schumacher last year and yet.....

[raymondu999]

Top speed helps.
He's always had one of the, if not, the strongest engine in the paddock.

So did Schumacher last year and yet.....

Schumi's package wasn't exactly low on drag though

[myurr]

So did Schumacher last year and yet.....

Schumi's package wasn't exactly low on drag though

Completely agree - just wanted to point out the silliness of the original comment that Hamilton is only good at overtaking as he's got the best engine on the grid...

[PlatinumZealot]

The benz was one the fastest at monza if I remember.

[vall]

let me ask this question: how many overtakes LH did during the second half of the last season?

[andrew]

Here's a graph of passes for last year. I trust this settles who passed what and how many.

[vall]

how should I read this chart?

[andrew]

It shows who overtook who and how many times they did so. If you read the column on the far right it shows the total for each driver. So Button made 7 passes, Hamilton 30, Massa, Alonso, and Barrichello 29 etc etc (I think).

Not a great representation but it is the best I could find.