Formula 1 Qualifying F1

[Phil H]

Romain Grosjean saying Goodbye to his Team - YouTube

PH

 

[allandwf]

Romain Grosjean saying Goodbye to his Team - YouTube

PH

Fair play to him, getting his priorities in order. Good luck to him

 

[jasst]

Has he got a drive next year?

 

[Phil H]

I don't think he has; it's said that he would like to get back in a car during the winter, although a new contract may not be uppermost in his mind right now. Watch the video in the Sky report:

Romain Grosjean will not return for final Haas race in F1 at Abu Dhabi GP | F1 News (skysports.com)

PH

 

[alfatwo]

Has he got a drive next year?

Electric racing if he's lucky!

Dave

 

[jasst]

Hope he doesn't, biggest liability in F1 in recent years, never had any time for him, oh, and he's white

 

[rockits]

I pay no attention to colour....it is irrelevant to me. It is just a colour....it means nothing. It does irk me a little when people make things about race or colour or create issues that in my eyes don't exist but I'm being told that they do and I just don't realise it. I know what I think.

It can cause and create issues more than there were if at all in the first place. It is often creating divides that either weren't there in the first place or were there but has now widened them.

The very things that are trying to highlight issues that might not even exist to some extent are actually discriminative themselves.

Just because a sport or job or anything has less men or women or anything doesn't necessarily make it discriminative. It takes tame to find balance.

I admire Hamilton as a driver with the immense accolades and success he has achieved through clear sacrifice and sheer grit and determination to be the very best in the world. There aren't many that achieve this.

Do I admire him as a person? No. I find so many of these wealthy individuals a little self centred and a little two faced. There are so many double standards it is unreal. Nobody needs that amount of wealth. It is quite sickening to see quite frankly. Don't get my started on the even richer.

 

[midlifecrisis]

To the self-centred reference, you'll probably find that many champions are. That's why they are champions, others call it arrogance, determination. Its just how its presented by the press that's different.

 

[BennyD]

I pay no attention to colour....it is irrelevant to me. It is just a colour....it means nothing. It does irk me a little when people make things about race or colour or create issues that in my eyes don't exist but I'm being told that they do and I just don't realise it. I know what I think.

It can cause and create issues more than there were if at all in the first place. It is often creating divides that either weren't there in the first place or were there but has now widened them.

The very things that are trying to highlight issues that might not even exist to some extent are actually discriminative themselves.

Just because a sport or job or anything has less men or women or anything doesn't necessarily make it discriminative. It takes tame to find balance.

I admire Hamilton as a driver with the immense accolades and success he has achieved through clear sacrifice and sheer grit and determination to be the very best in the world. There aren't many that achieve this.

Do I admire him as a person? No. I find so many of these wealthy individuals a little self centred and a little two faced. There are so many double standards it is unreal. Nobody needs that amount of wealth. It is quite sickening to see quite frankly. Don't get my started on the even richer.

I agree with the vast majority of your points but, be careful when you aren’t singing from the Millenial/Snowflake hymn sheet. These days, forming your own opinion can be a cause of dogs abuse from those that can’t. Perhaps it’s a good thing that Oneball has blocked me, otherwise he would most probably take offence to this as well.

 

[rockits]

To the self-centred reference, you'll probably find that many champions are. That's why they are champions, others call it arrogance, determination. Its just how its presented by the press that's different.

I think the trick is to be self centred on the track but less so off it. Not sure many get that balance right.

 

[rockits]

I agree with the vast majority of your points but, be careful when you aren’t singing from the Millenial/Snowflake hymn sheet. These days, forming your own opinion can be a cause of dogs abuse from those that can’t. Perhaps it’s a good thing that Oneball has blocked me, otherwise he would most probably take offence to this as well.

I've always managed to fathom my own opinion and way in life not primarily concerning myself to be hip, trendy or popular. I don't go out of my way to pick fights or make enemies and actually quite the opposite. However I don't feel it is right to water down my opinion as it doesn't align with someone else's. We are all different on this planet which is totally fine with me. It also should be fine with everyone else. Diversity and competition is always very healthy. I don't think it is reasonable to suggest everyone should think the same or have the same opinion. We might as well all be robots or identical at that point and what a boring situation that would be.

 

[BennyD]

I've always managed to fathom my own opinion and way in life not primarily concerning myself to be hip, trendy or popular. I don't go out of my way to pick fights or make enemies and actually quite the opposite. However I don't feel it is right to water down my opinion as it doesn't align with someone else's. We are all different on this planet which is totally fine with me. It also should be fine with everyone else. Diversity and competition is always very healthy. I don't think it is reasonable to suggest everyone should think the same or have the same opinion. We might as well all be robots or identical at that point and what a boring situation that would be.

I completely agree and try to do the same, but you do get people who will throw tantrums when they dont manage to bulldoze you into accepting their point of view (Oneball, take a bow). However, we are being marginalised by mainstream opinion.

 

[rockits]

I think we will always have differences amongst us all. It is not an issue for me and just because I don't agree with someone on something that is no reason to have issues and conflict. I just agree to disagree and move on. I do have some challenges with some things when it is totally illogical as I am a very logical person so find accepting illogical things a little more difficult. I am learning to understand and realise not everyone makes logical decisions even the wrong decisions. However it does happen. Does it make them any less of a human being? No. It just is what it is.

