Who is a better F1 racer ? Alonso, Hamilton, Massa or Kimmi ?

[cyberfriend]

Though Alonso has been world champion twice, and Hamilton has been stupendous in his rookie season (making full use of a fantastic car behind him), Kimmi, seems more of an old-time racer. Less tactics, more speed. Less weighing the pros & cons, more of pure racing guts. Kimmi, may therefore put more on line than the other two, but as far as racing & adrenaline go, he seems better. Massa has a balance of all these. But then who is THE RACER ?

[Dare]

I wonder how Hamilton,Massa,and Kimi would
have fared driving the Renault last year?I
believe Alonso got all he could out of it

[Scott]

I think you can safely toss Massa off that list, but of the other three, I think it is still undecided.  This year may show us more about which is actually faster as the cars will more likely be close in speed.  I wonder if Alonzo and Kimi will struggle more with the slicks than Lewis since they have been on grooves for much longer.

[Andy B]

I have to agree with Scotty place Massa in the bin he is not the full article.
Kimi has a take it or leave it attitude and that seemed to apply quite a lot last year.
It is between Lewis and Fernando and I give Lewis the edge because only his third season so is still learning his trade, the change in car design looks to give the front end more grip over the rear which will favour Lewis.
In the end it also has to come down to the equipment if they dont get it they cannot compete at the top.
Its gonna be a good year is it March yet?

[cosworth151]

One thing to remember is that Massa, Alonso and Kimi are quickly becoming F1's "older generation." If any of them want another (or, in Massa's case, a first) WDC, they better do it soon. Hamilton is already top level, and Kubica and Vettel will be very, very soon.

Add to that some of the most sweeping rule changes in the history of the sport, and it should be quite an interesting season.

[Ian]

Kimi I would discount as he is too inconsistant, Alonso is too temperamentle, Hamilton has youth and daring plus skill, Massa I also like. Hamilton or Massa, 

[Scott]

Ian, have you been drinking again?  Discard Kimi and Alonzo over Massa??   

[Ian]

Don't sound so shocked Scotty, if you were a team manager would you pick Kimi on last years performance, I certainly would'nt, and as for Alonso, I have to admit he had a couple of good races last year but I'm biased, I can't stand him.

Ian, have you been drinking again?  Discard Kimi and Alonzo over Massa??  

Tut tut Scotty, I resemble that.

[John S]

If the question is who is the best racer I don't think the most wins is the best criteria to judge it on. I think it should be who gets the most out of the car he happens to be sitting in.

Taking the performances last year I rank Vettel at 1 (could Lewis have held him off in equal car?), Alonso 2 ( made up a lot of ground in 2nd half), Massa 3 (look what he did with the same machine as Kimi), Lewis 4 (had front running car but so often couldn't turn in the best result)..... Kimi I'm sad to say is a few further back.

I can't wait to see how these 5 and the rest cope with the changed cars and tyres this year, roll on Melbourne.

[Steven Roy]

To me there is no competition.  Hamilton is by a margin the best.  He may have struggled to win the championship last year but that was due to the FIA giving Massa wins in Valencia and Spa.  The Ferrari was trickier to drive than the McLaren but it had more outright performance.  Massa couldn't make use of the performance because he is not good enough and Ferrari couldn't make the car handle the way Raikkonen needs it.  Despite having the best car and FIA assistance Massa still couldn't win.

I keep reading how good Alonso is but he could not deal with Hamilton in his rookie season so Lewis is better, smarter and stronger in the head.  Keke Rosberg compared him to Gilles Villeneuve and you don't get higher praise than that.

Alonso may have won two races in a Renault but he only won Singapore because his team mate stuck his car in a wall just after Alonso pited so he had an advantage.  I was distinctly unimpressed with Alonso at the start of the season but that seems to be forgotten as has his 2007 performance.

In terms of old fashioned racers I would have Hamilton closely followed by Raikkonen.

[Dare]

2007 F1 WDC results


1  Kimi Räikkönen  Ferrari 110
2  Lewis Hamilton  McLaren-Mercedes  109
3  Fernando Alonso  McLaren-Mercedes 109

Maybe I'm missing something here?How did Hamilton thrash
Alonso is his rookie season?I see a tie

                      and

I'd be willing to wager if Alonso had the lead Hamilton had
with 2 races left Kimi would still be looking for his first title

There may be a Ferrari-FIA bond and there may just as
well have been a Dennis-Hamiltom bond too.

All these teams looking for their first win!stick Alonso in it

[johnbull]

I'll stick to discussing the original four.

KIMI.  Had such an off year - possibly of his own making - that he gets thrown straight out.

NANDO. I'm biased. I dislike the spoilt brat after his show at Macca in 07 and every time he finds a microphone in front of his face. His driving is faultless but there are too many negatives.

MASSA. Considering that everybody in Italy, including Ferrari themselves, say that the car is totally superior - in a class of it's own - then Felipe should have walked the championship. The fact that he didn't even with the Mc Laren racing with it's hands tied, thanks to the FIA, gives you all your answer.

LEWIS. In his first year he could have won the championship had it not been for the FIA continually and deliberately putting spokes in the wheel. In his second year he won the championship despite more spokes in the wheel by the "totally impartial" FIA. Yes he made a few silly mistakes, but the plusses far outweigh the minuses in my opinion.

[Steven Roy]

Dare,
You can't just look at points totals.  Lewis lead the championship for most of the seaso and but for problems in two races some of which were of his own making he would have been a point a race better than Alonso.  In his rookie season.

In Hungary he managed to de-stabilise Alonso by his mind games that Alonso reacted so badly it cost him his drive.

For me a rookie driver who leads the driver regarded as the best on the grid for the bulk of a season and makes that guy do something so stupid because he got inside his head blew the guy away.

Lewis now has two years experience and has a championship which should be two.  If Alonso struggled to hang on to him in his rookie season he could not live with him now.  In his junior career Lewis was famous for the massive improvement he made after his first season in a class.  No-one knows what would happen after a second season because that never happened but I bet he has improved again.

Put the two of them in the same team now and Alonso is toast.

[John S]

Put the two of them in the same team now and Alonso is toast.

That might not work if you put them both in a Renault! 

[lkjohnson1950]

I make Alonso the best because he makes the fewest mistakes. Hamilton has had the best car two years running and threw away one WDC and nearly threw away another. Don't tell me that the Ferrari was the best car, I think the McLaren's obvious superiority in wet conditions gives that the lie. Ferrari has a problem in that Kimi and Massa need the car to do different things. If the BMW has the jump in KERS everyone says they do this discussion may be adding Kubica next year, providing they go with Robert in development.

Lonny