Hamilton: I see Alonso 'as my Prost'

[Grillo]

LH-Well, we all have of strenghts and weaknesses, none of us is perfect, but Fernando is just incredibly talented. His raw speed is just insane. Great great speed. I dont know who to compare him to in the past. And he clearly works very hard; he's intelligent; he has great experience; he is great at making decisions on the track.

He's right, none of them are perfect. I think he never meant to compare him to Senna, he didn't mean he's as good as Senna nor Alonso as good as Prost. They have some similarities, I think to those legends, but every driver is different. Let's see if they success to win so many titles as them.

[racingbradley]

Hamilton does not belong in the same sentence as Senna---no way is he the new Senna.
As for Alonso there are comparisons between him and Prost--both intelligent drivers.

[brembo man]

...does that make Barrichello the new Barrichello then?

I'm confused, please explain what you mean so I can get mad and respond. Anyway Vettel's ego and finger waving comes from the fact that he is on the rack with his former idol MS and has surpassed him as the youngest reigning WDC and the fact that he won in the seasons first race and MS couldn't even finish. And we can throw in the fact that Vettel aslo knows he is the team as was MS in his better days.Vettel is now the F1 pride of the fatherland! By the way, that does make Webber the new Barrichello.

[sagi58]

I've read through the comments and I'd like to add my two cents!
When you compare yourself to a "great" in any way, not only do
you come across as arrogant, you are also setting yourself up for
possible ridicule from those who admire the "great" person!
IF others compare you to one, it's an honour to be appreciated
with all due respect, without letting it get to your head!!

[Greig]

Just as well he never compared himself to Senna then

Lewis is like a red rag to people round here, he never compared himself to Senna.

[sagi58]

He may not have uttered the words; but, in calling Alonso "his" Prost,
it is quite acceptable to have inferred that he was doing just that!!

[xpman]

the only bit he got right is compareing alonso to prost, but then I ask my self which dirver dose he compare schumy tooo that be intresting haha . Now as long he dont win a race or wdc again i be happy I cheer even HTR to win races and wdc if means stoping LH from winning Anything again!!!!

[Bruno]

Prost was better anyway

Than Alonso or Senna?

[NJB13]

Prost was better anyway

Than Alonso or Senna?

For the time being, both. Prost had 5 years with most WDC points, Senna had 2 and Alonso, so far has 2 also, but he can and probably will improve.

[mm154]

I always liked the "Professor" and Alonso does have some of the same qualities, but I hate the idea of a driver having to be "the new so and so"

I know a lot of the time the journalists corner driver's into questions, but I wish someone would mention to some of the drivers. LH in particular (Although I do enjoy him making a fool of himself) that if asked something like "If you were Senna, who is your Prost?" that its ok to say "Their era was different, and there will never be another Senna and Prost" or "I don't know, but Alonso is my nemesis, and that's what's important this season."

[steelstallions]

I see him as my Prost

Alonso see's Lewis as merely his BITCH

[Brakefade]

I propose a new FIA rule. Anybody who compares himself to deceased drivers should be fined $1,000,000.

[Tifosi]

I'm confused, please explain what you mean so I can get mad and respond. Anyway Vettel's ego and finger waving comes from the fact that he is on the rack with his former idol MS and has surpassed him as the youngest reigning WDC and the fact that he won in the seasons first race and MS couldn't even finish. And we can throw in the fact that Vettel aslo knows he is the team as was MS in his better days.Vettel is now the F1 pride of the fatherland! By the way, that does make Webber the new Barrichello.

wow, you can read all of that into one finger? Cool!

[Meiga]

Just as well he never compared himself to Senna then

Lewis is like a red rag to people round here, he never compared himself to Senna.

Excuse me, Greig, but Hamilton has always done his best to try to get his and Senna's name in the same sentence. This was started by the British press in 2007, but he has always promoted it. For example, he has used the same type of expressions Senna used, particularly when referring to God: China 2008 press conference http://www.grandprix.com/race/r802sunpc.html "Q: Lewis, it looked as if everything went perfectly for you in that race? Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, all weekend we have had God on our side as always". I am sorry, that was very natural in Senna (and I would say, from the time I lived in Brazil, in many Brazilians), but not that much for a young British guy who in his book My Story said "Sometimes if I was in trouble I would pray, but I was never big into it - but then neither was the family, though we all believe". And yes, that prompted a number of British sites/media to stress again how similar both drivers were.

Many drivers have visited Senna's grave in Sao Paulo, starting with Schumacher, but always kept it quiet. Hamilton made a big deal of announcing on the eve of the 2007 Brazilian GP that he would visit it after the race http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/extra/6...it-senna-grave (he did not go after he failed to win WDC that year, and finally visited it in 2009).

I do agree with you that he never stated that he was "as good as Senna", as reported by Spord.de. In this 2008 interview (http://tazio.uol.com.br/f-1/textos/5298/) to a Brazilian website he stated that he never said that, and I do not doubt his word.

But in that same interview there is something that really surprised me when I read it: when asked about his memories of the day that Senna died, Hamilton explains that he was at his local race track and then says "I can't remember, was it on a Saturday?", the journalist points out that it was on the Sunday, and then Hamilton says "Was it on a Sunday? Yes, during the test, wasn't it?" (Senna's crash), and again the journalist has to remind him that it was during the race. Anyone can forget things, but I found it weird that someone who has always stated how Senna has always been his idol and how he was devastated and cried on learning about his death didn't remember these details.

So it probably is the cynic in me, but I cannot get rid of the feeling that he plays the Senna card with an intent. Now, at the end he is doing a job and that may be the best way of doing so, so I am not saying that I would be harsh on him - just skeptical.

[crewskas]

[Greig]

Excuse me, Greig, but Hamilton has always done his best to try to get his and Senna's name in the same sentence.

He supported Senna, Senna is his racing idol, so him mentioning him really should not cause any real concern, and why should it?

[LeonKennedy]

He's a Senna wannabe, he tried hard to let us know that.

[Greig]

No he really hasn't

[Meiga]

He supported Senna, Senna is his racing idol, so him mentioning him really should not cause any real concern, and why should it?

As I explained above, I am not concerned - just aware that he is not innocently mentioning Senna, but fishing for the comparison with him. But of course we may have a different view here, at the end of the day none of us knows with total certainty what is going on.

[Aussie]

+1

No chance Senna was the master

I think lewis will do good in red lol better then massa anyway

[brembo man]

wow, you can read all of that into one finger? Cool!

And then some! Vettel is also using his finger wave to tell Nico Rosberg although you are whoppin your teamate real good, your still not a WDC !

[Katu]

[Meiga]

No chance Senna was the master

I think lewis will do good in red lol better then massa anyway

Senna was the epithomy of charisma, but in terms of racecraft, I agree with Greig, Prost was better. Obviously this is the perfect topic for an off-season thread, because it is always a pleasure to talk in detail about the two of them and review some footage of their races while we discuss their respective merits - with zero chance to come to a final agreement , but that is a very minor point.