Formula Renault Eurocup - Hamilton best of British in qualifying at Spa

[ghinzani]

Not sure what Watts was doing losing it at Eau Riuge when the yellow flags were out though - doesnt yellow mean go thru the corner with caution? what if he'd hit some marshalls working on the other crashed car? I think they need to throw the book at him personally. Otherwise he will go thru his career not slowing for yellows!

[Paul Rayner]

Originally posted by Gaz
Just to add my two penneth to the arguement about Hamilton I think the guy is exceptional and definatly a talent for the future but in my opinion Jamie Green has eclipsed him this year.

Hamilton has shown to be quick but has also proved rather erratic this year which you'd expect will be ironed out with experience but Green on the other hand has also proved quick but also much more consistant and much less erratic even though he stepped up from karts at the same time as Hamilton. I know he might be driving for Fortec and they are the top team this year but still the guy has impressed me immensely and reminds me a lot of Jenson.

I agree that Green has been more consistently fast this year, got better results, and is definitely incredibly underrated by many people, but I wouldn't say "eclipsed".
As you say, Green has had the Fortec, and he has also had the best team-mate possible in Formula Renault, Danny Watts. He's now in his third year, so there's plenty to learn from him, and there isn't the pressure of being the team's top driver. Hamilton though has stepped straight into the multiple championship winning team and become the top driver, which has got to be tough for a 17-year-old, no matter how good he is.
Hamilton has thrown it at the weeds more often but, to be honest, he can afford to do that. When he makes a mistake his attitude is "well, I've learnt from that, I won't do it again", and with McLaren behind him he doesn't have to worry about paying for damage or losing sponsors. McLaren are backing Hamilton in the long term, he knows there's no rush. So he can afford to try things.
I would say that Green is currently the faster driver, but haven't watched either long enough to work out who will ultimately be fastest. With both signed up to their current teams to race in FRenault next year, it could be a good 2003...

[Gaz]

Yeh raise a few good points there Paul, it won't be until perhaps a couple of years time when they have both got experience under their belts that we can truly tell who is quicker but I just feel that Green has shown better so far.

You say that Hamilton has stepped into a championship winning team and shown to be the top driver well to be fair the competition aint to strong is it? Viso is in only his first year in the UK and is in the same boat as Hamilton although nowhere near as highly rated and Griffin although in his second year aint really championship winning material or even a driver capable of regular top 10 finishes.

And although you say Hamilton doesn't have to worry about accident damage well Green does without the backing of McLaren and he's still proved quicker for much of the season.

Having Danny Watts as a team mate must help but doesn't John Booth employ Marc Hynes and Justin Wilson as driver trainers?

[Paul Rayner]

About Hamilton leading the team, I didn't mean that as a way of saying he's better than Green, more that, as the top driver in the team, he's got no-one to learn from, which is a disadvantage. My point about accident damage was that basically, Hamilton can afford a quick-but-erratic year, on occasion he's been incredibly quick, and on others he's crashed. It could be different when he really has to perform, in the next few years.

As for Danny Watts as team-mate, Fortec have a driver coach in Kelvin Burt and the experience of Watts.

I totally agree that Green's had the better season, you just need to look at the championship for that, but I'm not writing off Hamilton as slower yet.