[Jake]

Cast your minds back to the beginning of 2010. We’ve just been to Bahrain and had the most boring race in years and people everywhere are asking what’s wrong with F1, worrying that the ban on refuelling and the ultra durable tyres have destroyed F1. Then, in the next 3 races, Lewis Hamilton pulls off something like 40 competitive overtakes, almost single handedly changing everyone’s opinion of the new F1 to an exciting, wheel to wheel extravaganza.

Now come back to the present. Can the same driver being doing something similar once again? After Bahrain, many people were worried that the tyres were too fragile, not lasting more than a few laps. More importantly, any driver pushing, or attacking a car infront, would immediately be punished by tyres that dramatically fall off the “cliff”.

But then, we go to Spain, and Hamilton seemingly defies both of these theories. Not only does he make one set of tyres last 31 laps, and pull off a two stop strategy that nobody believed to be possible, but he does so whilst attacking drivers infront, pulling off many overtakes, including a contender for overtake of the season.

So, could we be witnessing something similar to 2010, when one driver single handedly extinguishes many of peoples worries about the state of F1?

[Prisoner Monkeys]

Then, in the next 3 races, Lewis Hamilton pulls off something like 40 competitive overtakes, almost single handedly changing everyone’s opinion of the new F1 to an exciting, wheel to wheel extravaganza.

You know, it’s surprising. For someone who has supposedly “single-handedly changed everyone’s opinion”, this is the first time I’ve heard that particular statistic.

If you want to credit someone with “extinguishing many peoples’ worries”, then perhaps you should give equal credit to Messrs Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Vettel and Maldonado. They’re the ones who have actually achieved something this year. Claiming Hamilton is the only one to have done anything, thereby revolutionising the sport is wildly overstating his influence.

[Jake]

it was a statistic that was mentioned a lot at the time. I think the exact number may have been about 36. I’m not claiming Hamilton is the only driver to achieve something this year, in fact I said nothing of the sort. I’m simply suggesting that in 2010 he had a big influence on changing a lot of people’s opinion of the sport, and that performances like the one he gave in Spain could do something similar again. Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Vettel and Maldonado have all won races brilliantly this year. But that’s not what I’m talking about, and in the specific context that I am talking about, they have in fact achieved nothing.

[Prisoner Monkeys]

But you’re acting as if one man overtaking a lot and making a two-stop strategy work has somehow revolutionised the sport on a level that has not been seen before, making everyone else’s contributions redundant.

Sorry, but I just see all of this as heaping excessive praise on Hamilton. Especially when the title of this thread is “Has Hamilton changed the game … again?” – that sentence instantly turned me off this discussion, because I knew straight away that it would be about how Hamilton is so fantastic and he’s the only thing making the sport worth watching, which is not true at all.

[Jake]

hmm, strange that you bothered to comment on a thread you say you weren’t interested in.

“On a level that has not been seen before” – didn’t say that
“Hamilton is so fantastic and the only one making the sport worth watching” – Again, didn’t say anything of the sort.

What I did say is that Hamilton changed a lot of people’s opinions of what F1 was in 2010, and then attempted to raise a debate about whether his performance in Spain could start a similar effect this year.

[raymondu999]

@prisoner-monkeys stop being thick you.

@Jake was just saying that Hamilton seems to be showing that you can make a less-stop strategy work, while pushing and overtaking people. People were saying “Oh you can’t push, you’ll kill the tyres, you can’t overtake because you’ll kill the tyres” but @Jake is saying that Hamilton is showing people, “Hey, you know what? It can be done, actually.”

[Prisoner Monkeys]

He did it once, and under extreme circumstances – he started 24th, so he had nothing to lose. It’s hardly proof-positive that it can always be done.

[raymondu999]

It’s positive proof it CAN ALWAYS be done. It doesn’t, however, prove that it WILL always be done – which is closer to what I think you were trying to say.

Hamilton has showing that by the correct manner of setting up a car and correct manner of driving – it is indeed possible.

[Author]

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