The advantages of starting at the bottom, you get to view the politics from the outside since no one cares enough about a driver who's not winning. You use that time to learn how to handle it and play them to your advantage. Works for Alonso, works for kimi, worked for Michael. Maybe this is the smack round the head Lewis needs to bring him back down to earth. With guys like him and Kovalinen and possibly others in the future starting at the top, its a problem which will grow.
Oh Craig ....... Lewis is the one driver that doesn't need a smack around the head, he's more level headed than most on the grid and his father keeps his feet planted firmly on Terra Firma. If anyone needs the smack around the head it's those that are obviously jealous of his success and who will do anything to attempt to derail his chances, Alonso and Ferrari to name but two.
Lewis has proved time and time again how he can rise above the turbulence and produce the goods..... Pole today just proves this again.
Sorry mate, but I can say I have seen a huge change from the Lewis Hamilton of GP2 first race fame, to that of his attitude now. he's walking at times a fine line between confident arrogence, and arrogently confident. The first is what you expect from any driver, the second though has come out a couple of times this season. I am happy for him if he wins the title, I just hope that he remembers the person he was at the start of the season, he needs to become ruthless yes, but he doesn't need to end up going the Alonso route and become an A*s aswell. Lewis recently asked Ron for his tropheys. We all know thats not how Mclaren works, thats arrogently confident. Ron let him keep his first victory trophey which he only does for a drivers first win, not even the drivers first win for the team.
Matt, your right in that Kimi wasn't the most experienced coming in, my mistake, but what I mean by my starting at the bottom comment, is more a Rosberg/Liuzzi/Sutil example. Start at the back of the grid teams and if your good, you will get noticed. Look at Rosberg, he is really starting to pull Williams back (obviously not on his own) but his raw driving skill is at times out performing the car. That will land him a seat in a renault or a Mclaren or Ferrari one day. Sutill maybe a toyota seat.