Funny thing is I have become both more tolerant and less tolerant as I have got older. Sounds odd but it does work.

We should be able to speak our minds and have our own thoughts with personal opinion without fear of being stabbed, shot or marginalised or discriminated against. However I fear not everyone is so tolerant or accepting so this will continue to be an issue for many years I fear.

Going back to Lewis Hamilton it is quite weird actually when you think about it as he seems to have had a fairly privileged upbringing compared to many in the world. Even in this country. Which seems quite commonplace in F1 from what I know or can tell for clear reason. That in itself is quite discriminating against all the kids male or female that might be amazing drivers that will never get any opportunity to realise this. This has nothing to do with race or colour. It just means like all things in life that if you have a reasonably privileged start in life you have a massive edge on others who don't.

I whole wholeheartedly applaud anyone who didn't have this level of start in life that has managed to get over this initial adversity to progress to a high level in anything they choose to do.

Maybe for this reason Lewis Hamilton doesn't really have this connection with many that others sometimes do have. He had a great start in his chosen career akin to many others so was advantaged form the start. I am not suggesting his achievements are any less because of this but I would be more applauding of someone achieving what he has without that privileged start that he did. That is another level IMHO.

Not many at all achieve this for the very reason that it is rarer and harder. These are the stories I really want to hear and these are the people I really want to admire.

 

[Andyk]

When I look at Lewis I don't see the colour of his skin.....I see a 7 times world champion and the most successful, talented and best driver of his generation and possibly the best driver of all time and he is British...That is something to celebrate. I really do not give a sh1t what his views are or what he does out of the car. He has a talent that most cannot get close to and he is our talent and that is something to be proud of for the UK as let's face it we don't have much these days.....His achievements for the sport is nothing but admirable.

 

[rockits]

I agree Andy. His achievements are to be applauded and are amazing when he is finished are likely never to be repeated or maybe not for a very l long time. It is rare to see as he is almost like a machine. He doesn't seem to make very many mistakes and is very consistent. A great recipe for current F1.

However his thoughts, opinions and actions might no be valid to you or I granted but they are very valid to many many youngsters looking towards these very influential people for direction that they are influenced by.

 

[zagatoes30]

I agree with Andy too, I see Hamilton as one of the best of all time, the way he has taken that natural talent and honed it to be the best he can be in a race car. He has always been fast but like most of the young generation some of his decisions were not always great but he has looked at those and improved. It wasn't long ago it was win at all costs but these days he has patience and has the balance of push when necessary and be patient and wait for the race to come to him.

However like all sports stars I do think he has to be a role model for future generations and his activities on track need a similar level of thought. Just like the little kid kicking a football looks up to the Premier league stars, he can dive and cheat then so can I, if he can abuse another player on or off the filed then so can I - Role models have a duty not only to be the best at what they do but also to be a good person outside their chosen career these are the ones we remember and these are the ones who have make positive change.

 

[BennyD]

Whilst I can accept your views on Hamilton to a certain extent, he will never be the ‘Best of all time’. All his success has been gained with one team that regularly fields the best car. Before he was ‘sabotaged’ Russell was almost certain to win in a car he didn’t fit into, had never driven before and had to contend with the way Hamilton had set the controls. Remember, this was a man that had consistently struggled in the wrong half of the field all his career until last weekend. If Hamilton walked away from Mercedes at the end of the season, went to Williams or MacLaren and started to win GPs and won the Championship with them, then he would have more of a claim to be the best the world has ever seen. Until then, he will be remembered as the most successful driver of all time but he will never be the best driver of all time.

 

[Phil H]

I think it has to be a given that without reliable and competitive cars drivers cannot display their talents to best effect, and there are undoubtedly talented drivers who never had 'the right car'. If we accept that, how do we nominate the 'best driver of all time'? Is it the best in a particular discipline (Grand Prix or F1 or Rallying or Sports), the most versatile who consistently proves their worth in multiple disciplines, or just an all round good egg?

If we limit it to Grand Prix/F1, who do you see as the 'best of all time' Benny, and in what time frame?

PH

 

[BennyD]

It is difficult to nominate a ‘best driver of all time’ as all disciplines are different enough to make it valueless. Schumacher was regarded as the best F1 driver because of the number of victories and world titles both of which have now been overtaken by Hamilton. However, Schumacher won 2 titles with Benetton, one with Ford power and one with Renault power, and 5 with Ferrari whereas Hamilton has won all his with Mercedes. Therefore, IMO, and I really don’t like him, to me Schumacher is the better driver. In the ‘good old days’ Fangio, Moss, Clarke and Surtees drove cars that were dangerous on roads that weren’t fit for purpose but still did it better than anybody else. Surtees won 4 500cc motorcycle World Championships and the F1 World Championship so he has got to be right up there as one of the best ever. Hamilton is good, very good, but not the best.

 

[Phil H]

But Hamilton was no slouch whilst with McLaren, and he doesn't have a reputation for dirty tricks. Even if he's not the flavour of the month, his record is going to take some beating.

As an all-rounder Graham Hill must be in with a shout having F1, Le Mans, and Indy to his credit, and that takes some doing. Then you have Jackie Stewart taking titles in the bad old days of dangerous cars and dangerous circuits; I once read that he was highly regarded by his teams for being easy on the cars whilst still getting results.

PH