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 My Top 50 Grand Prix Drivers |
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 18th May 2020, 07:39 PM
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#21
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 Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872 
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42 – Daniel Ricciardo
 Career – 2011-Present Teams – HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault Starts – 171 Wins – 7 Poles – 3 Best Finish – 3rd (2014, 2016) Arguably the most popular and engaging character on the current grid, the Australian also has a deserved reputation as a late braker and tough opponent with a somewhat unorthodox podium celebration he delights in inflicting on others. He came into F1 via Red Bull’s driver programme. He had impressed many during the 2010 end of season young drivers test at Yas Marina when he posted a time 1.3 seconds quicker than Vettel’s Saturday qualifying time. In 2011 he became Red Bull’s full time test driver, until midway through the year he was given a drive for the lowly HRT team. He remained in the car for the rest of the year, at the expense of Vitantonio Liuzzi. For 2012 he was promoted to Toro Rosso alongside Jean-Eric Vergne who he outclassed across the 2 seasons they were partnered together with a 30-7 qualifying ratio. His performances earned him an elevation in to the senior team at Red Bull for 2014 as understudy to 4 times world champion Sebastian Vettel who had won all of his titles in a team that was very much built around the German. Ricciardo would win 3 races to Vettel’s none and finish ahead of the senior driver in all bar 4 of the year’s 19 races. Ricciardo placed 3rd in the championship behind both Mercedes drivers and 71 points ahead of Vettel, who many have suggested was so unsettled by the young Australian that it contributed to his leaving Red Bull for Ferrari at the end of the year. 2015 was a difficult year for Red Bull however, as the Renault engine was underpowered and results proved hard to come by. Ricciardo did however score the team’s only podiums of the year in Belgium and Singapore. The subsequent 3 years -2016, ‘17 and ‘18 would see him partnered with rising star Max Verstappen. Ricciardo outscored the young Dutchman convincingly in their first year together although they managed a win apiece. For 2017 Verstappen claimed 2 wins to Ricciardo’s solitary victory but the Aussie driver dominated in podiums 9-4 and finished 32 points better off. By 2018 the tide had begun to turn. Both drivers claimed a brace of wins but Verstappen had begun to add consistency and intelligence to his raw pace. The 2 drivers were beginning to develop a genuine rivalry with each other that resulted in occasional fireworks on track but after much speculation Ricciardo opted to sign for Renault for 2019. It saw him line up alongside Nick Hulkenberg, another settled driver with 2 years experience in the team. Despite suffering double the number of retirements Ricciardo bested his German teammate and comfortably outscored him. It remains to be seen if the move to Renault will prove fruitful in terms of wins but it would be a travesty if a driver of his talent were to be left to stagnate in the midfield. It also robbed us of what may have been a great rivalry with Verstappen - a driver many regard as the best on the current grid right now, but who Ricciardo was certainly equal to when the mood took him. Since writing this originally, Riccardo has moved to McLaren for 2021 in what may yet end up a promising move with the team seemingly on the rise once more. The last word - 'I will be happier if I crash by trying than not trying and running around behind the same guy for 70 laps. In the end, you have to just pull the trigger. Trust the car, trust the brakes, just go'. - Daniel Ricciardo |
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18th May 2020, 09:25 PM
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#22
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 It's still will be the return of the Mack 4eva
Joined: 1 February 2011
Posts: 53,869 User: 12,915
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A good driver in Ricciardo. I do wonder if he has missed a chance to become a world champion in F1.
