Will Hamilton herald a Schumacher-style dominance?

Question

Five very good answers so far. But will all the potential that the other drivers have come to fruition?

One thing that marks Hamilton out is that he is hard-working - just like Schumie. Do the other contenders have this quality?

Answer 1

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No.

I feel that there are too many other good drivers, Kubica, etc and up-and-coming drivers in Grosjean (a guy i particularily favour), plus, more teams with engines that are so reliable that "dominance" will be difficult to come Lewis' way.

No disrespect to Mr S, but his timing was exemplary regards competition and machinery, as was his driving to ensure dominance.

This didn't always happen by accident - he always gravitated the best around him, but I think LH will have a more difficult time.

I feel that over the last two races,and indeed his time in F1 LH has shown he has the race craft, determination and opportunity to be one of the best,contrary to criticism.

I would've loved to have seem them race side-by-side though.

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Answer 2

The way the current Ferrari drivers are going, it's highly likely.

Answer 3

Lewis is far from Schummy.....never being or excedd Schummy who is a legend in the F1 history..

Answer 4

Hmmm, he may dominate on the occasional year, when Ferrari go off the boil but I feel he will not dominate year after year, he has a hot headed attitude which can never be ironed out like a driving weak point, saying that he will have many successful seasons.

Answer 5

i think he could. He had the skill even as a rookie so with more years of experiance to come he should get even better. And with Raikkonen, last years world champ, possibly retiring it should be even easier for him.

Answer 6

I think he might dominate.  The engine freeze rule ensures he has one of the best engines for five-years.  Mclaren's failure to win a title since '99 is about to end.

If Hamilton wins the title this year, he could easily repeat next year.  After that, who knows what records he can threaten.  

I think Alonso in a Ferrari can stop him because Alonso is a master at car setup and development.  Massa and Raikkonen are lacking in that department IMO.  I would like to see Alonso in a Ferrari for 2009, 2010 is too late for me.

Answer 7

Hmm.. it might be possible but it won't be good for f1 generally. In time other drivers would have more experience and hopefully better cars and they will give him a bit of a challenge. Nico I think can do better if only his Williams were in better shape. Heikki... I'm not sure about him but he'd better up his game soon

Kubica, BMW were fantastic during the first half but now seem to have lost it somewhere. But Kubica is still brilliant and one of the future young stars if not already one. Vettel may also be another driver that will pose a threat in the future. So if these guys rise to the occasion in a few years, there won't be such dominance

Answer 8

if he breaks schumi's record of 7 straight race wins (2004 season), that is the time we have to think...

Answer 9

It's a rap. He keeps with a good team and keeps his head then Schuy records will be brooken...

Answer 10

Much as I love McLaren I hope NOT. It was really boring when Michael won time after time after time after time after time after time after time zzzzzzzzzz, sorry dropped off thinking about it!!

I want to see races won by whiskers, not miles, its more exciting that way

Answer 11

If Hamilton wins the championship this year he'll have the confidence a world class driver needs to push any car forward.

Once you know you can do it and stop worrying about yourself you concentrate on the job and take the car where it can go.

So I believe if he bags it this year he'll get many more, even in lesser cars.

I don't know about dominance, Schumi was German, very efficient, he created the basis of dominance by putting together the ingredients so when they were there he just did what he had to do.

Lewis may be a bit more hot headed but on the other hand he's so d**n quick he can bounce back from any set back.

Looks like there's no one at this time that can stand next to him.

I believe Alonso is slower than Lewis,and he's not any more level headed either.

He reminds me of Piquet, very antagonistic personality, looking for some sort of car advantage on the competition.

Alonso looked special far before he reached F1 but to be honest he didn't wow me with his two championships in the sense that Schumi or Senna did.

He can't challenge Lewis head to head.

But it's been proven over and over again in racing and F1 in particular that consistency is the key.

Alonso knows that better than anyone, he knows what it takes to win it and if he can put a team together to do that he can beat Lewis, but only as long as Lewis finds himself in a slow or unreliable car like Schumi did (or the wrong tire for that matter).

In my book Kubica is a better match for speed, let's see if Vettel is as good as we hope he is.

Answer 12

No. Hamilton is a flash in the pan like Jacques Villineuve.

Right team, right car, right time. but he missed his chance at champ last year with his rookie mistake going off into the pits.

Kimi will win this year, hands down

Answer 13

I don't know about that... but I definitely think he is a multiple-world champion in-waiting... Schumi had the benefit of a dream team built around him at Ferrari... Lewis' allegiance to McLaren will always mean he will have to compete just as hard with his teammate as they are given equal status (something Irvine and Barrichello wouldn't claim of their time at the Scuderia).

Lauda and others are right to praise Lewis for taking control of this championship this year... he has more stick from the media to contend with than either of the Ferrari drivers and has considerably less experience too... both Massa and Kimi have been in F1 for several years with top teams (both starting out at Sauber of course) and both still don't have the edge over this guy.. Kimi has slipped even more into his laziness that he showed flashes of at McLaren, and Felipe doesn't have the grit to challenge for the championship in any real sense... Lewis' biggest contender was probably Fernando Alonso.. but he isn't in the right car to do so... a Ferrari seat in the future might see some epic battles between these two without the in-fighting that marred last year....

EDIT: in response to your qu. Tilly, no I don't think they do... Kimi never has and that is his major fault, and Felipe doesn't have that extra level he can go to, he works hard, but only to keep where he is now... Alonso has it in spades, but not the right car to do it in, Kubica could, Rosberg might, as could Vettel, but we need to seem them at the front so the pressure can bring it out of them like it does for Lewis...

EDIT: What impresses me most about Alonso is his analysis and input whilst driving... even if he is having a bad day he is telling the team what they could do tactically or mechanically to the car in order to try and move them up... he is always very concise and clear in his radio dialogue... That is what every driver should attain to, that knowledge and understanding of the car...