Retirement

[Diabando]

Do you ever think sometimes, that F1 drivers actually LIKE what they do?

I think so...

Look beyond the gossip and rumors, beyond the space in your own opinions, and perhaps take a different angle for a change.

Lets take Mika as an example. He has won the championship, spent many many years in F1. He may no longer be at his personal best, but he is still be quicker and more experienced than most of the "rookies". When a driver thinks he is close to retirement, but still has some valuable input they can make into the sport they LOVE, perhaps, at this time, some drivers may feel the need to give something back. Also, apart from the actualracing and "will to win", do you think it would be easy to walk away from the lifestyle? the community? the whole circus?

Do you think maybe, that these drivers build friendships within the whole F1 fraternity, that may not be in their current team? Of course they do.

So in your opinion, for Mika to drive in a "lower" team would be bad for him? for his pride? Maybe not.

Imagine that Mika would like to race for another year, maybe two, and drive for a smaller team - one that currently has no hope of winning the championship. Do you think that those sorts of teams could possibly afford him? afford his experience? no way - but perhaps he feels, as a driver, that he has something to contribute to the smaller teams, particularly as he may have formed friendships within these other teams. To give them some of the knowledge he has learnt over the years. To give something back to the sport?

I would never think less of him if he were to drive for someone else, in his last one or two years. I would never consider it to be a bad way to retire.

Maybe I am just a little too romantic...but then again, just look at Jacques.

Do you think my head is in the clouds??

[Jeanburrasca81]

Isn't this exactly what Alesi did at Sauber and Prost?
Yes you're right in my eyes, there are drivers who actually love their job.

Regards,

Julian

[Run Free]

Originally posted by Diabando
Do you ever think sometimes, that F1 drivers actually LIKE what they do?I think so...

When a driver thinks he is close to retirement, but still has some valuable input they can make into the sport they LOVE, perhaps, at this time, some drivers may feel the need to give something back. Also, apart from the actualracing and "will to win", do you think it would be easy to walk away from the lifestyle? the community? the whole circus?

So in your opinion, for Mika to drive in a "lower" team would be bad for him? for his pride? Maybe not.

I would never think less of him if he were to drive for someone else, in his last one or two years. I would never consider it to be a bad way to retire.

Maybe I am just a little too romantic...but then again, just look at Jacques.

Do you think my head is in the clouds??

I don't think too.

But I think also that some of the drivers love racing a lot more than that "lifestyle": Jacques is one of those for sure, and maybe Mika is another one.
I surely should not consider his driving for a lesser team a bad way to retire, and BTW Mclaren itself seems to be on his way to be one.
I don't think on the other way that his situation can be compared with that of Jacques: Jacques has been at the top for a very short time, is a lot younger than Mika and has less years in the business on his shoulders: he is building a new team, not simply driving for a lesser team than Williams, and for sure is in his best years and well far from retirement.

[EERO]

Diabando,

As long as a driver "loves" racing, then by all means, if he still has the the pace, he should stay in it. Damon Hill is recent proof of how sad it it is to watch a driver with declining motivation continue to slog around every two weeks.
Mika may have lost the final edge, but if the desire to compete is still there, e could offer a lot to a team farther down the grid.

[Ralf's Girl]

Originally posted by Run Free
But I think also that some of the drivers love racing a lot more than that "lifestyle": Jacques is one of those for sure, and maybe Mika is another one.

Absolutely - there are some drivers who are in it to race, and who are 100% motivated and determined to win.

But on the other hand, there are drivers like Irvine and, to a lesser extent, Button, who put so much emphasis on the lifestyle (the women, the yacht etc.) that their performances on track are not noted as much.

Originally posted by EERO
Damon Hill is recent proof of how sad it it is to watch a driver with declining motivation continue to slog around every two weeks.

I agree - it was a real shame to see Hill driving for the last half of 1999 with no motivation. If Hakkinen still wants to be racing and still loves what he does, then he should keep going. If not, it's best that he doesn't.

[Bononi]

Romantic, Diabando, romantic.

That must be fantastic living the circus !!!

But I think that the main aim to a driver is race to win. The ones in the small teams aim to get in the top teams and win races, hardly the contrary. Hill went to Arrows, as part of a plan to make them big. Others like Fittipaldi, made his own team in order to win races...

Never the other way !

[Ray Bell]

While this is no contribution to the theme of the thread, I think one thing we could consider about drivers going to a lesser team is this:

Had Damon not done so, we would never have seen that fantastic drive in Hungary!

[Alan Jones]

i think seeing your last season or two is OK in a lesser team but I don't think Mika will do it. He has had too much experience at the top.
I think that he is well aware of no matter how talented you are , without the right car to drive you will just make up the numbers.
Mika hasn't seemed as motivated this year bar one or two races, probably cause he knows the car isn't as competitive as in previous years.The wealth of knowledge would be a great asset to a team such as jag, with the financial resources to implement some of his know how into their next car, but really don't think Mika is the man for the job. I also would hate to see him follow Damon's footsteps, that was painful to watch.

