Topic: Lewis Hamilton Will Never be World Champion

[Otto Puzzell]

Murray Walker's seen to that!

Murray: Lewis can be British star

Former ITV Sport commentator Murray Walker believes McLaren protégé Lewis Hamilton can be the star driver that British fans have been waiting for in Formula 1.

The 21-year-old was handed the second seat at the Woking-based squad for 2007 last month and will make his debut in the sport in Melbourne in March, following his staggering rise through the junior motorsport ranks.

Although Jenson Button broke the nation's three-year winless streak in the sport in 2006, it is a decade since a British driver – Damon Hill - last won the drivers’ world championship and legendary commentator Walker says Britain needs a new hero.

“We are desperately hungry for success,” he told this week’s Motorsport News newspaper.

“It is more than ten years since we had somebody like Damon Hill or Nigel Mansell to cheer on – and we need another one.”

The confirmation that Hamilton would partner Fernando Alonso at McLaren ended months of speculation over whether team boss Ron Dennis would decide to hand the young star the race seat alongside the double world champion or let him spend a year testing first.

Walker is confident Dennis has made the right decision in promoting the Briton straight from the GP2 feeder series into a top-line F1 seat and believes he is ready for the challenge.

“I think Ron Dennis has done exactly the right thing,” he said.

“Lewis has won a championship in every category he’s contested, so there is absolutely no reason why he shouldn’t to extremely well in F1, particularly given the advantages of being a McLaren works driver.

“He’s got his head screwed on.

“His problem won’t be driving the car, but not being put off by the adulation, the media attention and the hopes that Britain is going to pin on.”

http://www.itv-f1.com/

[MG]

So, endorsement from Murray is sorta like the SI Curse?   

[Otto Puzzell]

That's correct. 

[MG]

FYI:

Hamilton rises to Alonso challenge
Friday, 15, December, 2006, 19:26 
 
 
Lewis Hamilton ended his spectacular year by setting the fastest time on the final day of F1 testing this year at Jerez on Friday – as his 2007 McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso drove alongside him for the first time.

The double world champion made a surprise appearance at the Spanish circuit after Renault allowed him to make his McLaren debut early, and in an unbranded uniform and car began the acclimatisation process to his new Mercedes-powered mount.

Although McLaren elected not to fit Alonso’s MP4-21 with a timing transponder, a team press release credited him with a best lap of 1m19.747s – good for an impressive third place on his return to F1 action.

Yet while the Spaniard hogged the headlines, his new team-mate set about continuing his encouraging winter testing form and headed into the Christmas break with the perfect present.

Hamilton hit the top for the second time in his short McLaren career, with his best effort of 1m19.493s, just under a tenth faster than the Renault of Heikki Kovalainen.

The sister Renault of Giancarlo Fisichella was fourth as the team concluded its pre-Christmas programme in what was the likely final competitive outing for its championship-winning R26 car.

“We had a good final day of testing,” said chief test engineer Christian Silk.

“We completed lots of miles once again and the gearbox seems very reliable up to now, which is always quite satisfying for a new part.


“Everybody worked very hard these past few weeks, we are on schedule and we are now ready to start working on the new car.”


Briton James Rossiter was a strong fifth for Honda on the day the Brackley-based squad handed a first F1 test to IndyCar star Marco Andretti.


The 19-year-old American completed 67 laps and posted a best time of 1m21.888s.

“First of all I couldn’t have had more fun today and it’s a shame that it was only a day!” he said.

“It took me a little while to get used to the traction control and the brakes but once I got to grips with them, the times were more and more consistent."


Behind Rossiter was Ferrari’s Luca Badoer and BMW’s young duo Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel.

Tonio Liuzzi piloted a Red Bull Racing car for the final test of the year, leaving Sebastien Bourdais to mark Toro Rosso’s final day with Cosworth power with the 13th fastest time – the quickest lap of any STR driver this week.
After hurting his hand in a crash on Thursday, the team’s regular driver Scott Speed only completed 14 laps on the final day.


Testing times from Jerez (15 December)

1.  HAMILTON    McLaren      1m19.493s

2.  KOVALAINEN  Renault      1m19.586s

3.  ALONSO      McLaren      1m19.747s

4.  FISICHELLA  Renault      1m19.798s

5.  ROSSITER    Honda        1m19.835s

6.  KUBICA      BMW          1m19.894s

7.  BADOER      Ferrari      1m19.899s

8.  VETTEL      BMW          1m20.069s

9.  LIUZZI      Red Bull     1m20.191s

10. KLIEN       Honda        1m20.461s

11. SATO        Super Aguri  1m20.854s

12. GENE        Ferrari      1m21.015s

13. BOURDAIS    Toro Rosso   1m21.277s

14. WURZ        Williams     1m21.368s

15. ANDRETTI    Honda        1m21.888s

16. SPEED       Toro Rosso   1m23.315s

Pretty impressive for Hamilton, eh?        

And a pretty good effort by SeaBass as well. After all, they tested using the now hopelessly outdated Cosworth V-10.  He compared very favorably to the regular drivers, dontcha think? 

 

[Ultra]

Murray's curse could be shattered by this kid from Great Britain.