Why hamilton is so good at overtaking

[beelsebob]

Yes... Hence why the statement about using KERS at high speed had no relevance to the discussion, I still don't get what the point you're trying to make is.

It's what you said

Listen to LH's commentary – he used KERS twice in that move.

Note, this was a direct response to a direct question "did he use KERS".

[HampusA]

Let's face it. Lewis is very good with overtakes, and not only that, he thinks them through very well. For example he knows he can double-deploy KERS on pit straights, or force people into a compromised exit on corners, etc. It's not just about his braking; and not just about straight-line speed of the McLaren; though those things help. His rare qualifying gaffes (though they do happen) and his good car help too; so it's just a bit of all those.

Please stop talking like the rest of the drivers and teams are complete idiots.

Do you really think that Hamilton is the only one knowing he can deploy KERS twice on straights?

hilarious.

[raymondu999]

Actually if you guys watched the Top Gear episode where the Top Gear blokes went to Monte Carlo ago do laps in hot hatches, Jeremy was asking Mark Webber for overtaking advice if he wanted to overtake into the Nouvelle chicane under braking. Mark kind of illustrated two cars with his hands, then he told Jeremy to wait for the red brake light to come on, snap your fingers once, and boom, on the brakes. So I'm thinking it IS common practice.

But I guess that can also be your undoing though. I mean, if Jenson had done that when he tried to pass Rosberg in Valencia, he would have been braking too early. In Valencia, Jenson did kind of what Ringo said and did his qualifying braking distance (of course, taking into account his heavier fuel load and requirements of tyre management; as his qualifying was done on super fresh tyres with a light load - braking there would have seen him out brake himself.

Let's face it. Lewis is very good with overtakes, and not only that, he thinks them through very well. For example he knows he can double-deploy KERS on pit straights, or force people into a compromised exit on corners, etc. It's not just about his braking; and not just about straight-line speed of the McLaren; though those things help. His rare qualifying gaffes (though they do happen) and his good car help too; so it's just a bit of all those.

Please stop talking like the rest of the drivers and teams are complete idiots.

Do you really think that Hamilton is the only one knowing he can deploy KERS twice on straights?

hilarious.

Of course they all know it. But Hamilton does it quite extremely, sometimes compromising the rest of his lap in terms of KERS usage and using it all in the best overtaking spot

[beelsebob]

Let's face it. Lewis is very good with overtakes, and not only that, he thinks them through very well. For example he knows he can double-deploy KERS on pit straights, or force people into a compromised exit on corners, etc. It's not just about his braking; and not just about straight-line speed of the McLaren; though those things help. His rare qualifying gaffes (though they do happen) and his good car help too; so it's just a bit of all those.

Please stop talking like the rest of the drivers and teams are complete idiots.

Do you really think that Hamilton is the only one knowing he can deploy KERS twice on straights?

hilarious.

Of course they all know it. But Hamilton does it quite extremely, sometimes compromising the rest of his lap in terms of KERS usage and using it all in the best overtaking spot

Note here that this really isn't something every driver does. Earlier in the season, JB ended up stuck behind Massa. Massa deployed 100% KERS every single lap on the DRS straight to defend, JB carried on using KERS all around the lap. The result was that JB never had enough overspeed to actually make the pass work. I would bet heavily that LH would have been doing his best to stick with Massa round the lap with no KERS and then using KERS + DRS on the straight to negate the extra advantage.

[HampusA]

Actually if you guys watched the Top Gear episode where the Top Gear blokes went to Monte Carlo ago do laps in hot hatches, Jeremy was asking Mark Webber for overtaking advice if he wanted to overtake into the Nouvelle chicane under braking. Mark kind of illustrated two cars with his hands, then he told Jeremy to wait for the red brake light to come on, snap your fingers once, and boom, on the brakes. So I'm thinking it IS common practice.

You see
It is common and they have been doing that for years these guys.

It´s just that Hamilton finds himself at the middle of the pack quite often and that´s where he has to sort of activate the hunting mode, overtaking people at places they don´t expect.

Malaysia is a good example. He did something like 3 overtakes in that place.
Nobody else did it there.
He caught Schumacher off guard, some other guy and Rosberg.

Do you know which one re- overtook Hamilton? Rosberg.
Rosberg knows all the tricks Hamilton has, they´ve been karting for years so you know your friend extremely well.

