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[Jabberwocky]

I think 2009 will be the year that will show if Lewis will be an all time great/legend. We have seen that he can drive a good car, but a legend can harass a bad car and still come up with the good, dare I say like Alonso did last year, so for me 2009 will be Lewis' make or break year.

This is all assuming that Mcl are not sang bagging.

[McLaren Fan]

Hamilton has the skill to make Kovalainen (who will have no excuses this forthcoming season) look an amateur. My only concern is he'll see red. If Hamilton doesn't think clearly this season, at the very least he will learn a hell of a lot about racing.

[EwanM]

Debate: Will Lewis Hamilton retain his formula one drivers' title?
Jonathan Legard and John Watson argue whether McLaren's Lewis Hamilton will enjoy another year of success in formula one


Yes, Jonathan Legard. BBC TV's chief formula one commentator this season

Lewis Hamilton is my tip to win the championship but it is clear after what happened in testing that he will have to do it the hard way. If the questions are whether he is up for the challenge and whether he is capable of emulating the eight people who have won back-to-back titles then the answer is: Oh yes, definitely. He is a class act and he is also talking like someone who has enjoyed his moment after winning the title last season but is now determined to become a multiple champion, like Jackie Stewart, Michael Schumacher and the other legends.

It all depends on the car which, at the moment, is not a class act. But if any team could find solutions to their problems throughout the season it should be McLaren. They will do everything in their power to make Hamilton succeed, although it remains to be seen what kind of impact that has on his co-driver, Heikki Kovalainen. The Finn is a good team-mate but he is also determined to make a step up.

Losing Ron Dennis as team principal before the start of the season is not ideal but I still think the team will be rock-solid. It should be remembered that his replacement, Martin Whitmarsh, has been there the whole time and knows just what it takes for McLaren and Lewis in particular to succeed again. In general that team has so much experience and so much expertise that, even with the departure of someone as influential as Dennis, they can remain a driving force in formula one.

I am intrigued by one of Lewis's main rivals, Ferrari's Felipe Massa. Can the Brazilian go one better this year? Having gone so close last time out, the question is whether has he got the mental strength and desire to do so? That is the mark of a champion and it is something Hamilton showed last year. For me there is no guarantee that Massa has that quality and there is the very real possibility that he may struggle under the pressure and actually do less well this year.

However, this promises to be the closest championship in years with several teams involved. Brawn GP look the real deal and then there are Ferrari, BMW and Fernando Alonso in his Renault, who have made encouraging noises in the build-up to this season.

It will also be interesting to see what the new regulations mean for the different drivers. Will they benefit Hamilton? If more is required of the driver when it comes to things such as the ability to overtake and the question of who can drive well on the new tyres, then Hamilton is the man.

And one thing is for certain: complacency is not in Lewis's make-up, he does not know the meaning of that particular word. Everything he has ever done has been geared towards winning and winning again and, having seen him at the McLaren launch a few months ago, I got the distinct feeling that he is not ready to give up being champion just yet. The hunger is very much there.

There is something Schumacher-like about him, for Lewis it is about pushing himself towards the next challenge, which this year is retaining his title. It is not his style to put his feet up and rest on his success.
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No, John Watson MBE, won five grands prix over 12 years between 1973 and 1985
Lewis Hamilton may have won the formula one title last year but this season will be very different for him, for McLaren and for formula one. In 2007 he had a bloody good car and in 2008 he had a bloody good car. This season he hasn't got that, if testing is anything to go by.

Two years ago he stepped into a fantastic car and a fantastic team and that is the only thing he has ever known as a formula one driver. This season will be an interesting test for him, indeed the biggest challenge he has faced. It is the first time he is going to be the responsible party for the evolution of the car. Lewis has got to contribute towards the car getting better and we'll have to see how that works out.

Testing showed that the McLaren wasn't as quick as the Brawn GP car, despite having the same engine. That was a pretty big shock to me and I'm sure it was to McLaren as well. McLaren got closer to the other teams on the Friday of last week but they are now in a situation where they are going to Australia not only to see how their own car is working but also to see how far behind they are the other teams, if indeed they are behind.

And what happens if they don't get off to a good start and Lewis is suddenly driving an inferior car? There are indications that he could get frustrated by that and he will have to prove to people that he can stay calm and focused. There were a few incidents last season when he got penalised, in Canada for example, and hopefully he will have learned from those experiences and won't get into certain areas this season. Sometimes he is just too quick when he doesn't need to be.

Lewis has already done it all with a super competitive car and a strong team supporting him but this is completely new territory. I watched him in GP2 and he was just sublime then but that was when everyone had the same equipment. Formula one is not so easy. This season, for McLaren, you also have the factor of Ron Dennis handing over to Martin Whitmarsh and that is a big test for Martin and the team. There is less continuity suddenly and, added to all the other changes in the sport, that is something else to consider.

There are many ways a driver can influence events. How does he interact with the rest of the team when things aren't going his way? Has he got the capacity to get through those problems and still win races? Those are the areas in his development we are still awaiting answers on. Great drivers can win the title without having the best car. That is what Michael Schumacher did in his early days with Ferrari and that is what Fernando Alonso has done as well.

