Dodgy Business

How will new upcoming British star Lewis Hamilton cope with the white heat of the Grand Prix arena and a McLaren berth alongside Fernando Alonso? This Alonso/Hamilton question seems to have split the sport's pundits.

Some think it's a fantastic opportunity for Lewis, who will grab it with both hands. Others consider it a daft risk that isn't necessary. Psychologically, they suggest, Alonso could finish Hamilton before he has really started.

The psychology of a business where there's nowhere to hide is fascinating. A decent sports coach always has an answer. If his tennis player is blown off court by an opponent, he identifies key points and proposes a practice plan they can begin work on next morning.

Like any kind of man management it's about targeting attainable goals and providing the motivation to reach them. If the coach shrugs and says, 'dunno mate', then his player becomes a gibbering wreck who goes out and buys a set of golf clubs.

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso at the McLaren launch in Valencia © XPB/LAT

With a racing driver you often hear that they all have to believe they are the best. Personally, I've never bought that. My doubts were confirmed when I read Jim Clark's thoughts on being lapped, in a flurry of arms and elbows, by Masten Gregory in a D-type during a sportscar race at Spa.

Clark was in awe. He thought it would never be possible to drive that fast. And then he went on to dominate several Grands Prix on the same daunting track, despite never feeling at ease with its dangers.

The Alonso/Hamilton question and the mental approach were two things I recently had the opportunity to talk to Jackie Stewart about.

The truly great drivers all tend to have spare mental capacity - rapid speed of thought to you and me - and that's the quality that allows them to make it all look so easy. That same asset generally makes them very astute individuals, too, which applies in spades to JYS.

Jackie himself actually made a point of avoiding the Main Man when he made his F1 debut back in 1965.

"I'm a pretty good example," he says. "I went into a top team, BRM, but it wasn't the fastest team. That was Lotus, but I chose not to go with Jim Clark. Part of that was I thought Jimmy would get all of the attention from Colin Chapman. It was a fact that all the Lotus number twos at that time never quite got it. Jimmy was The Man. First of all, he was awfully good. Secondly, he had Colin's ear.

"I went in thinking that all of those people were considerably better than me and I was certainly less experienced. So, no matter what anyone thinks of Jackie Stewart or thought they recognised in him, I did not go in saying I wasn't frightened by anyone or thinking I was better than them. It never entered my head.

Jim Clark (Lotus 49 Ford) in the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps © LAT

"All you have to do is absolutely commit to doing the most complete job that your abilities allow, and I'm sure that's what Lewis Hamilton will do.

"I had a pretty good car and finished third in the world championship. I won the Daily Express International Trophy and the Monza Grand Prix in that first year. And I did get pole in my first F1 race at the Rand GP in South Africa just a few weeks before the season proper started in East London. That was a surprise to me. Really a surprise."

Stewart's first year was impressive. In the early races he was bested by BRM teammate Graham Hill but got stronger quickly. He was on the podium second time out in Monte Carlo, finished second to Clark at Spa, Clermont Ferrand and Zandvoort, beat Hill by just over three seconds to win that first GP in Italy, qualified second to Clark first time up at the daunting Nurburgring, was on the podium at 50 per cent of the races, and finished the year third in the championship, behind Clark and Hill.

Stewart has enormous respect for Fernando Alonso but thinks that Hamilton will cope.

"I don't think Lewis will go in with this attitude of trying to prove he's better," say Stewart. "He's going in with a back-to-back world champion who makes fewer mistakes than any other driver at that level. Alonso is a superb driver whose mind management is very good. He doesn't allow his emotions to disturb him and he seems a very well balanced man in a car.

"For Lewis, it's probably a unique opportunity for a young driver with no previous F1 experience to go into what could be the top, second or third best team. I don't think it's a major risk for his career because we know from other drivers' performances that the modern F1 car can be driven with considerable success without a great deal of experience.

"That's been demonstrated by the Polish driver and the young German at BMW. If the car is reliable as well as providing decent performance, Lewis has already demonstrated in GP2 and F3 that he's got what it takes."

Jackie Stewart © LAT

Stewart also thinks that Hamilton will be an asset to McLaren and adds: "Potentially he could be better out of the car than Alonso, already. He'll be friendly towards people and won't be locking himself in the motorhome. He has to learn how to do all of that, but he's already being coached in it and is, by nature, affable.

"He came to the Springfield Boys Club (which Stewart has a long involvement with) and was a great star there, among young people. He was approachable and he gave himself. A lot of racing drivers today don't do that. So yes, he could outperform Fernando out of the cockpit."

Without the impact in the cockpit, this all becomes irrelevant, of course, but Stewart also points out that Hamilton, currently, is practically living at the McLaren factory. "It means that the mechanics will give him the biggest and best support that is humanly available - beyond the call of duty," he adds. "And that's what I like about the package."

As for Alonso versus Kimi Raikkonen, Stewart goes for the Spaniard and, interestingly, thinks that lacking the touchy-feely side could hinder the Finn at Ferrari.

"Nobody needs take a second thought about Kimi's ability to make a racing car go fast," he says. "But I think his biggest challenge will be in being personable enough to be loved, admired and therefore delivered the best possible spirit of engineering and co-operation from a team that does have passion.

"Alonso is my choice. It's not about speed alone. Fangio wasn't necessarily always the fastest driver, but he was the most complete.

"And Fernando is a very complete racing driver."

Tony Dodgins spoke to Sir Jackie about the full 2007 grid, and you can read his perceptive and illuminating opinions in Autosport magazine's full season preview edition on 8th March