Lewis and Kimi - a world unto itself
Ah, finally we were able to adjust things, and here I am in this first appearance for the website of my old friend.
First, he asked me to introduce you what i(usually) do, at least when I am not playing my guitar in London's country band. I know, I know, and Mladen doesn't think anything good about this kind of music, but I enjoy it and I have to say that we have even appeared in America. There they know something about music and such ... and don't throw beer cans.
what you want to know is not it. What you might want to know something about my way of training drivers. I'm involved in it since the mid-eighties, and systematically since 1988., When I was working with my first client, Australians David Brabhamom, which a year later was British champion in Formula 3, and then he managed to get to Formula 1
I work with drivers from all categories of auto sports, including rally, and so far I'm still on a one-on-one probably worked with about two thousands of drivers over the years. I must say that I work quite unique in the world there is no one in this way, in such conditions, addressing each (professional) driver individually.
All we need are two miles of asphalt, some plastic cones and plain rented road car, something like a Skoda Octavia and Opel Astra. I worked for many years on the track at Goodwood, but the last 15 years mainly drive the Bruntingthorpe airfield, about two hours north of London. Also, travel and training in various parts of the world, mostly in the United States and Australia.
The principle of operation is not very complicated. First, sit in the car and I give a lecture on my dynamic manipulation of mass car around corners. It takes more than two hours, and not so boring as it seems, especially for drivers who do know exactly what I mean. Then the driver gets into the passenger seat, and I'm behind the wheel. One round heated clutch and brake (yes, this should be done on an ordinary road car ...) and then I drove one quick lap, in which we measure time. Then we stop, change places and then begins the most interesting part of the training: working on the driving style of each driver.
Drivers usually do not have a particular opinion and not specially excited when I drove one a quick lap. They all have very deep into the sport and are not particularly impressed or scared. But, most of them are very surprised when later in that same car alone take a quick lap, and eventually discover that there were three or four seconds slower than me (within lap which lasts about a minute and a half ) . Of course, most of them are convinced that they made a mistake somewhere, and insist that you try again. But usually only now somewhere ahead and time is usually even slower ...
The secret is not great. Dynamic manipulation of the curves is no trick. It is more about physics and logic, and a fairly deep understanding of the way the key parts of the car, such as engine and brake, and also the ways in which physical forces act in any, even the smallest segment of each curve on the track.
The vast majority of drivers, whether it is about those still in Formula 3 or a Grand Prix driver, your skills are honed instinct. Their careers are usually so intense and dynamic that, in fact, rarely engaged in perfecting the techniques of driving. Because substantially all learned (or think they have learned) still in karting and in Formula Ford and Renault, and then adapting to each new talent and advanced category of the competition. Simply, they never stopped to address the deeper the technique of driving, at least in the aspect that I am trying to draw attention.
I worked, of course, with many F1 drivers in these almost 25 years. They are all, of course, very, very good drivers. But they are all still with me had the opportunity to fix a lot. Among other things, and also because they wanted to, they had indeed surpass my time per round! Mills is the fact that this mode is excellent: when someone comes to Formula 1 must, by default, is already considered to be a pretty good driver. Then he sees me, who does not look like Mr. Universe, and think ˝ This would be too easy. ˝ and then, clearly, there is a little landing. But also, it forces them to work on themselves and their run, and become better drivers.
Exactly half of this year's F1 grid, then twelve drivers have undergone training so far with me. Some only once or twice, some, such as Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado, a dozen or more times. With drivers coming constantly, like Bruno before a day or two, we are working on certain curve simulations for these races. In this particular case, we worked on the simulation curve of 90 degrees, which is one of the hallmarks of trails in Singapore. (Pastor is a very good driver, I have to say a lot faster than Bruno Senna. Course, has to work on his patience ... and coexistence with other drivers on the track. Bruno is much calmer, and perhaps more systematic. On the long run, if he had the chance, he be in Formula 1, and could have gone further ...)
two drivers came to me once, in the very beginning of his F1 career, and i said to both of them that they no longer have to come. One, Lewis Hamilton, he immediately improved my time, second, Kimi Räikkönen, drove nearly the same time and then at the end he greatly improved my time.
The two men are the drivers with the most natural talent who have worked with me in this quarter century. Their pure, raw speed, their coordination of the head and arms and legs, their reflexes and their control during cornering dynamics of car - this is something truly unique, something I'm trying to learn all the riders who come to me, and as these two have, I guess from birth. Comparison of the two? I think that Lewis by one circle of the fastest driver in the world today, though in recent times, as the older, shows that he is able to connect a lot of those rounds into a whole. Kimi is definitely the fastest race car driver in the world today.
With Kimi I worked in 2001 as soon as he came into Formula 1, and I think that, with the passage of years,he is getting better and better. The only change now is that, I think, much more mature and more thoughtful. Lotus which drives this season is a good F1 car, but apparently not so good when there is not much gasoline. From there is problems in qualifying, and from there are problems with overtaking in the final stages of the race. Overtaking Kimi understands very simple: get close to someone, look at how it is best to do, and overtake him. The fact that he wasn't good this year in the final stages of the race, is telling me that team has a problem that something is not quite processed about the car he drives.
Hamilton show how everything should be done in 2007. Now it's just faster. Of course, in the last three years the McLaren car was not worthy of his skills. Now the situation is a little better and I think he is the biggest favorite to win the championship this year. Certainly, by pure his speed it would be totally deserved. But, as you know, things are never quite simple. other factors can still get involved in the game.
I think Hamilton and Räikkönen will always be faster than anyone else in similar circumstances, that is, in the same car. So it would be wonderful to see them on the same team, but it is, I suspect, will not happen. Pity.