Those two drivers had natural ability and speed but also those other qualities that make a great driver, to give his team direction, to keep the morale high in the team rather than saying that the car isn't good enough and to throw the toys out of the pram. Certainly, if Lewis wins the title this season, he will prove that he is a true great of the sport, in the way that he is obviously dreaming about. But having the dream is not the same as getting the job done.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/mar/25/debate-lewis-hamilton-formula-one

[racechick]

Hamilton has the skill to make Kovalainen (who will have no excuses this forthcoming season) look an amateur. My only concern is he'll see red. If Hamilton doesn't think clearly this season, at the very least he will learn a hell of a lot about racing.

I know what you mean McLaren Fan, he does see red.He sees red not when he knows a car/driver package is faster than him, that just makes him dig deaper. He sees red when he makes a small mistake or circumstances conspire to put him in a lower position than he feels he should or could be. Then he sees red and reacts not always in the best thoughtout way(crashing into the back of Kimi when he lost his easy first place due to the safety car)
Like the guy in Ewman's post said , in F2 he was sublime, he was, I watched him and he was streets ahead of the field in the same car. We've seen this in F1 but not consistantly and yetstill he humbled a double world champion in his rookie year and then won the championship. When the consistency comes he will be formidable. In my opinion he is the most talented driver in the field with the best car control, also one of the bravest. He now has to stop the red mists and show he can lead a team out of trouble then he is up with the greatest - thats Senna, not Schumacher.

[7UpJordan]

Make or break? I think that's a bit premature, Hamilton is only 24 and Senna was just making his F1 debut at this age 25 years ago. He has loads of time yet, but I suppose some people today have this strange mentality that as soon as you hit 30 you should be put in a Home and have a pension.

[Denthúl]

Make or break? I think that's a bit premature, Hamilton is only 24 and Senna was just making his F1 debut at this age 25 years ago. He has loads of time yet, but I suppose some people today have this strange mentality that as soon as you hit 30 you should be put in a Home and have a pension.

Well, he really needs to do what most of us are expecting and put the car (if it's bad) in places that it shouldn't be. Even being labelled another Villeneuve could be harmful.

[Jamie]

Greats have a talent? a way of bringing a small car to be the best thing on this earth? Schumi brought some terrible cars up to pace? Alonso has too.
So Lewis has never had the time to deal with a terrible car? So tis is a season to say? hey it wasn't a fluke? or that boy got it thru sheer luck of someone elses mis-fortune.
I believe that Massa can prove critics wrong this season?

[Gert]

2009 is Lewis' make or break year - yeah right.

[Jamie]

2007- He lost last race - Weird? Car stopped?
2008- He won last corner - WHAT? Toyota stops on the last corner?
2009- He loses? proves that last year wasn't 'Talent' proves he cn't drive a car in 2007.

Harsh? Disagree? aww my heart bleeds.

[Gert]

2007- He lost last race - Weird? Car stopped?
2008- He won last corner - WHAT? Toyota stops on the last corner?
2009- He loses? proves that last year wasn't 'Talent' proves he cn't drive a car in 2007.

Harsh? Disagree? aww my heart bleeds.

Toyota stopped on the last corner?

I saw 1 that was on the wrong tyres (like his teammate whosse last lap was a very similar laptime) & got overtaken - what race were you watching?

Oh, the 1 that only Ferrari fans saw.

[simcaster]

I don't think so. I think last year was after he came soooo close to the title in 2007. He has nothing to prove this year, thats not to say he shouldn't race as hard as he did though.

[racechick]

2007- He lost last race - Weird? Car stopped?
2008- He won last corner - WHAT? Toyota stops on the last corner?
2009- He loses? proves that last year wasn't 'Talent' proves he cn't drive a car in 2007.

Harsh? Disagree? aww my heart bleeds.

I take it you didnt watch lewis race before he entered F!?

And for you information the Toyaota didnt stop, the Toyota drivers were on the wrong tyres, gambled on the weather and lost.

If Lewis loses in 2009 it proves nothing about the previous two years.

[Gaz]

2007- He lost last race - Weird? Car stopped?
2008- He won last corner - WHAT? Toyota stops on the last corner?
2009- He loses? proves that last year wasn't 'Talent' proves he cn't drive a car in 2007.

Harsh? Disagree? aww my heart bleeds.

after a breif restbite vanilla bear provies he knows f*** all about F1 yet again and is just here to troll.

[cap-dude]

People leave Toyota outta this. They actually gained posistions by staying on dry tyres.

The title last year came down to the weather really. Massa and Hamiltion both deserved the title equally. It just came down to a matter of 1 point.

Anyways, I wouldn't say this is make or break for Lewis. I'd say this is the opposite. He's proved he can win the world championship, it's a matter of how many more can he win. It'll be interseting to see him in the mid-feild rather than anything else.

[Gaz]

People leave Toyota outta this. They actually gained posistions by staying on dry tyres.

The title last year came down to the weather really. Massa and Hamiltion both deserved the title equally. It just came down to a matter of 1 point.

Anyways, I wouldn't say this is make or break for Lewis. I'd say this is the opposite. He's proved he can win the world championship, it's a matter of how many more can he win. It'll be interseting to see him in the mid-feild rather than anything else.

Pretty good overall view there.

I'm not sure i think for alot of people he has to prove he can do well in a uncompeative car.

i think he will and it will silence his doubters but for me as a Fan of Mclaren i he just won the championship, what more can you do apart from win more.

i would like to see his doubters silenced though