CycleChat Investigates - Lewis Hamilton

[Drago]

Does anyone know quite why Nigel Mansell CBE was so popular?

He was especially well regarded by moustache aficionados.

 

[Reynard]

As phaeton said.

Mansell was also got very good results at the British grand prix (especially if you knock out the retirements), in contrast to many other British drivers. Sure even from the same era John Watson won it once, beforehand Hunt won it once, Stewart a couple of times and so on. It's sometimes argued that Jim Clark (five wins at the British Grand Prix before he died) was popular for the same reason.

In Mansell's era it's noticeable there were other British racing drivers that weren't particularly liked or got the success. Derrick Warwick, John Watson and Jonathan Palmer (he was terrible on tv). You can sort of see why people would have liked Mansell.

Lewis Hamilton has an amazing record at Silverstone like Mansell and Jim Clark.

Mmmm, but Mansell didn't have much in the way of success outside F1 - and his success was pretty well much down to (inevitably) being in the right place at the right time. He was a decent driver, but not a great driver, heavy on his machinery and distinctly lacking in finesse. Plus the media pushed the image of the "plucky Brit" - especially given the cack that Nelson Piquer Sr was flinging at him. Now, I've no time for Nelson either, but...

However, Warwick, Brundle, Dumfries, Herbert and Palmer (seeings that we're talking of that era) were all also incredibly accomplished sportscar drivers - four out of those five won Le Mans. Derek won the World Sportscar championship and came second twice, as well as winning the '73 Superstox World Championship.

 

[marinyork]

However, Warwick, Brundle, Dumfries, Herbert and Palmer (seeings that we're talking of that era) were all also incredibly accomplished sportscar drivers - four out of those five won Le Mans. Derek won the World Sportscar championship and came second twice, as well as winning the '72 Superstox World Championship.

Warwick was good and widely known and that's the way it is sometimes and how it goes in F1. The late 70s and early 80s was regarded as a unlucky dry period for brits. Watson was a very different personality to Mansell.

The F1 stuff is not necessarily indicative of wider things. I've seen it said before that Surtees got the CBE rather an MBE or OBE because of a wider range of achievements which is also something I didn't put in my earlier post.

 

[Drago]

Thr Moustache went straight from F1 tomIndy Car and took the championship there, the only driver to do so consecutively.

 

[Reynard]

Warwick was good and widely known and that's the way it is sometimes and how it goes in F1. The late 70s and early 80s was regarded as a unlucky dry period for brits. Watson was a very different personality to Mansell.

The F1 stuff is not necessarily indicative of wider things. I've seen it said before that Surtees got the CBE rather an MBE or OBE because of a wider range of achievements which is also something I didn't put in my earlier post.

So is Warwick - a very different personality to Mansell. And a much, much nicer person. But then I would say that. When it comes to both Warwick brothers, I'm as partisan as hell.

Surtees is one of those unusual men who was fast whatever he rode or drove. The only other person in that bracket that springs to mind is Johnny Cecotto. While he bombed in F1 (well, having Senna as your team mate came with a warning tag), he then had a stellar career in touring cars.

 

[marinyork]

So is Warwick - a very different personality to Mansell. And a much, much nicer person. But then I would say that. When it comes to both Warwick brothers, I'm as partisan as hell.

Warwick and Watson were nice people.

The old nice thing as alluded to in my post doesn't necessarily stack up when you add other dimensions. Damon Hill the stereotypical nice guy moved to Ireland to dodge tax in the 1990s and the Monaco thing has been going on forever with all manner of good, bad and ugly F1 drivers.

 

[Drago]

Button lived in Guernsey. OK, I guess he was there for tax reasons, but at least he actually lived in a British overseas territory. In my view anyone up for a knighthood should at least reside on British soil.

 

[Reynard]

Thr Moustache went straight from F1 tomIndy Car and took the championship there, the only driver to do so consecutively.

Yes, but both times he had the best car and the biggest budget (Newman-Hass), and certainly regarding Indycar, the series was already beginning to fracture at that point, with some teams already looking at forming the Indy Racing League and therefore not being quite so terribly committed to the whole thing.

And people oh-so-conveniently forget his many concrete-chewing antics on the ovals. Oval racing requires much more finesse than circuit racing, because there sure as hell isn't a run-off...

 

[Reynard]

Warwick and Watson were nice people.

I've never met John Watson, so can't say. But Derek is the warmest, kindest, gentlest person you could ever wish to meet. If he's got a fault, it's that he's far too self-deprecating.

 

[Beebo]

This just popped up on YouTube.

View: https://youtu.be/knuYY8oiDZU

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

When things aren't going his way he's a sullen sulk merchant

Presidential material obviously............

 

[Drago]

Well, over halfway in, time for a sitrep. Unless something radically chamges, a knighthood is one championship he won't be winning this time.

 

[tyred]

I used to be an avid F1 fan but have lost interest in recent years and haven't watched a race in several years and have no desire to do so. I just gradually stopped enjoying it.

I think Hamilton is an exceptionally good driver, I could see that before I stopped watching. I suspect he will go on to be considered along with Fangio, Clark, Stewart, Lauda, Prost, Senna and Schumacher as one of the all time greats and he does deserve such accolades (IMO). I also find him smug, irritating and extremely arrogant and could never warm to him but it's probably partly that attitude which has made him so good.

It is impossible to truely compare him to the other greats. I'm sure Fangio would beat him in a Maserati 250F but Hamilton would beat Fangio in the modern day Merc. They are all of their era.

As for the knighthood, well I always thought they were awards for achievements rather than popularity contests. Hamilton has achieved a lot in his chosen sport so from that point of view he deserves it just as much as any other sports star.

 

[gbb]

To me it's because he never gave up it never seemed to matter if it seems pointless he drove to the end of each race like there was still a chance he could win

I always liked Mansell, yeah he could moan, he was by the greats drivers standards pretty mundane but he was one of the best in his particular period. And dogged, like a terrier and possibly because he really did appear like 'the bloke next door'...I think people could relate to him.
Consecutive F1 and IndyCar champions, winning IndyCar as a rookie, I'm not sure if anyone has done that.
A gargantuan great like Senna, Hamilton and Schumacher...no probably not. But a world champion at both disciplines...

 

[Drago]

I was at the British GP in 1986 at Brands.

Mansell's car had blown up during practice. When asked what the problem was he said, "It's an electrical problem". The interviewer queried this, what with the impressive smoke and pyrotechnics, and Mansell cooly replied, "yeah, a conrod went through the alternator." Couldn't see Lewis cracking a funny like that.