Hamilton voted F1's best current driver

Eurosport - Mon, 01 Dec 15:02:00 2008

Eurosport-Yahoo! readers have voted Lewis Hamilton the best current driver in Formula One, with Fernando Alonso not far behind.

Lewis Hamilton - Brazil 2008 - 0

Almost 10,000 of you voted in the online poll, with 41 per cent giving the thumbs-up to the 23-year-old from Stevenage after his dramatic final lap world championship victory over Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Just 13 per cent of you gave Massa the nod, despite the fact he drove superbly throughout the year in a car that was arguably inferior to Hamilton's McLaren-Mercedes and was ultimately within a single point of winning the title.

Instead, over 2,500 of you voted for Spanish driver Fernando Alonso, the 2005 and 2006 world champion, whose performance in an under-performing Renault showed his character and ability at its finest.

A fierce debate raged on the message boards, much of it revolving around the age-old Formula One conundrum of weighing up the driver's ability against the quality of their car. Many thought that Hamilton's achievement was lesser than the underdog performances of Alonso and Robert Kubica, not to mention Sebastian Vettel - who didn't make our shortlist for the poll.

For all the vocal support he attracted in the boards, Kubica won just six per cent of the vote, behind both Massa and Hamilton's McLaren team-mate, Kimi Raikkonen.

A selection of your comments (scroll down for full results):

ginger_gitt: You don't come second in the Championship and match a double world champion in your first season and then become the youngest ever world champion without having a huge amount of talent. To claim Lewis is just lucky shows a serious lack of knowledge about F1. How come the Schumacher haters can still admit he was one hell of a talent and one of the all time greats, yet the Hamilton haters CANNOT admit that this guy is special?

Charles O: Lewis Hamilton is a good driver. but not as good as someone like Fernando Alonso, who takes a regular car and makes it a winner. He's an all rounder, while on the other hand Hamilton takes a fast car and thrashes it.

tifosi4eva: Fernando gets my vote! The only back-to-back world champ in the field, the guy who has won the most races out of the current crop AND the guy who finished fifth in the overall standings this year in a Renault.

AndJusticeForAll: First, Alonso; second, Kubica; third, Bourdais; fourth Barrichello. Ferrari and McLaren drivers do not apply because they cannot prove anything unless they are in the same league as the mortals. Anyone who has a different opinion is not being honest with themselves.

Oliver Tunnah: Where is Jensen Button? A brilliant driver let down by a rubbish car which couldn't beat a mobility scooter!

Alex l: Sebastian Vettel is the best F1 driver nowadays. Give him a Ferrari or a McLaren and no one could beat him. With a poor car he won a GP, he beat Hamilton in the last race and he showed his abilities. He is the next Schumacher.

clipsyduck: I'm a Hamilton fan, but I believe that Alonso is the best driver out there at present. I'm not over the moon to say it but feel it's the truth.

Lady Carole: Robert Kubica. To do what he's done in an uncompetitive car is nothing short of brilliant. Robert usually starts and finishes in the top six. The man is a STAR.

Full results:

Total: 9,407 votes (as of 14:20, Monday December 1)

Lewis Hamilton - 41% (3816 votes)

Fernando Alonso - 28% (2635)

Felipe Massa - 13% (1191)

Kimi Raikkonen - 13% (1223)

Robert Kubica - 6% (542)

Eurosport

Comment 1 - 18 of 78

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  1. post 23
    From Chris T, on Mon 1 Dec ­
    .
    CORECT...Try the same poll in Germany...LOL ;)

    From , on Mon 1 Dec 6:05PM

  2. I wish his daddy would give you something NP, 'cos­ you sound desperate.

    From Biggles, on Mon 1 Dec 5:56PM

  3. Alex'dumbo'finlayson: Maybe the others are­ making mistakes ( your words) because they can't­ keep up with him.

    From Biggles, on Mon 1 Dec 5:53PM
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    had to give him something otherwise daddy would get­ back on the box and complain

    From not printable, on Mon 1 Dec 5:49PM

  5. If Lewis is rubbish then why are all the others making­ mistakes? maybe they are even more rubbish. Maybe­ finlayson you are the most rubbish except for­ Paddington and Moron.

    From Biggles, on Mon 1 Dec 5:28PM

  6. Bill Mac. Mouron has an imaginary friend who's a­ ticket agent. I NO THIS IT,S TROO.

    From chtech06, on Mon 1 Dec 4:58PM

  7. Alexbiggot. If he's rubish, how did he thrashed­ everybody else ?. So what were they ?.

    From chtech06, on Mon 1 Dec 4:49PM

  8. alonso is the best driver pound for pound!!!! simpl as­ that...but if it was best F1 driver (but only UK can­ vote ) course he will be.... lot of bull­ shizzzl!!!!!!!!!!!

    From Rezo b, on Mon 1 Dec 4:49PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    What a complete load of bull YAHOO, where most of the­ vote comes from britain, and the silverstone 2009 ­ grand prix as only sold 25% of it tickets, and your­ telling us lewis has got 40% of the voters on here, you­ must be missing half of the blogs.

    From touronroute, on Mon 1 Dec 4:39PM

  10. The article says " Hamiltons team-mate, Kimi­ Kaikkonen ". There's a conspiracy for you.

    From chtech06, on Mon 1 Dec 4:38PM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    @#$% result; Alonso is by far the best driver in F1; he­ scored more points in the last 6 races than any other­ driver!!! If the renault had performed from day one, he­ would be world champion on those results; enjoy it­ while you can whinner Hamilton and all his brit­ muppets, next season you will eat the dirt

    From Fjk, on Mon 1 Dec 4:35PM

  12. "a car that was arguably inferior to­ Hamilton's McLaren-Mercedes" Did the writer of­ this article even watch the championship? The Ferrari­ was the fastest car out there. Kimi's fastest lap­ stats prove this point beyond a doubt. It was driver­ and pit lane crew errors at fault really. This plus a­ total lack of ability to control the car in the rain­ and (in Massa's case) a complete lack of balls and­ ability to overtake is what cost the Ferrari's the­ championship. Smells like the author was a Massa fan!

    From crispyduck, on Mon 1 Dec 4:30PM

  13. Alonshole knows all about being behind someone,­ doesn't he?

    From Melted Rubber, on Mon 1 Dec 4:23PM

  14. ok. this is nonesense. of course hamilton will get the­ most vote, this is a site where most of the visitors­ are briton.

    From gun rosses, on Mon 1 Dec 4:21PM

  15. Lewis still best, even with mouron voting 7 million­ times for Massa.

    From chtech06, on Mon 1 Dec 4:21PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    lewis hamilton is not the best driver because if felipe­ massa didn't have all the reliabilty issues he­ would have thrashed hamilton. Hamilton won by luck,­ glock let him past on purpose. I hate lewis and mclaren

    From Alex, on Mon 1 Dec 4:14PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    AT LONG LAST HOW NICE

    From stivsf1, on Mon 1 Dec 4:13PM

  18. Massa did not have an inferior car, infact ferrari had­ the best package of the season which is proved by­ Kovaleinen in the same mclaren as Lewis­ underperforming.

    From Leo G, on Mon 1 Dec 4:07PM
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