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20th May 2020, 08:25 PM
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#23
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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41 – Didier Pironi
 Career – 1978-1982 WC Teams – Tyrrell, Ligier, Ferrari WC Starts – 70 WC Wins – 3 WC Poles – 4 Best Finish – 2nd (1982) Didier Pironi’s career was as brief as it was brilliant and he would almost certainly have been the 1982 champion but for an unfortunate series of events that continued to plague him during the year, with tragic and horrific consequences in equal measure, leaving behind a tale of what might have been. He came in F1 in 1978 with the under funded Tyrrell team and yet took points finishes in his four of his first six races (back when only the top six scored). The same year he won Le Mans with the Renault team. 1979 would seem him earn two podium finishes despite the team continuing to fall to the back end of the midfield, His performances earned him a switch to the comparatively superior Ligier team for 1980. The French outfit was dominated by the popular Jacques Laffite and so, despite five podiums that year, including his first win, he found himself unable to settle. He also earned the interest of Ferrari. The Scuderia came calling and in 1981, he was paired with the exciting and hugely gifted Gilles Villenueve with who he was often compared. Both were loved by fans and the team whether in or out of the car. Whilst Gilles was comfortably the more exciting and arguably the faster driver, Didier was more reliable and steady in their first season together and they became good friends. In 1982 everything changed. The San Marino GP at Imola was a straight fight between Ferrari and the powerful Renaults but as expected the French cars engines gave out and a Ferrari 1-2 had been predicted. The two drivers had made a deal that whoever was leading at the hairpin would keep the win. When it came to the crucial turn Villeneuve made and error and slid wide. Pironi immediately behind him, slipped through. Each driver believed they had been leading at the crucial moment and when Gilles retook the lead Pironi passed him again – infuriating the Canadian. The team held out a board saying slow, merely to preserve the 1-2 result but both drivers continued to pass each other. Pironi took the win and Gilles was furious, vowing never to speak to him again. Two weeks later in qualifying at Belgium, Villeneuve was killed whilst trying to better Pironi’s time. So loved was Villeneuve that fans and many in the paddock turned against Pironi. Ferrari stayed loyal, due in no small part to Pironi’s popularity within the Scuderia. The Frenchman was at this stage leading the title race and odds on favourite to take it but he was hit hard mentally by his teammates death and again by the break up of his recent marriage. At Canada things got even worse when Italian rookie Ricardo Paletti, unsighted, slammed into the back of his stalled Ferrari. Paletti’s car burst into flames, and for the second time in a matter of weeks an F1 driver died live on TV. Team members remarked that Pironi’s behaviour changed and he focussed on the title like a man obsessed. Then, in practice and after claiming pole in Germany, in wet conditions he made a pass on Derek Daly. Such was the spray, he never saw Alain Prost’s Renault until too late and slammed into the back of it a full speed. His legs were shattered and his F1 career was over. Pironi was 12 points ahead of eventual title winner Keke Rosberg at the time, and still came 2nd in the championship despite missing six of the ten races. Rosberg won the title by only 5 points and with a single win. Pironi attempted a comeback in 1986 and tested fast enough to be competitive but his insurance claim relied on ‘career ending injuries’ and this made it financially impossible. He turned to offshore powerboat racing. Then,in 1987, off the Isle of Wight, and in an accident eerily similar to that in Belgium 1982, the wake from an oil tanker caused his boat to flip over and he and his crew were killed. His girlfriend at the time, was pregnant with twins that she would go on to name Didier and Gilles. A fitting tribute to the two men, whose lives will always be associated together and who serve as a reminder of the dangers when rivalries becoming too personal. |
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20th May 2020, 09:39 PM
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#24
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It's still will be the return of the Mack 4eva
Joined: 1 February 2011
Posts: 53,869 User: 12,915
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Certainly tragic what happened to Didier Pironi. Another great read to this, Severin.
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21st May 2020, 07:04 PM
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#25
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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Thanks Mack. I appreciate that, particularly as I find some of them hard to write
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21st May 2020, 07:07 PM
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#26
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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40 – Francois Cevert
