Whitmarsh: Hamilton is “his own sternest critic”

F1 Fanatic round-up

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A relieved Hamilton back on top of the podium

In the round-up: Martin Whitmarsh defends Lewis Hamilton’s performance in 2011.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Whitmarsh: McLaren intent on adding to title tally in 2012 (F1)

“Such is the level of his ambition that he’s his own sternest critic. Sometimes, therefore, when things don’t go quite right for him, he lets it get to him. We saw that last year sometimes.”

Raikkonen: there’s nothing better than an F1 car (James Allen)

“I was a little concerned about finding the sport had really moved on. But frankly, on Monday and Tuesday I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t feel any difference.”

Pre-season feelings: Mario Andretti (GP Update)

“[DRS] is somewhat artificial – especially the way that it is regulated. With the way it is allowed to be used, it seems like the driver you are trying to overtake is naked.”

Roberto Mieres dies aged 87 (Autosport)

“Mieres, who started 17 world championship grands prix during the early 1950s, passed away in Uruguay, where he had lived for a number of years.”

Serious questions behind the F1 glitter (Joe Saward)

“The situation at Force India is worrying in that it is a team with no visible means of support.”

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"So Kimi, what are your comments about the test?" "I was quickest."

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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49 comments on “Whitmarsh: Hamilton is “his own sternest critic””

  1. “The situation at Force India is worrying in that it is a team with no visible means of support.”

    Keith, can we really trust anything Joe Saward writes about Force India? Between the episode where he tried to insinuate that Liuzzi would take legal action against Mallya and retain his seat for 2011, and the incident where he accused Mallya of lying about the sale of the team when Mallya said no such thing, I can’t help but question the reliability of everything he says about the team.

    1. well, even so, Kingfisher Airlines (as almost every airline at the moment) IS struggling. Really struggling.

      So it’s no surprise people doubt the future of the team, as Kingfisher is one of Vijay’s the most important companies….

      1. I’m aware of Kingfisher’s woes, but I’m wondering if Saward isn’t overstating them because of his dislike of Mallya.

        1. I’m aware of Sawards’s woes, but I’m wondering if PM isn’t overstating them because of his dislike of Saward.

          What do ya know? It works!

          Speaking honestly, though, PM has a valid point. I think you need to take this valid opinion with a grain of salt.

        2. If you ignore the fact that since Mallya stated he is not selling FI he went down from majority owner to 35%, and the fact Liuzzi is still dealing with FI about the settlement between them (before possibly going to court) you might say Saward was completely wrong on those accounts.

          I actually think the was pretty close to reallity in both cases. Not to mention that the situation of Kingfisher airlines really is far from positive now.

    2. Uhh but didnt he sell the team? He went from having what, 85% stake to 42.5% and sahara now has the remainder? to me that seems like a sale

      1. No, he sold a stake in the team. Saward ran an article stating that Mallya had given notice to the press an said that he was selling the entire team (and therefore leaving the sport), and when Mallya announced that Sahara had purchased 42.5% of the team rather than Mallya’s full stake, Saward accused him of lying about the sale – but Mallya had never stated he was selling the entire team.

        1. I don’t understand why your knickers are getting twisted. Saward has his opinions, you have yours, and I have mine. There is absolutely no reason to get personal.

          1. Saward has his opinions, you have yours, and I have mine.

            The difference is that you and I don’t have an agenda. We don’t present our opinions as facts the way Saward has been known to.

          2. The difference is that you and I don’t have an agenda. We don’t present our opinions as facts the way Saward has been known to

            I don’t know about Saward, but you have certainly been doing just that for years now @prisoner-monkeys!

            Get off it. If you don’t agree or like Saward, just don’t read what he writes. Problem solved!

        2. Semantics. Some of the team WAS sold. Saward obviously found this out without all his details being correct.

    3. I don’t care for all this harping on about Joe Saward’s preferences of drivers and teams. He makes it quite clear that he will express his own opinions:

      http://joesaward.wordpress.com/what/

      If you don’t like it then don’t read his site. I will continue to as long as I find it useful. If you don’t like it there’s no point complaining to me about it.

      1. Well said Keith!

      2. can’t we all get along.
        I didn’t know who this Joe Saward
        was untill today. I asked him if he was a senna or prost fan to be able to judge him a little. Keep you posted.
        But he is an f1 fan, so to beggin with he is better that the regular chap on the street, i am pretty sure about that.

        1. I suggest you look into Joe Saward’s history a little further.

          He’s one of the longest-established and most highly-respected journalists in the paddock: and (with respect to Keith who I’m sure will get there one day), actually does go to all the races, unlike many other commentators.

          1. Joe Saward commented on Blog rules.

            in response to kowalsky:

            firtst time in your blog. One question to understand you fast. senna or prost, and why?

            Senna. No argument

            i like Joe Saward, he is a senna guy. The way it should be.

  2. I do not believe a word whaitmarsh says about lewis.

    1. Is that after Lewis had to rubbish some if his comments last year?

    2. @matt2208 I know they have disagreed in the past but I do actually think this is true. Hamilton is very harsh on himself. Not only professionally, but especially emotionally.

      1. agree, that’s why he is not as good when the pressure is on. His best year was 2007 until brasil when he messed up under extreme presure. He was at his best when he was not supposed to be winning against alonso.
        Retiring with just one title.?!! it looks a real possibility right now. Who would have thought that during the 2007 season?!!!

        1. I really hope that Lewis does manage multiple titles. He has so much talent!

    3. @matt2208 Well he’s his boss so he’s better placed to comment about him than most.

      1. agree, but remember that this people would say what they consider is best for them and the team.
        The best example is ecclestone, who doesn’t say anything without an agenda, except when he talks about the nazis.