Basically what i´m saying is that if you overtake middle markers it´s not really impressive.
the only thing that could be impressive is the surprise moment.

[HampusA]

Note here that this really isn't something every driver does. Earlier in the season, JB ended up stuck behind Massa. Massa deployed 100% KERS every single lap on the DRS straight to defend, JB carried on using KERS all around the lap. The result was that JB never had enough overspeed to actually make the pass work. I would bet heavily that LH would have been doing his best to stick with Massa round the lap with no KERS and then using KERS + DRS on the straight to negate the extra advantage.

It never occured to you that he had to use KERS just to keep close to Massa?

[raymondu999]

Note here that this really isn't something every driver does. Earlier in the season, JB ended up stuck behind Massa. Massa deployed 100% KERS every single lap on the DRS straight to defend, JB carried on using KERS all around the lap. The result was that JB never had enough overspeed to actually make the pass work. I would bet heavily that LH would have been doing his best to stick with Massa round the lap with no KERS and then using KERS + DRS on the straight to negate the extra advantage.

It never occured to you that he had to use KERS just to keep close to Massa?

He probably didn't. Massa was defending into every corner and JB was getting the cut back every corner. Then he caught on and finally started saving KERS to pass only on the main straight.

[beelsebob]

Note here that this really isn't something every driver does. Earlier in the season, JB ended up stuck behind Massa. Massa deployed 100% KERS every single lap on the DRS straight to defend, JB carried on using KERS all around the lap. The result was that JB never had enough overspeed to actually make the pass work. I would bet heavily that LH would have been doing his best to stick with Massa round the lap with no KERS and then using KERS + DRS on the straight to negate the extra advantage.

It never occured to you that he had to use KERS just to keep close to Massa?

He had just closed up at over 2 seconds a lap, while Massa was using KERS throughout the lap, so no, he didn't.

[HampusA]

So both were using KERS all the time throughout the lap?

[raymondu999]

When Button was catching Massa; both were doing the "optimal lap time" KERS deployments. But then JB caught up to Felipe, and Felipe saved his KERS to only use down the pit straight. JB didn't

[Just_a_fan]

If what Hamilton does is purely "textbook stuff" then why is he the only to do it so regularly? Did the others forget to read the book? Are 20 of the best open-wheeled drivers in the world (supposedly) totally unaware of these methods?

Sure, he often overtake middle-pack guys and that should be considered easy if he has a car advantage, but others in top cars quite often spend several times the time/distance behind those same middle-pack guys as Hamilton would.

I think the key to his overtaking prowess is that he just gets on with it. Other drivers seem to spend too long working it out and then they lose tyre / car performance from being tucked in the slipstream for too long.

Oh, and he puts his car in to the overtake and says to the other guy "your move buddy". Most times the other guy flinches, sometimes he doesn't. The rest is history.

[raymondu999]

Heh that reminds me of what Stirling Moss said a while ago." Just brake as hard and late as you can. If you've made the corner you've overtaken the guy. If you don't make the corner; brake harder. You'll start getting out of shape which will cause the other guy to flinch."

NOT his exact words, but something to that effect.

[dren]

If what Hamilton does is purely "textbook stuff" then why is he the only to do it so regularly? Did the others forget to read the book? Are 20 of the best open-wheeled drivers in the world (supposedly) totally unaware of these methods?

Sure, he often overtake middle-pack guys and that should be considered easy if he has a car advantage, but others in top cars quite often spend several times the time/distance behind those same middle-pack guys as Hamilton would.

I think the key to his overtaking prowess is that he just gets on with it. Other drivers seem to spend too long working it out and then they lose tyre / car performance from being tucked in the slipstream for too long.

Oh, and he puts his car in to the overtake and says to the other guy "your move buddy". Most times the other guy flinches, sometimes he doesn't. The rest is history.

Haug just stated that Schumacher has made the most overtakes this season. Hamilton isn't the only one who does it so regularly.

[raymondu999]

I actually have seen a few conflicting stats on that; I guess there are differences in that some count pit overtakes and some don't; overtakes at the start etc. I saw a stat recently that aid it was Mark Webber at the top.

[dren]

Yeah, I was wondering about that after I posted. I am sure they count overtakes on the start, which Schumacher usually jumps 3 or so cars.