Anyone met an F1 driver???

[simon_blay]

Behind the stage at the Quo concert seemed to be ure best bet. We saw Damon, got tickets signed by firman and wilson, but i thought, as was mentioned in autosport or summit that the drivers were hidden away far too much. Give me a BTCC paddock any day.

Awesome race tho!!!

[bart_jacobs]

I've met 14 driver, who have driven a F1 car, either tested, or raced with it... I even got an autograph from new signing Nicolas Kiesa...(from the 2002 F3000 season)

[Phoenix1]

I meet Pizzonia back in those good days of Formula Renualt, like Simon_blay asys BTCC paddock any time :-) Also saw Sato in Formula Vauxhall in '98.

[Jay]

Drivers are mostly fairly easy to meet...but not when they're driving in F1. Get them on the way up, and on the way down...much easier. The only driver I've ever met that was actually driving in F1 at the time was Mika Hakkinen when he stopped by to sign autographs at a Hugo Boss store. Nobody recognized him though..so he didn't sign many autographs...he was surprisingly chatty though.

[DriverT]

Well, I know someone who met Montoya at Rockingham 2002 and leapt in front of him and started snapping away with his camera. Does that qualify? ;-)

[fastracer]

At Indy 2001 i was able to get in the paddock with the help of some friends who worked for Minardi where i met and got to hang around with Alonso. I also met Trulli, Button, Hakkinen, Heidfeld, Irvine and his parents (very nice people), Lauda, De La Rosa, Bernoldi, Yoong and last but not least at the hotel i was staying, Gaston Mazzacane. Also met Clay Regazzoni at LAX after the Long Beach GP a couple of years ago.

[DriverT]

Nice one mate! You're very lucky! :-)

[marcus]

never met any current drivers.

but Ive met and chatted with Sir Jack Brabham which was an amazing experience and one that I will always remember , I was so awe struck in meeting him and having a chat about all kinds of things that when we parted it was only then that i realized I didnt get his autograph which Im rather annoyed about.

but it was fantastic to meet him.


I also had the displeasure of meeting Alan Jones but i wont go into details about that because I'd rather forget that meeting and him entirely.

[bacon sandwich]

Takumo Sato sat in my chair when he crashed at Brands in 2001 whilst in F3.
Have met Perry McCarthy twice at BRSCC dinner (have a photo, me and him)and Autosport show.
Met Mark Blundell at BTCC meeting - Brands last year for autograph.
Best one though was sneaking onto grid at '97 GP and standing in front of Damon's car during countdown - didn't speak to him but I was so happy - I was nearly still there as they left on the green flag lap!

[gttouring]

I met montoya at chicago during the champcar oval race, he was kinda quiet and distracted, mostly "yeah yeah" and i have to go"
but mario andretti hit me with those infernal honda cub scooters!
he was "oh i am sorry, are you okay? do you need something?"
Evrything was fine really, but he told me how he has seen driver knock people over in the pits and drive away really fast, adn never look back. terribly nice gentleman. He patted me on the back and said 'enjoy'

[Valve Bounce]

I met John Surtees at Lakeside - his car had conked out in heavy rain, he ran into the spectators' enclosure when he saw we had a big tent and asked if he could shelter there, I spoke with him for nearly three quarters of an hour. Really nice chap - it was just before he drove the Ferrari to his WDC.

[Scott75]

Back in 2000 I was in contact with Mark Webber a couple of times regarding website design. I was going to meet up with him at the US Grand Prix at Indy. He was going to organise for me to meet with him at the Fosters tent but I had to leave the USA earlier than expected for reason's beyond me. I also had a few emails from him back in 1999 when he was driving for Stoddart in F3000. Does this count? He's an awesome bloke that's for sure, he didn't have to do that for me.

[Valve Bounce]

Maybe he follows the same footy team as you

[Scott75]

And what team would that be??

[Jukebox]

YuP! Last year before the Malaysian GP, when Michael Schumacher joined a local football club in a match over at Langkawi Island. Pasted pictures of him last year in here to prove it! .....no one else matters

[bingman]

In 2000 when I was young, I was at a cart event. Me and some mates had a few drinks and just as the race had started we were walking in the in field. Then out of nowhere I looked up and JPM was walking toward me (he just crashed out). As I was wasted I looked up and said "what the hell do you think your doing, isn't this your race"... (I was confused)... JPM just laughed and gave me a rub on the head to which my wasted mate replied "he's Muslim u shouldn't touch him on the head", he'd been watching some culture show on discovery and was full of cr#p that day..

it was funny at the time but I guess u had to be there (wasted)

[Andrew Kitson]

When I was a kid I got to meet all of the F1 drivers - you could in those days quite easily and get their autographs. This was in the 60s/70s - the likes of Stewart, Graham Hill, Siffert, Amon, McLaren, Surtees, Clark etc.It was like a club meeting paddock today but with many more people!
Nowadays I get to meet many of the current drivers due to my profession and most I have known since they started car racing. Some are clients of my work. Had a good chat with JPM, Ralph F, Wurz, Lehto etc at Silverstone last week.
What F1 must do is make the drivers more accessible to the fans!

[TimD]

The only driver I've met whilst he was actually in F1 is Stefan Bellof - at Brands Hatch while he was driving for Tyrrell.

I've also met Sir Stirling Moss, Derek Bell, Roy Salvadori, Gabriele Tarquini, Patrick Tambay and Jochen Mass. All in retirement, but all still mighty quick.

[Hugh Jarce]

Fernando, Jarno and Mr McNish!

[corkholio]

Met Cristiano da Matta back when he was in CART. Whiney little prick.

[rdjones]

Never meet but sat in hosipaltiy with McNish and Perry McCarthy - does that count

[chezza]

If your gonna count that then I've seen them too!

[racefanatic]

I met Montoya, Christian Fittipaldi, and Cristiano when they were in CART, and I've met Mario and Michael lots of times at Indy. I got Michael to remember me! I wrote him a letter and put a picture I took with him in the enveope, then brought the picture back for him to sign the next year. He said, "Hey, I remember you! You've been coming out here for a long time, haven't you?" I was so happy!

[Mark Webber]

Yes Mark Webber came to vist me a work (just before leMans) as he was managed by campise at the and I was owed a favour so while Mark was visting Oz. So he came to my work and signed a few things for me and gave me 2 prints of him in F3 with ADR and sign them the bonus is there is only 500 of them and I have two and signed . It made my year . Mark was such a nice bloke really down to earth IME he is /a Champ

[Irv the Swerve]

I've met Mika Hakkinen and Johnny Herbert at Barcelona on 1997. JH brought me into a McLaren awning whereupon DC scarpered when he saw us because Herbert passed him on the last lap of the race!
Eddie Jordan too a couple of times.