    4. I thought I was Hamiltons sternest critic, huh. :)

  3. I read on a blog that Kimi got to meet the Finnish head of state yesterday. When someone asked him what he said to the president, Kimi said “I said hello”.

    1. I think that was over four years ago, actually.

      But hey, I’ve said hello to the President of Finland too. Then I shook her hand and took a photo (of her – didn’t think that it might be nice to have myself in the photo as well). My girlfriend and I saw the former Prime Minister walking across the street in Helsinki last autumn too. In a small country like this, it’s not so rare.

      1. I think that was over four years ago, actually.

        It sounds like the kind of thing that would happen when Raikkonen won his title. I can’t really see the head of state arranging to meet Raikkonen because he was returning to Formula 1.

        1. That could very well happen here. Though it is more likely that it happened in 2007.

          1. It did – Kimi was invited to the Independence Day celebration, which is held every December by the President, in 2007. Just a short while after he won his WDC. It’s possible that Karan was referring to a separate incident, but that’s probably the one.

  4. Mario Andretti said it! Had the FIA brought in DRS during the days of Andretti, Stewart, Lauda and Hunt I guess they’d have manhandled every FIA official (or whoever makes these childish rules) out there!

    1. But DRS wouldn’t have been introduced in the 1970s, because the cars of forty years ago weren’t producing nearly as much downforce as they are today, which means passing would have been possible.

      1. Yes, I should thought about it before blurting out!

        But my point is that there are solutions available (such as lesser reliance on aero) to tackle the issue of no overtaking rather than going for arrangements such as DRS. In the 70s there was no room for artificial inducement of entertainment.

        1. Of course there was less dependence on aero in the 70s but that’s not his point at all.

          A large quantity of the fans hate DRS, so there must be some of the drivers who also dislike it? Point is they are too afraid to speak their mind, probably because they all have to watch what they say and give robotic answers these days.

          As I read it, that was @PT ‘s point. We all know there was less dependence on aero in the 70s.

          1. @John H

            You’re right. That’s what I meant, though I failed to figure the aero differences in the 70s while writing the comment.

            Drivers back then were straightforward racers who just wouldn’t accept any gimmick.

  5. i was watching the mp4-12c presentation in youtube, and i can say that hamilton doesn’t look very sharp on his suit. It seems a size too big, he needs some advise on the issue. Button on the other hand looks like a million dollars.
    In the interview, he was asked several questions, and he wasn’t saying the right answeres, eventhough what else could he say.
    The gear box and engine are not the best in the bussines, and to me mclaren and lewis don’t look like winners right now. We’ll see if they prove me wrong.

    1. well it beats Ferrari 458 in every possible field…and I’m sure that was their intention in first place!

      1. Except in the passion and soul stirring department, according to what many journalists say.

      2. says who snafu ? The experts from fifth and top gear say otherwise.
        I like the interior and exterior better, but the most important part of an sport car is hidden inside the engine and transmission, and in that area ferrari is still in front.

        1. I was actually referring to TG track time achieved by mclaren which is almost 3 seconds faster than 458…engine wise Ferrari is still in front but don’t forget this is the first attempt of Mclaren in creating a V8.

          only if “passion and soul” is given by heritage then ferrari has lots of it…

          1. peru(kowalsky)
            30th January 2012, 23:28

            3 seconds faster?!!! In top and fitfth gear the ferrari was faster for just a tenth of a second. · 3 seconds it must have been in a track like th nurburg. And i am just expeculating because i don’t have that data.

  6. Thank You Keith for the Birthday Wish!

    1. Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoyed it.

  7. Peter Sauber gives a little away about the upcoming C31

  8. Martin Whitmarsh says Hamilton is his own sternest critic.

    ….Martin Whitmarsh hasn’t read the comments in F1 fanatic recently.

  9. Mr.Saward’s statements about Mallya’s credentials are incorrect. Yes kingfisher is in trouble, but then all airlines in india are making losses. Mallya has other sources, he’s a liquor baron for crying out loud, and he has fuelled kingfisher airlines through that co. only and not taken any aid from the Govt. as he was quoted saying ” I shall not use up hard earned tax payers money to bail my co. out”. This Saward guy needs to get out of the bubble he lives in and do some proper research before blurting things out.

  10. I was a little concerned about finding the sport had really moved on. But frankly, on Monday and Tuesday I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t feel any difference

    I know I’m a day late but I had to comment on this.

    Let’s recap. Kimi left the sport at the end of 2009, yes? Yes. Last Monday and Tuesday, Kimi tested a 2009 spec car, yes? Yes. So, is it really a surprise that Kimi didn’t feel any/much difference? No.

    He might have a bit of a shock once testing begins properly…

  11. Although Martin Whitmarsh’s words state the obvious, Lewis Hamilton has more to worry about than the Red Bull team and Sebastien Vettel. 2011 was the first season in his F1 career inwhich Lewis lost to his team mate, a man the majority of fans and pundits alike thought he would dominate.
    Thus if Hamilton is going to move forward in his career he has to beat Jenson Button in 2012, even if the McLaren is not fast enough to cope with the Red Bulls’. This for me, is paramount. As Whitmarsh himself mentioned, Button along with Vettel were the only multiple grands prix winners last year.
    Hamilton has to hit the ground running early in the season and put pressure on his team mate. Button revelled in being the underdog in peoples’ eyes last year but this time Button will be expected to win just as much as Lewis. If this is not the case, it will be interesting to see what happens? Button and Hamilton though, without doubt, will both pose a threat to Vettel this season, as they are the best driver pairing in F1 right now!

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