[Bononi]

Well said AJ.

F1 is all about a good car, same to the ones coming in, same to the ones goind out...

{Damon had a fantastic one, but it was a moment in time, he failed his main goal (or their main goal), and that is what really counts. Hill jrn will be remained by his title, and being "beated" by TGF, rather than his glourious hungarian ride !}

(And I would wait for R Girl give me support on this, please !!!!)

[EERO]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
Had Damon not done so, we would never have seen that fantastic drive in Hungary!

Certainly at the top onf my F1 moments!!!

[Bononi]

The swan song indeed.

[Diabando]

The problem with Damon Hill, was that he did not retire when he should have.

I am only using Mika as an example - I am not suggesting that he should drive for a smaller team - infact, I agree with some of the sentiments already posted above.

My point, really, was that if a top driver choose to spend his last year(s) with a smaller team, perhaps before we crucify them for it, we should take some time to consider that there might be other reasons for this decision.

Cheers!

[TimD]

I wonder if the politics and the rumour mill don't get to some people during their careers?

Niki Lauda famously walked away from the sport, and then returned triumphantly for another championship three years down the line, after all.

It's good to see the old warriors doing battle again outside the media circus. After all, who didn't cheer for Martin Brundle in the Bentley at Le Mans? And Damon Hill, Jochen Mass and Patrick Tambay can these days be prevailed upon to race for the fun of it in historics, without the pressure and the backbiting of a Formula 1 campaign.

Heck, Sir Stirling and Sir Jack have never been away....

[Ray Bell]

I'm told that FJ will drive anything anyone puts under him, or ride it, and will do so flat out and sawing the wheel to keep it in check... nice to hear.

[Ralf's Girl]

Originally posted by Bononi
{Damon had a fantastic one, but it was a moment in time, he failed his main goal (or their main goal), and that is what really counts. Hill jrn will be remained by his title, and being "beated" by TGF, rather than his glourious hungarian ride !}

(And I would wait for R Girl give me support on this, please !!!!)

I'm afraid I don't go with you on this one, Bon. The people who paid attention to Damon's career will remember his great drives - for example Suzuka 94 and Hungary 97. But those who didn't will remember him as a driver who went into a steady decline at the end of his career - it would be a shame to see Hakkinen, a double champion, remembered the same way.

[Bononi]

That's Ok, R Girl. Being a brit you surely know better their feelings towards Hill. As for me I remember him always when behind TGF, incapable of passing him, even in a better car.

[Tristan]

People here are citing Mika as an example of someone who "enjoys" what he's doing.

If anything, I'd say he looks like the driver who enjoys his job the LEAST!!! Most weekends he looks tired, strained, like he couldn't give a monkeys!! This whole season looks to me like it's something Mika's ENDURED not enjoyed.

But hey, it doesn't look like he's going to retire so may be he does enjoy it after all.....

[Ray Bell]

Even ex-World Champs have a good salary...

Maybe with another year he'll never have to work again?

[Bononi]

Just because he's still doing his best...Tristan.

He's in for a next season...

[Liz]

Well, I think it depends on the pilot. Jean Alesi will race go-karts if he gets the chance, and will probably race on until he's 60, like Mario Andretti. But he does this for his own pleasure, not for money, girls, stock options, media attention or similar, and he doesn't get discouraged (permanently) if he doesn't make any progress up the charts. Mika, I don't know, I think he finds it discouraging when he doesn't do well, and he takes the press to heart. So perhaps for him it would be a demotion and he'd hate all the stories about poor old Mika, what a comedown for him, he's putting a brave face on it isn't he.

It all depends on the guy. But I think Mika should retire. His motivation is gone.

[Ralf's Girl]

Originally posted by Bononi
As for me I remember him always when behind TGF, incapable of passing him, even in a better car.

Which is why I look to Hungary 97 for proof that Damon could drive better than TGF...there aren't many drivers out there now who could overtake TGF driving an Arrows. Never mind pulling out a VERY convincing lead!

[Bononi]

Yes R Girl... you're right !

[JeremySmith]

Originally posted by Ralf's Girl


Which is why I look to Hungary 97 for proof that Damon could drive better than TGF...there aren't many drivers out there now who could overtake TGF driving an Arrows. Never mind pulling out a VERY convincing lead!

RG
Are you saying that Damon could drive better than Michael Schumacher, or was a better driver period?

[Bononi]

I will reply before her, and if my answer is wrong, our little lady will correct me later....

Jersound, my man, I guess she said that Hill's driving in Hungary was apart of all, he proved he could beat TGF.

[Ralf's Girl]

Correct, Bononi. I think that Damon, at times, drove better than TGF - he wasn't an overall better driver, but he proved that he could beat TGF. Look at Hungary 97, and Japan 94 - that was possibly the best race he ever drove.