Bernie Ecclestone once said that no person is bigger than Formula 1. Even so, Bernie must have been a little concerned about the post-Michael Schumacher era. Yes, the sport can survive the loss of its megastar, but Schumacher’s departure was hardly a positive.
And yet, just three races in to the new era, Bernie must be feeling mighty relieved. No sooner does one star driver slip away than another bursts into life. I’m talking, of course, about Lewis Hamilton. No other rookie has made such a splash before – three podiums in three races makes Lewis is the best rookie ever. Oh, and he’s joint leader of the world championship, too.
It seems, then, that Bernie’s maxim still rings true. Old heroes are not forgotten, but new stars emerge to take their place. And, like most F1 folk, Bernie Ecclestone is already well aboard the Hamilton bandwagon, which is proving to be the perfect tonic for a post-Schumi world. Bernie must be delighted: his kingdom is in safe hands.
But what can Lewis achieve this season? McLaren are already touting their hotshot as not only a future world champion, but as a genuine contender for this year’s title. It’s hard to disagree. Lewis really is that good. He’s already proved he can mix it with the best; proved he can beat Alonso, Raikkonen and Massa; proved that he’s part of the elite.
The killjoys may point to the fact that the Hamilton is lucky to find himself in such a good car. But Lewis is playing ball - he’s ringing the McLaren’s neck and delivering on each and every lap. He’s following Ron’s advice, too, mixing his natural talent with hours of dedication off the track.
And you can tell that Lewis loves every minute of it – the recurring smile tells us that much. He’s already admitted he can’t quite believe he’s beating his heroes. Mention his stellar starts in Melbourne and Sepang and his face lights up. Similarly, father Anthony is still struggling to get his head around what has happened in the past six weeks. Each race he looks even more dazzled. Like most of us he’s running short of superlatives.
And let’s not forget that it was not until Bahrain that Lewis reached some familiar territory. The first two races in Australia and Malaysia were circuits he’s never seen before. Just wait until we reach the European heartland where Lewis learnt his trade.
The other thing about Lewis that is so refreshing is his enthusiasm for Formula 1. That’s what Ron Dennis admires about his young charge. Ask Ron to talk about his drivers and he gets animated as he reveals just how much he’s enjoying working with such a passionate and affable pair. Clearly Ron is still enjoying the calm after the Montoya storm. No wonder Alonso and Hamilton are a breath of fresh air. Lewis, in particular, has wanted nothing else - his sole purpose in life has been to race for McLaren - his thirst for Formula 1 is genuine, and Ron loves it.
One question that’s worth considering, though, is how the Alonso-Hamilton relationship will develop over the coming months? One guesses that McLaren will have to play a managerial blinder to keep the pair on good terms. They may be buddies now, but there can only be one winner.
Yet both guys are amiable enough, and Alonso has enjoyed good working relationships with most of his team-mates. While at Renault he became great friends with Jarno Trulli and the pair still remain pals. But at Renault there was little doubt that Alonso was the quicker man. Trulli may have been able to punch out a quick qualifying lap, but it was Alonso who received the plaudits and was acknowledged as the savvier racer. Things at McLaren are different. He’s got to save face; losing out to the rookie is not in the script.
At the moment Alonso is putting a brave face on the performances of Hamilton, but he won’t have enjoyed being in Hamilton’s shadow in Bahrain, especially when the media seem intent on grilling him about Lewis’ performances. Okay, Bahrain may have been a blip, but Alonso will be keen to reassert his authority quickly, which could might make things a little tense in the McLaren pit.
Written by Will Hings on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:42:18
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