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Road to destiny

Discussion in 'Formula 1' started by Smithers, Oct 28, 2015.

  1. Smithers

    Smithers Well-Known Member
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    This is a detailed read on Lewis's path to F1. It's interesting and if read impartially there are some fascinating facts and traits which we now find ourselves discussing.

     
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  2. allsaintchris.

    allsaintchris. Well-Known Member

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    Like him or loathe him, the boy has talent behind the wheel.

    Everyone needs a lucky break to make it into the big time and he got his with Ron and took it. Many others were given the breaks and made a hash of it.

    As for his personality, that it divides opinion must be a good thing too? How often in the past was it discussed that F1 drivers were so bland and boring. Now there are some characters about. Characters are divisive by nature, that's why we talk about them.
     
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  3. Smithers

    Smithers Well-Known Member
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    Obviously people will talk about his opportunity and the financial support was probably (inflation adjusted) well beyond any other driver. That's not Lewis's fault, he had an opportunity and seized it - arguably McLaren invested in the right driver as others may not have succeeded where he has.

    I'll try and be constructive in relation to his karting years as ultimately you can only race what's in front of you - but the standard and grid sizes are nothing compare to now - probably down to Lewis reigniting the sport. It was also interesting to note that they picked certain championships so he could excel and develop more. This shows how much commitment McLaren had to maximising his potential step by step, year by year - and they continued this theme right up until they had no choice but to race him themselves or lose him.

    In relation to the GP thread, there were little references to his team mate "tussles" and Nico himself.
     
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  4. allsaintchris.

    allsaintchris. Well-Known Member

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    Money always helps, even in Karting. Have read of eye watering amounts being spent by some parents that would make a budget for a years F3 drive seem like nothing.

    I do wonder how someone who has no rich parents, or at least in part for Hamilton a father who held many jobs just to pay for his son's ambitions (though to believe they were ever 'poor' would certainly be naive), can ever get a foothold on the motorsport ladder these days. To get noticed you have to compete in the bigger (national and international) karting championships which cost a bomb. Not sure where the solution is though. If it was so cheap to do, then everyone would have a go and the chances of being picked out from the crowd would become slimmer again?

    It is a fascinating story in a way of how he got to the top, but is it one that is going to be repeated any time soon by someone else?
     
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  5. Smithers

    Smithers Well-Known Member
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    Probably not - the budgets to turn up and race in the British championships will leave you little change out of 50k and to be a front runner 100k+. I know drivers not making the A finals in Europe that had done 150k and quit half way through the season. It's cheaper (or no more expensive) to go tin tops at 14 and F4 at 15.

    Karting is unrealistic for most and in reality without big PR your karting record gets lost once you hit single seaters. I'll drop a name for you now - Lando Norris - massive personal budget, excellent PR, very strong international Karting CV and just won the MSA formula (equivalent to F4) and yet to turn 16. I would mark him as the next one rise through ranks like Lewis.
     
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  6. cosicave

    cosicave Well-Known Member

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    I was aware of Hamilton a long time before he began in F1. When he was signed back in 2006, I was certain Ron Dennis had made a shrewd decision and actually said so – in the face of considerable public doubt – on the old BBC606. Back then, I also predicted that if he survives, he will be knighted. Nothing I've seen since has swayed me from this view. Before coming into F1, it was clear he was enormously talented; and instinctively so. I'm making this point not because I want to gloat over an informed decision but because even at an early time, little Hamilton was turning a lot of heads, including mine. He is a very rare talent amongst a pool of hugely talented individuals. Put more simply, he is – in every sense of the word – exceptional.

    Getting into motorsport is prohibitively expensive for the vast majority. The wealth of talent which will never get a chance is truly eye-watering. However, of the tiny percentage of very talented professional drivers who actually manage to get into F1, almost everyone (there are a few exceptions, but they really are very few) has done so from a more comfortable background.

    Oddly enough – and this might surprise a lot of people – Damon Hill's struggle into F1 owes nothing to his parentage save that of the family name: he began racing with no family money whatsoever and set about earning it himself.

    Back to the subject of this thread, Lewis Hamilton's father, Anthony, has a very rare quality: he really did do three jobs at once in order to get his son onto grids where he might get noticed. It was an very courageous struggle since such virtually blind, single-minded determination spells ruin for most. But he had a rare combination of faith in his child's ability together with recognising the importance of nurturing it as soon as possible and putting every part of his being into making this happen in every way he humanly could – even getting him onto Blue Peter, which I remember well.

    Notwithstanding Lewis's prodigious talent, having a father like Anthony was young Hamilton's real advantage…
     
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  7. El_Bando

    El_Bando Can't remember, where was I?
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    LANDO NORRIS ? What a name!
     
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  8. Smithers

    Smithers Well-Known Member
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    ....and his time has come, quicker than I thought!

     
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  9. SgtBhaji

    SgtBhaji Well-Known Member

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    He manages Cloud City.
     
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  10. eddie_squidd

    eddie_squidd Well-Known Member

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    He is love the love child of him and that bloke off Record Breakers in the 70s.
     
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  11. SgtBhaji

    SgtBhaji Well-Known Member

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    Mr McSquirter?
     
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  12. eddie_squidd

    eddie_squidd Well-Known Member

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    That's him. So he's a flying city ownin' statistic spoutin' record breaker.
     
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  13. cosicave

    cosicave Well-Known Member

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    Hahahahahahaahahaaha…
    <laugh>
     
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  14. SgtBhaji

    SgtBhaji Well-Known Member

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    Motor racing is a weird sport in that there is so much potential talent out there that will never fulfill their potential or never be able to even get on the path to start with. The greatest drivers are only the greatest of the richest or luckiest.
     
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  15. El_Bando

    El_Bando Can't remember, where was I?
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    Lando will be bigger than Paul Di Resta on Not606 when he makes it. You watch
     
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  16. Smithers

    Smithers Well-Known Member
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    And the rise continues



     
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  17. moreinjuredthanowen

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    In fairness to Hamilton... theres others like bruno senna. Verstapprn. Mick schumacher and rosberg who are there on dadys name at the outset abd hamilton had to impress and some may say actually eased the route for younger drivers as all teams are scouting harder now for them

    Look at mark webbers grand plan to get to f1 and the money it took him for example.

    Hamilton had to build his name imo.
     
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  18. El_Bando

    El_Bando Can't remember, where was I?
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    Hmmm Hamilton had some help from his daddy too. Along with some major sucking up to Ron Dennis. Not an opportunity every driver gets.

    Also some drivers with famous surnames deserve their billing. Villeneuve (he was good once), Hill, Rosberg, Andretti, Verstappen?

    Also some upcoming like schumacher and fittipaldi look good.
     
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  19. EternalMSC

    EternalMSC Well-Known Member

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    Schumacher competed in two F4 series last year and managed to finish runner up in both championships, even after missing a few races. Do your research.
     
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  20. moreinjuredthanowen

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    Read what I wrote again.
     
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