Hamilton proved his worth?

[myurr]

Nope. Benefitted from retirements, crashes, safety cars, and a penalty. He still drove a great race, but he didn't blaze through the field like everyone was standing still. He didn't race his way to a podium, he merely finished on the podium.

Erm, which race were you watching. He overtook plenty of cars on track, and yeah he benefitted from some lucky situations but so has nearly every driver who has had a great race.

After the safety car Massa was running 3rd, Alonso was about 8th, and Hamilton was back in 12th. It was his middle stint when fat with fuel that was the best part of the race for him. By the time he next emerged from the pits he was in front of Massa!!

For a car that is struggling that much for pace (albeit having better race pace than qualifying pace) it was a very impressive drive.

[nudger]

Nope. Benefitted from retirements, crashes, safety cars, and a penalty. He still drove a great race, but he didn't blaze through the field like everyone was standing still. He didn't race his way to a podium, he merely finished on the podium.

are you sure ray? i saw him overtake an awefull lot of cars....often more than once

[shir0]

Well, I'm not saying he "blazed through the field" either in todays race. I just think that the way he performed his passing manruvers were so clean and fair. And all that happened with a crap/slow/dog-of-a car he's driving with respect to other cars he'd paased.

His third place was just a result of a combination of "retirements, crashes, safety cars, and a penalty" AND his passing cars...without which he'd still be at his grid starting place even with all of the freebies he got.

Just take Massa, for example. After his 2nd stop, Smedley effectively told him over opn radio to "race like hell". And he didn't. He wasalmost overtaken by LH even...in a supposedly slower car!!

[Ray]

I'm sorry. Didn't mean to give the impression he didn't drive a fantastic race, he did. It's just that the gushing about a podium finish is unwarranted. He got there by virtue of luck, not slicing the field up because of his on the edge driving and superior overtaking. He got lucky, he drove great, but he got lucky. If it had been any other driver the circumstances I mentioned would have been brought up and beaten to death. That's all. It was a great race though!

[nudger]

i guess thats where i would differ from you then ray, because i think he got there through luck and superior overtaking and race craft

[nae]

he raced himself into the points

he lucked into 3rd

still if i was him i would be happy with that

great race today

[ISLAMATRON]

Nope. Benefitted from retirements, crashes, safety cars, and a penalty. He still drove a great race, but he didn't blaze through the field like everyone was standing still. He didn't race his way to a podium, he merely finished on the podium.

He actually was penalized by the first safety car... but yes your assesment is correct... but he had some fantastic passes.

[Pierre6]

I also thought he drove a fantastic race!
Maybe a little bit of luck was involved, but also great overtaking skills.

[andartop]

I believe this is the first time we have a thread to celebrate how a WDC managed to finish a race without crashing!!!
a)He drove a solid race starting from 18th position, pushing hard and overtaking where he could, and being wise where he couldn't.
b)Remember he found himself 12th (I think) at the end of first lap because of the first corner incident. That was a lucky escape, he didn't overtake those drivers.
c)Both Ferrari cars had serious problems, Massa being in a 3-stopper which was ruined by the safety car, and Kimi ending up with a 5-stopper before retiring...
d)He overtook some drivers fair and square, and raced to 6th position. Now remember how many times we've seen that, or even better, in the past from drivers like MS, Rubens, Hakkinen, Raikkonen, Kubica, Massa, Alonso etc..
e)THEN, at the last minutes of the race, 2 silly boys in front of him crashed themselves out of the race, AND for some reason Trulli went off track while under a SC.. THUS, LH lucked himself in the podium, with a question mark remaining about Trulli.
Overall: a very good drive, solid and mature. Given the circumstances he did the best anyone could possibly do with that car. An awesome drive? Hell, no. Did he prove his worth? He doesn't have to. Did he prove he is as good in a bad car? Don't think so yet: chance played a major role in this result and it's just one race. Let's wait and see what happens in the rest of the season...

[jason.parker.86]

Makes me laugh when I read posts saying Lewis was "lucky" or what ever. In racing you make your own luck and I think Lewis deserves his 3rd place finish.

He drove a clean and tidy race and I think come Europe he will be back in the mix for the title. I really do hope Button can keep his cool because he needs to really build up a lead in the WDC before Europe by which time im sure all teams would have copied Brawn GPs ideas, and they will all have a double decker variant and should bring the pack even closer together!

[skyyvodka]

I also think you create your own luck. Shall we say that position 2-12 just were lucky for Vettel, Kubica and Trulli did mistakes? Can a driver overtake someone without the guy in front doesn't a mistake? Was ferrari unlucky or did they some mistakes?

I think it was a great drive with a car that barely made it through Q1.

[andartop]

Of course no one wins the WDC without being lucky as well, it's always been a part of racing. But it's one thing to be 6th and overtake 3 cars to finish on the podium, and a completely different thing to be 6th and see 3 cars in front of you crashing or spinning out of the race with 3 laps to go, thus being promoted to the podium. It doesn't take anything away from him as he WAS THERE to take advantage of the situation (whereas the Ferrari duo for example weren't!), but it does make the difference between a solid drive and a drive to remember..

[jason.parker.86]

What goes around comes around - I can think of a few occasions last year when he was unfairly demoted down the grid!

[Miguel]

Nope. Benefitted from retirements, crashes, safety cars, and a penalty. He still drove a great race, but he didn't blaze through the field like everyone was standing still. He didn't race his way to a podium, he merely finished on the podium.

He actually was penalized by the first safety car... but yes your assesment is correct... but he had some fantastic passes.

I'm sorry but no, he wasn't. The first safety car is what allowed his last stint to be a mere 15 laps. Without the safety car, it would have been 5 laps longer. Also, with the safety car being on lap 18/19, all the cars going longer (both Renaults, both Brawns and a few others that were basically out of the points race) were slightly penalised. It also caused all three stoppers to switch to two-stops with a long soft tire stint (Vettel, Rosberg). Finally, he also benefitted from Alonso having to wait for Piquet to refuel. Else, he would probably have had to pass him a second time, but now without a 40 kg advantage.

On the other hand, yes, he had a very good race. Safety car or not, disqualification or not.

[Scotracer]

You would think someone being runner up in their rookie season and winning their second would have proven his worth?