Lewis Hamilton: Haven't We Seen It All Before?

For the success mad British public, the last few weeks of Lewis Hamilton's fledgling Formula One career have been less than joyful. After the giddying heights of the stunning 2007, the media have once again succumbed to an age old British preserve; that of over-expectation.

Yet, it seems we have been here before. Not since the success of "Our Nige" in 1992 has a British F1 driver really caught the imagination of the fickle public.

The track invasions after Mansell's win at Silverstone in that year showed feverish "Mansellmania" to be at an all-time high, and it seemed that a sport traditionally the preserve of the rich had come to the people, albeit via a former Manx milk-float driver.

It cannot be disputed that the press had a hand in this, yet the unbelievable dominance of Williams' FW22 that year gave Mansell a degree of invincibility, even keeping the great Ayrton Senna in the shade for most of the year.

However since then, times have changed. Over the last 16 years, two more men (opposites in both on-track and off-track styles) have been boosted by the media, yet have failed to deliver on the big occasions.

The first is Damon Hill. Having been brought into the Williams setup in 1993 through the backdoor of Prost's "Senna veto,” Hill was hardly feted as a world beater.

Trying to fill the enormous popularity gap left by Mansell was near impossible, yet "Damon the demon" never really seemed to capture the imagination of the public.

Maybe this can be linked to the years 1994-5. Picture the situation. Up against superior opposition, 'brave bulldog' Damon fights his way to the top before just being edged out at the final hurdle.

The media pressure on Hill towards the tail-end of 94 was more than intense; by demonizing Michael Schumacher's 'antics' and unearthing that traditional Anglo-German rivalry, Hill was raised to a level on which he was unable to compete.

Added to the psychological trauma of Senna's death at Imola, it was clear that his post-Adelaide exhaustion was not purely physical; it was a mix of anguish and the weight of media pressure upon his shoulders, worsened by the "prodigal son" return of Mansell.

It was thus inevitable that 1995 would be a comedown. Despite starting well, with wins at Argentina and San Marino, Hill was gradually engulfed by the class and speed of Schumacher's Benetton-Renault.

Used to success, the media then swiftly got on his back. It was hardly surprising that Hill's form suffered drastically as a result. Unforced errors in Germany (twice!) and Japan, along with collisions with Schumacher at Monza and, worst of all, Silverstone, caused him to fall from darling to demon of the British media.

If it wasn't for the dominance of Damon in 1996 (having a vastly superior car, and even then being run close by a young Jacques Villeneuve), he may have been consigned to the ignominy of "not good enoughs" populated by such fads as Tim Henman's Wimbledon quest.

Jenson's pressure was even worse. Being plunged into the deep end of F1 whilst still in his teens, Button was instantly set on by the star-hunting media. Every point led him to be seen as the "new Schumacher,” thus inflating his ego and putting ever more pressure on a run of form which was never likely to last.

Button's party boy image and subsequent distractions from driving, led to a severe drop in form until his B.A.R rebirth in 2004. The years of 2001-3, at Benetton and B.A.R, were far from championship quality, yet the media still were convinced he "needed a top car.”

Jenson's quest for a first win, realized by more luck than judgment at Budapest in August 2006, led to the final release of media joy. Convenient that Jenson disappeared into the wake of "Hamilton-mania" during the point-less spells of 2007, clearly a frustrated man.

If only the British press had not played such a major role, Button may have become quietly successful (much like Fernando Alonso who, in the 2001 F1 Yearbook, was quoted as "never smiling,” much unlike party boy-Button) as opposed to one flukey victory and a spattering of podiums here and there.

Surely, a case of wasted potential picked before ripening.

Will Lewis go the same way as these ex-media darlings? It seems his relationship with the press is going the way of the Titanic, with fissures developing after every penalty, every small mistake.

A case of too much success, too young? A case of the press over blowing and kissing the ground he walked on in between the 2007 and 2008 seasons?

Remember, Lewis is young and inexperienced. Although he is having a difficult run at this moment in time, let us not "Demonize" him or reduce him to the shamelessness of many drivers whose potential was never realized.

Be patient, the boy will come very well, very soon; but only if we let him do things slowly.