 Career – 1970-73 Teams – Tyrell WC Starts – 46 WC Wins – 1 WC Poles – 0 Best Finish – 3rd (1971) Francois Cevert was an extremely charming, gifted and vibrant character with playboy looks who won admirers both in and out of the car. He was arguably F1’s first sex symbol but that shouldn’t detract from his talent. He spent his entire F1 career with a single team – Tyrell – although his career was tragically brief. The dashing young Frenchmen came to the team’s attention in 1969 when Jackie Stewart, in an F2 race, found him a tough competitor and told owner Ken Tyrell to keep an eye on the driver. In 1970 the team suddenly found themselves in need of a 2nd driver to support Jackie and they called upon Cevert who quickly became Stewart’s protégé and over the course of his first season increasingly closed the gap to the Scotsman race by race. By mid 1971 Tyrell were now building their own cars and Cevert was regularly behind Stewart in Tyrell 1-2 finishes, and scored his maiden and solitary victory at Watkins Glen. It would be the high point of his career as 1972 saw Tyrell struggle and both Francois and Jackie found the car difficult to control. Nevertheless, he secured 2nd places in Belgium and the USA. He also finished 2nd at Le Mans that year. Then came 1973 and Cevert was increasingly on a par with Stewart, finishing 2nd six times that year, half of those behind Jackie who described the Frenchman as very ‘obedient’. Alongside Ronnie Peterson and Emerson Fittipaldi, the three were the sport’s most exciting young drivers. The long established Stewart himself was on course to his 3rd title early on and had planned an unannounced retirement following the final race at Watkins Glen – his 100th Grand Prix, leaving Cevert to take over as team leader. Stewart and Cevert during practice had differing opinions on which gear should be utilised through the fast esses at the back of the circuit. Cevert favoured 3rd but Stewart argued it left no room for error. During qualifying on Saturday morning Cevert, competing with Peterson for pole, went out and didn’t return as expected. Stewart, who had been on track as well, returned to the pits as the paddock began to speculate. There is video footage of Stewart getting out of the car and walking away as the paddock, particularly Colin Chapman, realise from Jackie’s demeanour that it was fatal for Cevert. He had hit the barrier head on at about 150mph after clipping a curb. Stewart believed he’d tried to take the corner in 3rd gear and lost control. Marshals had not even attempted to remove him from the car, as he was so clearly killed outright. F1 had lost one of its brightest stars. Such was the popularity of Cevert that a number of drivers were distraught. The normally distant Jacky Ickx was reduced to tears, as was Cevert’s close friend Ronnie Peterson. Emerson Fittipaldi left the circuit and considered immediate retirement. Jody Scheckter, first on the scene, was shocked and vowed to ‘clean up his act’ in reference to his driving style. And then there was Jackie Stewart, perhaps his closest friend of all, who later recalled ‘I was angry, very angry, about the whole sport, the whole thing. One of my regrets is that I didn’t stay with François. I don’t think anybody dies immediately. Okay, that may seem a ridiculous thing when the ferocity of the accident is on such a scale, but I just felt as if I should have taken his helmet off, or done something. Anything. Just stayed there a bit longer. To this day, I regret not doing that.’ Jackie Stewart never did race his 100th Grand Prix, as Cevert’s death was the final straw and he focussed on campaigning for greater safety for drivers. Cevert features heavily in the excellent film The Quick And The Dead, and his accident is documented in 1: Life On TheLimit. The last word – ‘I am very attached to life, I am very happy to be alive, and really believe that I am one of the happiest men on earth; but I don't think I can give up racing, because it is what I love above everything else. I have chosen to do what I like to do and to risk death.’ – Francois Cevert This post has been edited by Severin: 21st May 2020, 07:08 PM |
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21st May 2020, 10:16 PM
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#27
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It's still will be the return of the Mack 4eva
Joined: 1 February 2011
Posts: 53,869 User: 12,915
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So sad to hear about what happened to Cevert. This is a great read, Severin.
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22nd May 2020, 02:29 PM
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#28
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BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 4 November 2013
Posts: 30,554 User: 20,053
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Bellof another one taken too soon
 it' remarkable how many F1 drivers actually died not from F1 itself but other disciplines which just says about the safety standards across all motorsport back then!Can't say I know of Wimille but pleased that pre-1950 recognition is being included in this. Swerving to avoid spectators? It just gets crazier... Regazzoni (or Re-GAT-zoni as Walker called him) shame about his Ferrari career there but re-watching the Rush movie reminded me of the amusing scene where Lauda fixes up his car which then goes 2 seconds quicker. Reutemann was another of those 'nearly-men' - interesting story there about the '81 finale. Danny Ric is the best personality on today's grid and equally one of the best drivers. Shame how it's all gone backwards for him since leaving RBR, I wonder if he'll ever get back into race-winning yet alone title-winning machinery. Most of his F1 wins so far (let's ignore Malaysia 2016 & Monaco 2018) have been superb watches. My main knowledge of Pironi is that very incident with Villeneuve. An agreement like that was never going to end well (unless you had the extremely rare team-chemistry of Coulthard/Hakkinen) but it's a big shame they never got the chance to bury the hatchet. Remarkable that he would have likely cruised to the 82 title without that incident. Not too familiar with Cevert although I recognise the name. Very touching to read about Jackie's response there. Great work with the write-ups here! |
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22nd May 2020, 07:02 PM
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#29
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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Thanks Dobbo. If you want to know more about Cevert check out The Quick And The Dead - it's a documentary from 1978 narrated by Stacy Keach. It follows the 1973 season and was meant to show how he graduated to team leader at Tyrrell.
