Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton's media bias has nothing on the Aussies and Webber

i do think that the australia do talk up wark webber, but i do think that the cars he ahs driven have been below par and he has suffered continue machanical difficulties with both jaguar and mcwilliams...but him in a maclaren test car against hamilton and put the argument to rest for good

Typical uneducated, lay-persons appraisal, displaying a lack of understanding of the sport about which you write. Save your breath folks!

Chris may I suggest you go back and do some proper research before you start slagging off Webber in a typical casual F1 observers opinion. Mistakes and errors of judgment held him back at Williams you say. The only error was in not taking his managers advise and accepting the Renault ride instead of the absolute lemon Williams provided him.

Put Webber or most other drivers in a Mclaren and Hamilton in another car (eg: Red Bull, Honda) and the results would basically be reversed. This writer shouldn't be writing about F1!!!!

Front runners like maclaren have had the opportunity to check out webber up close and personal. they didn't like what they saw otherwise he'd be in a maclaren, simple! hamilton on the other hand is destined to be a great and everyboby that is anybody in F1 knows it. that's why he jumped into a maclaren from the get go. webber can only dream of acquiring hamilton's skill set.

I'm guessing you work for ITV?

man i could not agree with you more. im so glad someone else can see the aussie sporting bias. you think its bad in F1....u should watch moto gp!!!!! every aussie rider is considered a champion whether they win or no. i do agree that hamilton is talked up a bit before a race...but here is australia mark webber gets a heros welcome for scoring a point! GO HAMILTON!

Fernando Alonso was the equal of Louise Hamilton in last years Ferrari despite honest Ron doing everything to stuff up his season. Alonso is no nowhere in a Renault and has just been comfortabley beaten by Webber in Malaysia. Do the maths on that and see how Webber rates against the hamster (the worlds greatest driver in the British presses eyes).

What an article.. NIkki Lauda said it best in his recent interview at the Australian Grand Prix - He does not support any driver and neither should Martin Brundle or James Allen - We should have called the brazillian grand prix the Hamilton Grand Prix with the his coverage (he was in seventh place to booyt). All this slander about Mark Webber is ridiculous. No-one in Australia builds him up, in fact Webber received a fair bit of tall poppy syndrome for a guy that hasn't yet been succesfull. All you need to do is look to poor old Fernando Alonso whom just last race was beaten by webber. It all comes down to the car. Webbber has beaten all of his team mates fair and square in the past five seasons.. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!

I live in Oz and it's natural for the media to concentrate on how Webber's doing. As for building him up as a super hero? - I certainly don't see that anywhere. He's a good little driver who has the unfortunate habit of picking the wrong team. Unfortunately we'll never see him in a Ferrari or McLaren so we'll never know how good he really is. But then that's the story of a lot of bloody good F-1 drivers.

I think you might have your terminology a bit (lot) wrong here, Chris H. There is certainly a Webber focus to the Australian media, but a favourable bias to his skills or achievement - let alone idolisation - I've yet to observe. Indeed, with each passing year the uneducated and mainstream Australian media refrain becomes more loudly "why haven't you achieved anything yet?" I suspect that you fall into the same group, revealed by your revelation that, pre-Australian GP 2002 that Webber "was an unknown for most of us". Those of us observing more closely were aware that he'd preceded that with a year as the official Benneton (Renault) test driver, and was the championship runner-up in the feeder series. In any case, national media focus on that nation's driver is completely understandable, but media hyperbole in favour of that local driver often leaves no room for rational assessment or reporting. I suggest that elements of your story are similarly lacking that same rational assessment. Finally, for a truly objective look at the relative fanaticism contained in the F1 reporting of various national media, might i suggest using the Spanish adoration of Fernando?

I'm trying to get a handle on this article's author, his writing history would suggest he is a Pom living in Oz, and is therefore bitter that Lewis Hamilton's name isn't plastered across every TV and billboard in Australia. The most impressionable form of media relating to F1 in Australia would be the televised race call, and being in Australia watching the ITV feed is the only option for us Aussies, and without fail it's excruciating stuff. Last week one the Hamilton sycophants said something along the lines of "now Hamilton has passed Mark Webber, THANK GOODNESS". Don't bother waiting to hear an opinion on any other driver because according to ITV there's only one bloke competing, unless Jenson Button or Antony Davidson get within a bull's roar of a top 18 finish. And shall Jenson Button win another GP put your hands to your ears because you are likely to hear something akin to an on-air orgasm. But despite these issues I accept the fact that the British will stick up for their own, just as this author should accept the Aussie media's adoration with Webber. Why this is even an issue of debate astounds me.

nothing in this item, oh, apart from the unsupported musings of someone who seems is not happy with a quiet week in football

Isn't David Couthard British? Isn't David Coulthard the winner of 13 gp - more than Hamilton? Why isn't he mentioned in this article? Because he is being outperformed by his team-mate - Mark Webber

You should get into comedy Chris. You're a very funny guy :)

Well, i think Australian media is definitely hyping Webber and i certainly believe that they should. Its a matter or national patriotism, but let us not forget that all those who made up to the F1 are excellent drivers and depending upon the price value and skill they are chosen by the best teams. We all should understand that this is not about the Drivers Race at all, its all Car Race. Ferraris and McLaren are the two best contenders and even a not so good driver will win the championship provided with such Cars. I may be wrong but i am sure of this.

The author of this most questionable article also writes about tennis, cricket and lots of football. "The British media are simply stating facts" - are you the British media, author? There's a distinct lack of facts in this article. Interesting, too, that this was posted just after the Malaysian Grand Prix. Perhaps Webber should've let Hamilton past on the first lap - then there'd be no ridiculous articles like this.

Chris Hockman... congratulations on writing the single most UNEDUCATED article i have ever read... if you aspire to be a successful journalist stick to areas that you actually have a small amount KNOWLEDGE in... this a so bad is laughable, yet infuriating at the same time... i would love to see webber and lewis drive the same car. best thing tho, now BMW are competitive Lewis cant just come 3rd every race (and nearly win the title cause of consistency), Hamilton is the next button... set up for a spectacular fall from a pedestal he SHOULDNT be standing on... how does a rookie get straight into a Mclaren...?