I think he’ll be back if he gets an opportunity to drive a better car. If Alonso or Kimi were in Hamilton’s car, you don’t think they’d be in first place?
What frustrates me about Formula 1 is that the car always matters more than the driver. It’s why I like Indycar better, the competition is more wide open.
This will likely change with the 2020 engine rules where they are removing the MGU-H, a high failure point piece for most teams. Combined with fuel limits increases, I would imaging races will get more competitive in the coming years.
If Alonso were in Hamilton’s car, in Hamilton’s team, then maybe it would be competitive. Raikkonen not at all.
Hasn’t Kimi been on the podium like 4/5 last races?
Sure, but that isn’t so hard when you’ve got the second best car and it only takes one retirement out of three other drivers until it’s a disappointment if you don’t get onto the podium. Same with Bottas. They are support drivers, there to help Vettel and Hamilton win the drivers championship and get enough points to win the team championship. It’s their job to get podium points.
Being the support driver in a team isn’t the most satisfying job, but Bottas is great at it, while Raikkonen is okay.
Alonso isn’t a support driver type. He would be the number one driver. Unfortunately McLaren isn’t good enough to have a number one and number two driver, so the point is moot.
The car actually bounces off the halo.
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Yep! I’m done hearing anyone complain about the halo, this was the right move and isn’t detracting from the “spirit” of F1 unless you want drivers to be seriously injured or killed every few years.
Nooo, not Kimi. Let him drive! He knows what he’s doing.
The only sources I see look… less than reputable. Wait and see?
That’s why I didn’t link any.
After the closest season between drivers on different teams for the last five years, it looks like Hamilton is just better than everyone, even those in what all the experts agree are faster cars.
The more successful Hamilton is, the more I’m impressed by Rosberg beating him a few years ago. Rosberg was certainly the inferior driver, but played the mental game and pushed the rules and took full advantage. Vettel has got driving skill, but is nowhere close to Rosberg in terms of making Hamilton believe he has a real rival. No wonder Rosberg retired after winning a world title, because what he needed to do to win it probably wasn’t healthy in the long run in terms or relationships and peace of mind.
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Who has the fastest car? I thought it was Mercedes.
Put Alonso in a Merc you cowards
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The Ferrari cars have been faster in the last half dozen races, qualify sessions and practice sessions. Before each race, the pundits and the teams themselves say that Ferrari has the edge over Mercedes.
But Singapore really showed up the good drivers. Hamilton and Verstappen out-drove everyone in qualifying, and then Alonso finished way up the order in the second or third slowest car on the grid.
Vettel just doesn’t have the skill to fight Hamilton, and Ferrari don’t have the management to fight Mercedes.
I love the mental game it must be for Vettel and everyone else on the grid watching (especially Bottas, Verstappen, and Raikonen) Hamilton from Germany onwards. Vettel makes a stupid mistake in the wet (Germany), Hamilton wins a race he shouldn’t have (Hungary), Vettel shows that Ferrari IS the fastest car on the grid (Belgium), Hamilton owns Ferrari at their home track (Italy), and Hamilton again wins a race he should’ve been happy to simply finish on the podium at (Singapore). This string of races is what demonstrates Hamilton’s competitive fortitude & racing ability and exposes the last little bit that Vettel (as good as he is) has always lacked his entire career.
I don’t hate Vettel, but watching him meltdown his last year at Red Bull was embarrassing. Hamilton is no saint, but when it comes to pure mental focus and racing ability I really think he deserves to be favorably compared to any of the great drivers of history.
Who knows, things could easily tighten up before the season concludes but these last 5 races have demonstrated something impressive even if the rest of the field hasn’t been as thrilling.
Pity the championship will be decided before then 