Locke Cole Wrote:
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> It does bear repeating that Lewis is unique in
> that he's been primed for motor racing most of his
> life, and has received professional help in
> becoming a top-line racing driver. It would be
> foolish to expect anything other than success. I
> doubt Mclaren would have wasted 10 years of
> investment on a scheme that "might" reap benefits.
Yeah, but potential is one thing, the real thing is another. When Frentzen came to F1 he was expected to eventually sweep all before him - this was a guy who when teammate to Schumacher at Mercedes, was thought of as the more complete driver.
When he got a top drive in F1 it never happened. He did the basics fine, but at no point did he look like he could mount a title challenge, much like Coulthard. Of course, when he ended up at Jordan things worked out better, but there were less expectations. Frentzen was deemed a failure in F1 because people thought he was going to be a true great.
Rubens was similar. In 93, 94, 97 and 99 he put in some sensational drives - Donington in 93, Spa in 94 (where he started from pole, and was on course to win before he retired, with MS being disqualified) and Interlagos in 99 stand out in particular for me. Again, when the chance came along, it was never looked like it was going to happen (though whether MS was cause or effect is another debate).
There's nothing to suggest Hamilton will go the same way - everything points to him consistently winning, but it's not just the media who need to keep their feet on the ground.