What The Papers Say About Lewis' Win

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Editorial | Off On F1 | Letters | Race Features

Monday 21st July 2008

Fleet Street gives Hamilton ten out of ten for twice winning the German GP...

'McLaren-Mercedes have had the best car since they arrived here for testing almost two weeks ago. The team's aim, to become 0.1sec faster with each race, is nothing less than the dogged pursuit of perfection. But this cannot diminish the brilliance of Hamilton. Two weeks previously he had showed altogether different skills to prove himself a rain master at Silverstone. Now he overcame not only his opponents but also the hesitancy of his team advisers.

'This has been a season of extremes for him: despair in Bahrain, Canada and France, the purest joy in Australia, Monaco, Silverstone and Germany. Now, though, he is achieving the consistency of performance he needs to win the championship that seems his destiny' - Paul Weaver, The Guardian.

'Lewis Hamilton won the German Grand Prix twice: once at a canter, the second time in a blaze of insane wizardry. Ferrari must be wondering what they have to do to keep him in check. The answer might be to test Hamilton for EPO.

'If this were the Tour de France, fingers would be pointing at the drugs cabinet. But this is Formula One and underneath him Hamilton has a serious piece of kit. What alchemy McLaren have worked to deliver a machine as potent as this. Felipe Massa looked like he had seen a ghost after going under the Hamilton hammer' - Kevin Garside, The Daily Telegraph.

'Such are the pleasures of life for Hamilton, who now rules McLaren like a young prince and is treated with affection and love by his colleagues who, like him, believe that it is his destiny not only to win the world championship this year, but for many years hence. That, of course, is because there is something special about Hamilton on the track and his performance yesterday, like his drive at Silverstone in the rain two weeks ago, was indeed special.

'Hamilton was in a class of his own as he played his car like a virtuoso in front of thousands of Mercedes employees in the crowd at a circuit that is a home from home for McLaren. In the early stages there was something almost Schumacheresque in his precision and ruthlessness' - Ed Gorman, The Times.

'This German Grand Prix will go down as the race Lewis Hamilton won twice. First, he beat his rivals into submission with a drive of monotonous authority.

'Then, with victory apparently dashed by his team's inexplicable strategy error, he simply went back out and did it all over again, only this time in wheel-to-wheel combat so gutsy it had Hockenheim swooning.

'The momentum is definitely with Hamilton. He is easily outperforming Kovalainen and his car has more than the measure of the Ferraris' - Jonathan McEvoy, The Daily Mail.

'Lewis Hamilton drove to a sensational victory at the German Grand Prix here yesterday - but we can all thank Timo Glock for injecting desperately needed excitement into what at one stage threatened to be a McLaren-Mercedes walkover.

'The German did so involuntarily when the right rear suspension of his Toyota sheared as he negotiated the last corner to complete the 35th lap, and for the second time this year he found himself experiencing an uncomfortably heavy impact as his car smashed into the pit wall.

'Thus was the scene set for another race which could have been regarded as Hamilton's greatest. Certainly, the very irresistibility of his recovery charge from a bit of McLaren brinkmanship on refuelling strategy was reminiscent of Nigel Mansell at his finest. This day, there was simply no denying him' - David Tremayne, The Independent.