It obviously ends on a tragic note but Cevert is in it loads and he's thoroughly charming too. |
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22nd May 2020, 07:38 PM
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#30
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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39 – John Surtees
 Career – 1960-72 Teams – Lotus, Cooper, Lola, Ferrari, Honda, BRM, (non-works) McLaren, Surtees WC Starts – 111 WC Wins – 6 (+8 Non Championship wins) WC Poles – 8 Best Finish – World Champion (1964) John Surtees is often cited among both the luckiest and weakest of F1’s World Champions. It’s obviously impossible to quantify either claim but he certainly benefited from a points system that allowed him to win the title with fewer points than Graham Hill scored in 1964. Only the best six results were counted and Surtees claimed the title with 40 points despite Hill amassing 41. Regardless of this he was clearly a gifted and versatile driver and rider, earning the unique claim of being the only man to win world titles on two and four wheels following his 7 Motorcycle racing titles between 1956 and 1960 – he won both 350cc and 500cc titles from ’58-’60. He was also one of only two Brits to win the F1 World Championship for Ferrari, alongside Mike Hawthorn. Surtees switched full time to cars and F1 in 1960 finishing runner up in only his second GP and securing pole in his third whilst with Lotus. 1961 saw him driving non works Coopers and for 1962 he was with the Lola team, neither of which were truly competitive. For 1963 he gained a switch to Ferrari, winning a single race in a year in which only British drivers won a GP. He stayed with the Scuderia for 1964 in what was to be his title winning season. Aside from the aforementioned points scoring system fortune he enjoyed, he was also the beneficiary of title favourite Jim Clark retiring on the final lap with an oil leak, effectively giving Graham Hill the crown. Ferrari then ordered Surtees’ teammate Lorenzo Bandini to slow and let him pass, allowing the Englishmen to claim 2nd place and the points needed for the title. In 1965 he suffered a terrible life-threatening crash that ended his title challenge and left one side of his body several inches shorter than the other, requiring major surgery that never fully corrected the discrepancy. He stayed with the Italian team until 1966 when he came 2nd in the title race, singing with Honda 1967 and ’68 winning a single GP for the Japanese team. After leaving them he founded his own team, whilst continuing to drive but they were never able to build a credible race winning car and fell to the back of the grid. He left F1 after the 1972 season but remained very active in motorsport and a regular attendee at races for years. His son Henry Surtees was an upcoming driver in his own right until he was tragically killed when he was hit on the head by a stray tyre at Brands Hatch. John set up the Henry Surtees Foundation in his memory and the accident was one of those directly cited in the instigation of the HALO device. John Surtees died aged 83 in 2017. |
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23rd May 2020, 03:12 PM
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#31
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It's still will be the return of the Mack 4eva
Joined: 1 February 2011
Posts: 53,869 User: 12,915
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Most likely remain the only driver to win a world title on two and four wheels.
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23rd May 2020, 03:50 PM
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#32
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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38 – Giuseppe Farina
 Career – 1934-56 Teams – Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Talbot, Lancia WC Starts – 33 (World Championship) WC Wins – 5 (+20 Non Championship wins) WC Poles – 5 Best Finish – World Champion (1950) The great Italian driver Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina will always be the holder of a number of F1 records that, by their nature, cannot ever be broken. Most notably, first World Champion, and first World Championship Grand Prix winner. His World Championship stats however only tell a fraction of the story. Farina began his racing career in the mid 1930s, and soon became the trainee of the racing legend and superstar Tazio Nuvolari, who he referred to as ‘the master’, believing he could beat any other driver in a fair fight but not Nuvolari. During this time he gained a reputation as a gentleman outside of the car but a wild, tough, and unforgiving opponent on the track, close to a bully and many drivers feared close racing with him. He also became known for a propensity for crashes, one of which resulted in severe facial scars, and without fail he would always blame the car, refusing to admit the fault was his He won the Italian Championship 3 years running and he drove for the 3 great Italian teams – Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati. Unfortunately the decade was utterly dominated by the German Auto Union and Mercedes teams that won every European Championship. Despite this he won 3 GP in the ‘30s, and was often among the front runners behind the German cars. Even after the outbreak of WWII, he still managed a win in the 1940 Tripoli GP. Soon, though, any organised racing was cancelled during the conflict and racing didn’t resume until 1946. Farina won that year’s GP of Nations. He