Ralph Firman?

[BootsOntheSide]

He'd done 6 years of Formula Nippon though, so he would've gained nothing from another season, even if he'd successfully defended the title. All he'd've got from F3000 was experience of the tracks, and he was one fo the few who got the Friday mornings in 2003 anyway. To be honest I think he had a chance to show what he was capable of at Jordan, and we did see the best of him - a good driver but nothign sensational. He had 6 years between winning the F3 title and reaching F1, and he didn't do any better than Sato, who made the jump immediately.

[GP Racer]

But in the past couple of years, what first year driver has been able to impress anyone while driving a Jordan?

The car has been pretty atrocious, and if anything it has ruined a few careers instead of helped any...

[sonic]

Originally Posted by Spaced Invader

He was in my local sainsbury's the other day and although he may not be a looker he had a very pretty girl hanging off his arm. He is an Attleborough boy (Norfolk) like myself so i was very keen to see how he did in F1. i think he got a raw deal really.

LOL! may have been his sister - shes fit.

Yeah - Firman deserved another chance, he always looked as if he was driving slightly beyond his expereince - would have been ideal for him to get a role as an F1 test driver to develop a bit more. But then the other thing against him is that he is really tall and as Alex Wurz has found - if you big you are just a pain for engineers.

[BSchneiderFan]

If sportscar racing settles down and you have teams entering year-on-year, then perhaps Firman can find a stable berth somewhere.