Enough Already

Everytime Britain get's hopes of an individual sports star, there is such a racket that is made. Remember Tim Henman? Jenson Button?

Now, there is a lot of noise being made about Lewis Hamilton, McLaren's prodigy who has become the first rookie in Formula 1 to get on all three podiums in the first race. Now don't get me wrong. I am really impressed with the poise and composure of this young man in his first season in F1. He has handled the pressure and deserves to be at the top of the table for his consistent performances.

But would he be the wonder boy had he made his debut in a Renault? Last year's world champions are struggling to get into the points, forget asserting their leadership. And poor Heikki Kovalainen is having a stumble of a debut in a rotten car. Last year's lame horse McLaren has got it's act together after struggling for a few years. And Lewis is riding on the wave of a good McLaren car helping him to the front of the grid.

What he has not done, though, is to talk to someone like Eddie Jordon saying you have raced around this particular track, manouver yourself into a position where you are allowed a race and then qualify a rickety Jordon on to 8th place on the grid.

That's right. I'm furious about this young fella being compared with Michael Schumaker. Schumi retired last year as the most successful F1 driver in the history of the sport and we have here a two bit debutant who has raced in only three races being compared with and being talked about as the next Schumaker.

Brits, please give me a break!

I know you are not particularly fond of Schumi, as you guys go out of the way to blast every single thing that he does. Then why compare this rookie to a person who you loathe? That isn't exactly a compliment, is it? But you do it because you know what Schumi has achieved is unique and that his records will probably stand for all time.

I would love to see what Hamilton can do in a car which is not running as well as it's front runners (remember F1 seasons '96 through '99, when Ferrari was clearly not the strongest car on the grid and yet Schumi was in Championship contention every single year - except when he broke his leg). The test of a good driver is when he does not drive the best car and still performs.

Look at the seasons from 1995:

1996 : Damon Hill (won and was still chucked out of Williams while still champion)
1997: Jacque Villnueve (had the best car on the grid, got lost in a BAR, big mouth, unknown since)
1998 - 99: Mika Hakinnen (the fastest and most reliable car on the grid)

When all these guys won, it was because they were great drivers (not because of the car). But when Ferrari started to dominate, it was because they had the best car, not because they had the greatest driver in the world who resurrected a team that had not won a single race since 1972 into a team which won six constructor titles on the trot.

No one looks at Schumi's ability to win with a four pit stop strategy, his ability to put in a really hot lap as soon as he is out of the pits, his ability to manage the car and his ability to come from behind (as he so amply showed in his final sign-off GP last year).

So I only have this to say. Lewis, you have a long way to go. If you have to even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Schumi, here is what you need to do in your career:

• Start more than 200 races (Schumi 250)
• Start from pole in a lot of them (Schumi 68)
• Win at least 30% of races started (Schumi 37%)
• Finish on the podium in a lot of the rest (more than 60)

Do that and I myself will hail you. Until I see something like that, forgive me if I don't compose songs on your skill and provess. I love what you're doing on the track and the promise that you have shown, but I would like to ignore most of what is being written about you.

I wish you all the best in the coming races and for your entire future and hope you are the kind of driver who will excite me enough to want to watch F1 again, something that I have founf lacking since Schumi's retirement last year.

Give me hope, Lewis. Not hype.