sat out 1947 following disagreements with Alfa but returned in 1948 to win the GP of Nations again, as well as the Monaco GP and another victory at Lausanne in 1949. The inaugural FIA World Championship kicked on in 1950 at Silverstone in Britain, where Farina claimed pole, fastest lap and victory. There were six European races that year, with the calendar completed by the Indianapolis 500 (no F1 drivers competed in the event). Between them, Farina and team mate Juan Manuel Fangio took every pole and fastest lap with 3 wins apiece. The Italian took the title and a place history, beating the driver many consider the greatest ever, through greater consistency across the year.. The following years saw him claim a brace of victories but he had suffered a devastating crash in 1954 that left him in constant pain and taking morphine injections just to race. By now he was 48 years old and the younger drivers Fangio and Alberto Ascari were asserting themselves. At 50 years old Farina finally made an attempt at the Indy 500 in 1956 but heavy rain prevented him qualifying and a year later his team mate was killed during a test run. Farina withdrew from the event and never raced again. The great Italian was killed instantly on his way to watch the 1966 French Grand Prix when he lost control of his car in the Savoy Alps and collided with a telegraph pole. Undoubtedly, Farina would have dominated racing in the 1940s but he lost his best years to the Second World War and we can only speculate what his legacy might have been. The last word – ‘He drove as if the devil was behind him and angels ahead’ – Enzo Ferrari (unconfirmed) This post has been edited by Severin: 23rd May 2020, 03:52 PM |
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23rd May 2020, 04:18 PM
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#33
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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37 – Keke Rosberg
 Career – 1978-1986 Teams – Theodore, ATS, Wolf, Fittipaldi, Williams, McLaren WC Starts – 114 WC Wins – 5 (+2 Non Championship wins) WC Poles – 5 Best Finish – World Champion (1982) The chain smoking and hard living Keijo Erik ‘ Keke’ Rosberg may well be the sports most unexpected champion. At the beginning of 1982 - his title year - you would have found few willing to put money on him taking the crown, although there were flashes of brilliance in his early days. He’d come into F1 in 1978 with Theodore and in only his second F1 drive he took the win in the non championship BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone despite a deluge that caught out many established stars. Aside from that race he was unable to even qualify the car in any championship rounds. He switched to ATS mid season and then back again with little reward. For 1979 he moved to Wolf only to find the car unreliable and the team on the verge of folding. They pulled out of F1 and Rosberg was left with only Fittipaldi’s team as refuge. In 1980 he managed two points finishes, one a podium, but the car was both uncompetitive and unreliable. The following year was another in the wilderness and yet somehow a position opened up at Williams for 1982. Former World Champion Alan Jones was retired and Rosberg was expected to support lead driver Carlos Reutemann. As the year began it became clear that Ferrari were the team to be with Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve the favourites. Reigning champion Nelson Piquet’s Brabham would be a strong contender, the Renault’s were extremely fast in the hands of Alain Prost and Rene Arnoux and last but not least Niki Lauda was back in a McLaren and looking ready for another title charge. Rosberg was at best 7th favourite. Somehow, all the dice fell in his favour in what would be the sports blackest year for some time. Reutemann walked out on F1 following tensions over the Falklands conflict; the Brabham was seemingly incapable of finishing a race, of the 16 races in only 3 did both cars finish. The Renault’s turbo powered engines enjoyed nothing more than blowing up once a win was all but assured and worst of all Pironi and Villenueve suffered accidents that would end their career and life respectively. Rosberg’s consistent point scoring earned him the title with only a solitary win. Keke remained with Williams for 1983 but the other teams had caught back up and the car wasn’t fast enough. By 1984 and ‘85 the McLaren’s in the hand of Prost and Lauda were unstoppable. When the Finn was asked to replace the retiring Lauda at McLaren for 1986 it was probably his best chance at a second title, however a combination of reliability and, following the death of close friend Elio De Angelis, a growing desire to retire at the end of the year meant he finished a lowly 6th in the championship. The original Flying Finn is another sometimes put in that group of lucky or weak champions, and whilst there may be some truth to 1982 being fortuitous for him, it’s equally as true that every other year was the opposite. Additionally, at the time there were no greater street racers. His ability to win on tracks like Dallas, Detroit and Monaco in difficult conditions was peerless. His aggressive, and ‘balls out’ driving style regularly shredded tyres, exhausted fuel and broke cars but it won him admirers, and yet his biggest legacy may well be in the young talents he later nurtured to success – Mika Hakkinen (who in turn guided Kimi Raikkonen) and his son Nico, who took three titles between them and established Finland as one of the sports best breeding grounds for champions. The last word – ‘Keke Rosberg is as calculating as a slot machine’ - Louis T. Stanley (motor racing executive, writer & photographer) This post has been edited by Severin: 23rd May 2020, 04:20 PM |
