Don't believe everything you read: Hamilton admits driver error to blame

[tristancliffe]

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...22220432.shtml

Basically admitted his finger slipped, rather than a malfunction of the car's systems.

[Nicholosophy]

In this article, Hamilton repeats some of Alonso's thoughts in regards to winning the WDC through an appeal. Does this mean that Lewis should be off to Renault too?

[ralf fan]

Ouch. Not a way to lose a championship. He did seem anxious at the start of the race and i think this probably factored into the error.

[Sodemo]

Reminds me of Mansell at Montreal in 1991, was waving to the crowd about to take a clear easy win, then switched the engine off at the hairpin with a slip of the hand.

[jab]

I think I just heard James Allen's head explode...

[flagwaver]

Now you can see the true mark of the man, he admits it was his mistake. In my mind that takes some real guts. Can't think of many other drivers who will admit to there mistakes so soon after the event. Most save it for there autobiography.

[strider]

Credit to pitpass.com for sniffing out the story this morning: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=33292

[Rick]

Originally Posted by flagwaver

Now you can see the true mark of the man, he admits it was his mistake.

don't think he had much choice, seems the story was out.

[Alan52]

Although I have been full of admiration for the way Hamilton has driven this year the pit entry in China and the attempted pass on Alonso in Brazil have been the equivalent of having 2 points on serve to win a grand slam tennis tournament and serving 2 double faults.It is a contender for the biggest choke in Grand Prix history.

[Kebab]

The kid is only human - 2 errors in the last two grand prix's with massive pressure on him. Very few drivers have experience of that kind of expectation/stress and could handle it.

[deejay]

I was speculating with friends that it might have been a driver induced problem.

I'm impressed he is big enough to admit it. A lot wouldn't.

I'm also impressed with him not wanting to win the championship through appeal. Which makes a further mockery of Mclaren doing it on "his behalf".

I haven't liked a lot of what I've seen from LH in the tail part of the season, but he's shown a humble and sporting side after the loss that might yet turn me around on him.

[Javi]

altough spanish, and probably more alonso and Kimi supporter than hamilton´s, I admit that what this guy has done this year is MIGHTY impressive. OK, he´s cracked under pressure twice, but so did Schumacher in its time (1994, 1997, 1998). He´ll win the WDC sometime soon. Anyhow, I am quite sure that, had McLaren supported Alonso like they should have done, he would have won the championship. Between Alonso, Dennis and Hamilton thay have made a big mess of McLaren and they´re all responsible for this title loss.

[pdman]

WELL, bang goes my theory that someone Spiked Lewis's car

In my defence I was still on the ceiling screaming with disappointment..........

.

[MrTTraces]

Originally Posted by pdman

WELL, bang goes my theory that someone Spiked Lewis's car

.

What!...Lewis's car was date raped? One hell of a theory!

[#15 tkm 4/]

Originally Posted by MrTTraces

What!...Lewis's car was date raped? One hell of a theory!

well is that practical what yamamoto did to fisi?

Mounted from behind when he wernt expecting it!

[ensign14]

Turns out the story is a load of bulldink. McLaren categorically denying that Hamilton ever said this. The Telegraph says it's a software error - he changed down and the software forgot to finish the change, so it went into neutral.

2 factors supporting this:

1. McLaren examined the gearbox before the race - ITV confirmed this before the race;

2. had it been that simple Hamilton would not have had crawlingly slow pitstops to make sure the limiter wasn't the problem.

[Ralf's Girl]

I agree with that, Ensign - it's the pitstops that make me think it couldn't have been simple driver error. Even if it was, however, I don't think it's fair to describe it as "choking" - we are talking about a young driver in his first year who made barely a single error until October. I think some people are forgetting that rather easily.

[Kieran20]

Originally Posted by Javi

altough spanish, and probably more alonso and Kimi supporter than hamilton´s, I admit that what this guy has done this year is MIGHTY impressive. OK, he´s cracked under pressure twice, but so did Schumacher in its time (1994, 1997, 1998). He´ll win the WDC sometime soon. Anyhow, I am quite sure that, had McLaren supported Alonso like they should have done, he would have won the championship. Between Alonso, Dennis and Hamilton thay have made a big mess of McLaren and they´re all responsible for this title loss.

alonso and hamilton were treated the same throughout the season just like the ferrari drivers.

alonso moaned and moaned and moaned aboutnot having #1 status, simply because hes not good enough to beat hamilton, adriver in his rookie season.

ive said time and time again at the end of last season, that alonso is another schumacher, talented but flawed, no one listened.

maybe mclaren should have given lewis #1 status, then he would have won the championship.

however this season we saw a great fight between 4 drivers, kimi came out on top, however lucky or unlucky he was this season, but either way both kimi and lewis deserved this title.

whos to blame is the fact both drivers were allowed equal treatment throughout the season,which is how it should be.

[MikeBz]

It would be bonkers to design your F1 systems such that an accidental brush of the wrong button on the wheel would leave you with in neutral and needing to some kind of system reset to get drive back. I can't believe that the 'start sequence' initiation isn't protected in some way such that it can't be activated once the car is moving at speed.

[garcon]

I was thinking the same Mike, that button must have some kind of failsafe, but nothing surprises me at McLaren any more.

[Alan Raine]

If it's true, then why hasn't it happened before, if it's that easy to do? Hamilton was taking a strange line after the first series of bends and often crossing the pit exit line. Was this to avoid the bumps which can cause the electronics to do odd things.

I also notice that the likes of Autosport.com as yet have ignored the reports.

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by garcon

I was thinking the same Mike, that button must have some kind of failsafe, but nothing surprises me at McLaren any more.

I THINK I read somewhere that some teams have the pit limiter as the same button as the drinks button. It's just that it kicks in the pit limiter at a fairly low speed. On the basis that drivers would only be able to get a quick drinkie on a fast straight. So I assume that the Macs have the same sort of thing - an override so it only works when the driver is down to 80 or so.

[f1manoz]

Originally Posted by ensign14

Turns out the story is a load of bulldink. McLaren categorically denying that Hamilton ever said this. The Telegraph says it's a software error - he changed down and the software forgot to finish the change, so it went into neutral.

2 factors supporting this:

1. McLaren examined the gearbox before the race - ITV confirmed this before the race;

2. had it been that simple Hamilton would not have had crawlingly slow pitstops to make sure the limiter wasn't the problem.

Of course McLaren have said this. Don't want their golden child to appear human do they.

[ensign14]

There's no evidence to say it was Hamilton's fault. There's evidence to say it was not.

As has been pointed out elsewhere, Hamilton's rear "I'm-on-the-limiter" light was not glowing when he was slowing. He was going and not flowing, almost towing a great big Boeing.

[andy_b]

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

I also notice that the likes of Autosport.com as yet have ignored the reports.

Autosport's online editior said on their forums that they had double checked the story and those she asked claimed it to be untrue and therefore the original rumour was not published. A denial has since been published.