Talk Steer: Tony Dodgins on...

Two races in seven days. Lewis Hamilton in the thick of both. And errors both times. I found myself thinking - again - of something Alain Prost said 15 years ago. He was on the way to his fourth title, and retirement, with a young Michael Schumacher in the ascendancy. Talking about a champion's make-up, Prost said that you could afford one mistake a year, maybe two, but no more. He hinted that when Michael stopped making his, the rest were in trouble.

Brilliant, but ragged

Hamilton has been the standout driver in 2008 but has made a lot of mistakes - Bahrain, Canada, France, Belgium (harsh, but true) and Italy. Five in 14 races, a 35 per cent error rate. Massa and Ferrari have made mistakes too, and Raikkonen has been below par. Lewis and McLaren must be thanking their lucky stars that Schumacher sits on a prat perch these days, and not in a Ferrari cockpit. He'd be out of sight by now.

"Most of Lewis's errors are from inexperience," Jackie Stewart said at Monza. "He's only been in F1 18 months. A new driver coming into a top team and immediately having the chance to win the world championship, historically just doesn't happen.

"And therefore he puts himself in situations like going out of the pitlane and running into another car, not listening to the radio. He's leading the race, the safety car closes it up, he goes in and the two guys he's competing against get out before him. And the radio is talking to him. He can't take it all in. It's like chewing gum and walking. When you're a young child you can't do it.

"And remember, he's probably getting more information pumped into him than a young driver with, say, Force India. Or Vettel at Toro Rosso. Because McLaren is so sophisticated." Watching qualifying at Monza, you might have taken issue with that.

"People have been critical of me saying Lewis has no experience given all the racing he's done," JYS went on, "but at this level he will make mistakes. It's his natural instinct, his God-given talent that keep him performing. And he's driving for the best team, so he can still be up there.

"Look at Massa. Last year and the year before he was peak and valley. One day he was brilliant, but every now and again you wondered how he could drive that badly. But you've seen less of that this year. He's a little older and more mature."

All season the paddock perception has been that Raikkonen has not performed as he can, that his place at Ferrari was under threat from Alonso and Kubica. When Ferrari announced last weekend that Raikkonen's deal was extended to the end of 2010, many refused to take it at face value. Stewart saw things more simply.

"Almost everybody gets negatively affected by winning the championship. Everyone tells you you're wonderful, you're spoiled and you get distractions you didn't have. Suddenly the world champion is not quite as hungry and he's not ready to put that amount of effort back in again.

"Kimi is maybe not driving as well as he has driven, but that doesn't stop him coming back. Look at Belgium. He drove one hell of a race until the rain came. And I think that Ferrari is more difficult to drive in the rain than the McLaren.

"I don't think Kimi's lost it, not at all. I've been there myself and I know. You keep asking yourself the question, 'Why am I not going just that wee bit better?' I've been disturbed, I've been distracted, I'm not as happy and I'm being beaten. And sometimes when you are being beaten you try a wee bit too hard.

"You haven't got the same mental management. But it doesn't last forever. I'm not surprised Ferrari has extended his deal. They still need an experienced shoe, because if anything happens to Massa..."

Which drivers does Stewart rate?

"I see Hamilton, I see Massa, I still see Raikkonen, I see Kubica - he's extraordinary. I don't see Nick Heidfeld as consistent. He's very experienced but I just don't see him as one of the best drivers in the world. Kovalainen hasn't really demonstrated it yet. Alonso I still feel to be very good, although I was disappointed by his reaction to the Hamilton thing - a slight loss of the marbles."

By last Sunday night JYS might have been adding Vettel to his list. And I wonder if, as the Maranello door appears to close on Alonso, Fernando might be adding Toro Rosso to his. If Giorgio Ascanelli and his 160 Minardi blokes can do that in the Italian GP, imagine what they might do in the first year of new aero regs given an Adrian Newey car with a Ferrari engine in the back! If Mr Mateschitz is prepared to spend a bit more money, Ferdy might just view that as good sport...