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23rd May 2020, 04:46 PM
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#34
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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36 – Gerhard Berger
 Career – 1984-1997 Teams – ATS, Arrows, Ferrari, McLaren, Benetton WC Starts – 210 WC Wins – 10 WC Poles – 12 Best Finish – 3rd (1988, 1994) The hugely likeable and charming Austrian driver scored 10 victories from 210 starts in a 13 year career, and whilst he could be extremely quick in the right circumstances he was arguably only ever ranked as high as the 4th best driver on the grid. However, when you consider that he spent his entire career competing against the likes of Lauda, Prost, Piquet, Senna, Mansell, and Schumacher (amongst others) it becomes clear that he was always in for a tough time. And yet on his day he could beat any of them. After 2 years with mediocre teams he got his real break when he signed for Benetton in 1986. He claimed Benetton’s 1st ever victory with a sublime drive at the Mexican GP that year. He missed out on a 2nd win in Germany through a flat battery, and completely dominated his teammate Teo Fabi across the year. In 1987 he began his first stint with Ferrari in a car that didn’t fully compete until mid-season. He lost 2 certain race wins (a spin and mechanical failure) before he took wins in Japan and Australia to round of a year in which he’d again soundly beaten and experienced partner – Michele Alboreto this time. The following year he was the only driver to beat the Prost/Senna/McLaren juggernaut when he took the chequered flag at Monza (days after the death of Enzo Ferrari) and the only non McLaren pole of the year. He out qualified Alboreto 16-0, effectively ending the Italian’s Ferrari career, and in the final race, knowing his engine wouldn’t last, told the McLaren drivers he would breeze past them, turned his turbo up full power and blasted passed everyone, setting several fastest laps on the way before colliding with an unsuspecting Rene Arnoux when his own brakes went. He partnered Mansell in 1989 but the car wasn’t suited to him and nor was it truly competitive. He scored a solitary win before leaving for McLaren for 1990 to join Senna. In the first race he raised eyebrows when he out qualified the Brazilian, a feat he achieved 8 times in their 3 year partnership. He won 3 victories between ’90-’92 but couldn’t match Senna’s race pace and the cars were built with the Brazilian’s style in mind. During this time the pair forged one of the most beloved and amusing friendships F1 has ever enjoyed - worth the visit to Berger’s Wikipedia page alone. He was frequently known to miss the drivers parades too, often found chatting away with one of the grid girls. It’s also noted that the intense Senna lightened up a lot during his pairing with the Austrian. Berger relocated back to Maranello for 1993 until 1995 where his partnership with Jean Alesi became arguably the strongest pairing on the grid. But none of the Ferrari’s were equal to either drivers talent and they claimed only a win apiece. It was during this period too that Berger had strong reservations about continuing in the sport following the deaths of close friend Senna and compatriot Roland Ratzenberger at Imola in 1994. He’d had his own terrifying accident at Tamburello in 1989, hitting the wall at 180mph before the cars fuel ignited in a huge burst of flame in which he was trapped for 16 seconds. By 1996 he had joined Benetton once more and struggled with a car that was difficult to drive, with his height preventing air from entering the intake smoothly he had to regularly lean over whilst driving.. He almost claimed a 2nd German GP victory that year. In 1997 he did just that under remarkable circumstances. At 37 years old, following the death of his father and suffering the effects of a sinus operation he took a grand slam from the weekend. Winning his and Benetton’s final ever victory in a hugely popular and emotional weekend where he also announced his retirement at the years end. He went on to work for BMW and part owned Scuderia Toro Rosso until 2008. Had Berger been born a few years earlier or even later he might have avoided what may be the toughest set of rivals in history, in the most difficult handling cars ever, to improve his results tally but there’s no denying he was a gifted racer and one of the most endearing and popular characters in the sport at the time. The last word – ‘Forget anything after, the 1986 turbo cars really were rockets and to handle them I really think you had to be a man’ – Gerhard Berger |
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23rd May 2020, 05:01 PM
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#35
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not 152chris (☻‿☻)
Joined: 2 February 2007
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(loving this commentary btw Severin)
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23rd May 2020, 10:33 PM
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#36
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It's still will be the return of the Mack 4eva
Joined: 1 February 2011
Posts: 53,869 User: 12,915
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A great read there in Farina, Rosberg and Berger.
