Forgot about this post, now we can decide if Lewis really is the best overtaker on the grid now that he has to start at the back. GP2 didn't cut it for me, but this race would if he pulled it off.
This is a pretty good race for all the top drivers to demonstrate if they can overtake. Vettel, Schumacher, Kobayashi, Button, Webber and Hamilton are all further down the grid than they'd expect to be, and on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult, it'll be interesting to see just how much progress they all make.
GP2? I take it you do literally mean If he is the best and not "can he overtake"? cos we know he can do that from all the countless overtakes in previous grand prix.
lets be honest, there's something terribly wrong if he can't get it into the points even if he is starting at the back. I hope he does well, he's had some pretty poor luck of late, such a strange season that him winning isn't out of the question.
He did very well and his move on both Toro Rossos is yet another example of why he's the best overtaker.
Did very well, his tyre management and strategy paid off on a 2 stopper. He was bit unlucky not to nail Nico towards the end but a good showing. I'll still need more convincing for him being claimed the best of the rest though it's just a close fight with 7-8 drivers.
Speaking of Jenson what was truely impressive about Hamiltons drive was how while doing a pitstop less he kept his tyres in better condition.
I think its so difficult in the races now to establish what is a par for par overtake and what is assisted. Lewis was the fastest car/driver combo and you woudl expect him to pass cars from 24th down to 13th ish anyway. Alot of his passes today were made with his strategy not wheel to wheel racing. It so hard when the tyre wear plays such a pivitol part and strategy puts cars on the same piece of tramac with significantly newer tyres! A few years back you new exactly where you stood - Kimi from the back in Japan for Mclaren as an example.
If what he did in GP2 didn't cut it for you, I must assume what you are cutting is very very tough indeed! Whilst acknowledging the brilliance of several others during this golden era – an era very rich in its quality of drivers, with only a handful of exceptions from its current two dozen – in my opinion, Hamilton is the best overtaker in the business. Bar none. In fact, he is quite possibly the best overtaker motor racing has ever possessed. Yes, that includes Senna (A spec). The only possible doubt about this, to my mind, is Jim Clark: he dominated his era so convincingly that his overtaking ability only really came to light when beset by misfortune. But I admit to allowing myself to drift into a romantic memory: the low-grip cars of Clark's era did not allow the lightning quick changes of direction we see today, and wheel to wheel battles were still rare until the next decade, so there is no realistic comparison of drivers from before the mid 1970s.
I have to disagree. I don't believe Hamilton to be the best overtaker in the current field, let alone ever. He causes too many accidents to be the best, someone like Alonso who can pass without accident, or Kobayashi who makes the spectacular look easy, and still doesn't cause any accidents.
Agree with Cosi on this, Hamilton the prime overtaker, closely folowed by Kobayashi and then Button, the two McLaren guys having learnt from each other.
Kobayashi is the best, he's as aggressive as Hamilton without the poor judgement. Overtaking inferior cars looks good, but overtaking superior cars IS good. He pulled off 2 overtakes today that would've had the Hamilton fans wetting their pants for months, if not years, had Lewis done either of them.
Kobayashi was so lucky not to lose his front wing with a misjudged move on Rosberg earlier, shortly before he successfully passed him. Button is best in my opinion, followed by Raikkonen. I think Hamilton's massively overrated, a lot of his early success was more down to others taking evasive action than any special skill on his part. His move on Alonso at Silverstone last year was fantastic though.
Vettel seems to be getting pretty handy at overtaking, it's amazing what skills you learn when you don't have the best car.