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24th May 2020, 01:48 PM
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#37
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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Thanks for the comments everyone.
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24th May 2020, 01:57 PM
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#38
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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35 – Dan Gurney
 Career – 1959-1968, 1970 Teams – Ferrari, BRM, Porsche, Lotus, Brabham, Eagle, McLaren WC Starts – 86 WC Wins – 4 (+2 non Championship) WC Poles – 3 Best Finish – 4th (1961, 1965) American driver Dan Gurney, despite never having been World Champion or even taking many race victories, has one of the greatest legacies in motorsport. He is responsible for three of its most enduring contributions. Firstly, having won the Le Mans 24hrs in 1967 alongside AJ Foyt he decided that rather than drink the champagne prize, he would spray it everywhere, a celebration that has since become a tradition in motor racing. Secondly, in 1971 he invented the ‘Gurney flap’, a small right-angled extension attached to a cars rear wing that drastically increased downforce with minimal drag and was immediately embraced by all motor racing. Finally, for the 1968 German GP he became the first ever Grand Prix driver to wear a full face helmet. As impressive as this legacy is though, none of it says much about his ability behind the wheel of a Grand Prix car, and sadly neither do his career stats. For all his remarkably calm and fluid style, he was hampered for some years with uncompetitive or unreliable machinery for teams like Owen and the BRM’s of Autosport Wolfgang Seidel. He had reasonable success in his first season with Ferrari in 1959, but in 1960 the brakes failed on his Owen Racing BRM resulting n a crash which killed a young spectator. 'This is a cruel sport!' he remarked and his faith in his engineers was permanently broken. He changed his driving style, always giving the brakes a light tap before braking hard - 'the chicken-shit school of racing' he called it. He raced in F1 with Porsche for 1961-2 and then with Brabham from ’63-’65 but it was an era dominated by the BRM and Lotus teams and Gurney was never in the right team at the right time, although he outperformed Jack Brabham in their time together. He had the additional challenge of a grid full of genuine F1 greats Graham Hill, Jack Brabham and the legendary Jim Clark. In addition to F1 and Le Mans, he was a regular at the Indy 500 and a winner in NASCAR, Can-Am, Trans-Am and Indycars. He also won the first ever competitive ‘Cannonball Run’ – the race race from the USA’s west coast to east was completed in 35 hours, driving a Ferrari Daytona. As the sole owner of the team All American Racers he guided the team to over 70 wins in Americam auto racing and was instrumental in founding the CART series for Indycars. In 1966 he founded the Anglo American Racing team that produced what may be the most beautiful looking Grand Prix car ever – the Eagle T1G or Mark1. A car that despite its reliability issues he still took to victory at Spa in 1967. After that year he raced in F1 with increasing irregularity, focusing on other disciplines and team running. His final race was the British GP in 1970. Gurney died following complications from Pneumonia in Jan 2018 aged 86. In the 2016 study that calculated driver influence against machine, Gurney placed as the 14th greatest ever F1 driver, but perhaps the final word should go to one Mr Clark. In 1968 at the funeral of Jim Clark, the double World Champion, to this day still regarded by many as the greatest ever, the Scotsman’s father informed Gurney that he was the only driver his son had feared on the track. The last word – ‘I was first inspired by him when I was in midgets dreaming of being like him. I was last inspired by him yesterday.’ – Mario Andretti - 2018 This post has been edited by Severin: 24th May 2020, 01:58 PM |
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24th May 2020, 02:06 PM
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#39
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
Posts: 6,936 User: 9,872
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34 – Jose Froilan Gonzalez
 Career – 1950-1957, 1960 Teams – Maserati, Talbot-Lago, Ferrari WC Starts – 26 WC Wins – 2 (+6 non championship) WC Poles – 3 Best Finish – 2nd (1954) Nicknamed The Pampas Bull by his fans or El Cabazon (Fat Head) by his friends, Gonzalez is the other great Argentine driver of the 1950s. Inevitably, he was always overshadowed by Juan Manuel Fangio, but unlike his compatriot he wasn’t always in the best car and never attended a full season. That he finished 3rd in the World Championship in 1951 and 2nd in 1954 despite this is testament to his ability. As is his domination of the British GP in 1951 – with such pace that team leader Alberto Ascari was shocked. He promptly sat out most of the 1952 season by choice, entering only one race – he finished 2nd and came 9th in the championship that year. He skipped 4 races in 1953 and came 6th in the title race. He was a regular entrant at Le Mans 24hrs up until 1954 when he won the event for Ferrari alongside Maurice Trintignant. Driving primarily for Maserati and Ferrari (for whom he won their first ever World Championship victory), he would undoubtedly have won many more races had he elected to compete more often, but he scaled back his participation following the death of close friend Onofre Marimon at the Nurburgring in 1954. A tragedy that would affect him so much he would enter only 5 Grand Prix in the last 6 years of his career. Following a one-off drive in 1956 he was offered a full time seat with Vanwall that may well have lead to more wins and a title challenge but he turned the offer down and raced only twice more, both the Argentine GP. He suffered a heart attack in 2013 and soon after died from respiratory failure aged 90. The last word – ‘In the old days drivers were fat and the tyres were skinny’ – Jose Froilan Gonzalez |
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24th May 2020, 02:19 PM
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#40
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Mansonette
Joined: 3 November 2009
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33 – Jenson Button
 Career – 2000-2017 Teams – Williams, Benetton, Renault, BAR, Honda, Brawn, McLaren WC Starts – 306 WC Wins – 15 WC Poles – 8 Best Finish – World Champion (2009) When Button began his F1 career with Williams he was the then youngest ever driver in the sport, and had been described by Gerhard Berger as a ‘phenomenon’, by Patrick Head as ‘a star of the future’ and by his karting coach as ‘like Senna’. Despite this the team only ever intended him as a stop gap until Juan Montoya was available. Results in his first year suggested perhaps this was wise, although there were flashes of what was to come in Belgium and Germany. Williams ultimately took the decision to loan him to Benetton for the next 2 years. 2001 saw him in a poor alongside the experienced Giancarlo Fisichella, with the Italian convincingly outperforming the Briton to the extent where he was close to the sack. He did, however, remain with the team for 2002 as it became Renault, once again alongside another Italian in Jarno Trulli. Button has spent much of the off season working on set-up and this time he won the inter team battle only to learn he would be replaced for next year by Fernando Alonso. 2003 saw him partner 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve at BAR. The pair didn’t get on but Button stamped his authority on a team built around the Canadian (Jacques, to be fair, did have an unusually high mechanical failure rate). Villeneuve was replaced by Takuma Sato for 2004 as Button became a regular front runner, eventually finishing 3rd in the title race only behind the Ferraris. By now he had cemented a reputation as a calm, measured driver with a flowing style and good tyre management and potential race winner. Things became tricky in ’04 and ’05 when he fell out with BAR team management and contract issues caused problems but he continued to beat Sato and then Barrichello across the seasons and even claimed a couple of poles. For 2006 BAR became Honda and Button scored their debut win in Hungary that year, but the following season saw him eclipsed as Britain’s F1 star by Lewis Hamilton as Honda began to struggle. In 2008 they pulled the plug on their F1 team. What happened next illustrates the thin line between glory and obscurity as Ross Brawn stepped in at the last minute to buy the team gave Button a seat. The Mercedes powered car, with its controversial double diffuser dominated the first half of the season and Button lead the title race from start to finish, holding on as other teams caught up by the years end. As quickly as they arrived in F1, Brawn sold up after a single year and Button moved to McLaren for 2010. Button spent 3 years partnering the hotly tipped Hamilton and he outscored him in that period, (although Hamilton scored 2 more victories and remained the media’s darling) as well as taking one of the sports most memorable ever races in the 2011 Canadian GP. Unfortunately, subsequent years saw McLaren slide from front runners to mediocrity and Button staying loyal only saw his reputation suffer until he finally packed it in at the end of 2016. He made a one off return in 2017 at Monaco in place of Fernando Alonso (‘I’m gonna pee in your seat’) and now works regularly as a TV pundit. Button’s career is proof if it were ever needed that being in the right car at the right time can make all the difference but his years in other teams spent beating well regarded team mates as well his frequent ability to better Hamilton show his true class. The last word – ‘Button is the real deal. It just takes the right environment, the right time – don’t doubt he has all the talents to win Grands Prix and challenge for championships’ – David Coulthard |
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