[Driver] Defending Worst F1 champions

[Mekola]

Nelson Piquet is a good chap.
Did help a lot of racing drivers to go into F1,
and has five sons and two daughters.
Roberto Moreno will gladly testify he's an excellent friend of his frients.
I'm very proud to see Nelson is such a good man.

[Mekola]

Originally Posted by ASCII Man

Very confusing indeed.

Knowing this, I could tell you I also hate Jochen Mass for what he did.
I still cry for Onofre Marimon, what a good man he was.
Onofre surely could have been the lead Maserati driver,
not only in 1954 but also in 1955, and Marimon...

Meh, Marimon could have had a strange fate on Le Mans,
had he survived at the 'Ring...
Fangio must have adviced him.

[Dixon9]

Originally Posted by ASCII Man

Very confusing indeed.

he's a salty *******. never has someone who has achieved so much spent their retirement stuffing their mouth with so many lemons.

sometimes i forget he won and not schumacher

[S griffin]

With Jacques, sometimes I agree with him, sometimes I do not

[Paradise City]

Damon Hill's story is quite epic. He hadn't alot of cash, he was oldish when he got his break. A 'one of us' kinda guy in a valley of high drama, tragedy, death, betrayal and laser-sharp titans like Schumacher. F1 of that era was like a renaissance drama. And he got his world championship in that era.

I dunno how much raw talent he had. I dunno how much raw talent he'd put on display if he had made his debut at a younger age. But his story is an exciting one of grit and he deserves his plaudits.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Damon Hill's story is quite epic. He hadn't alot of cash, he was oldish when he got his break. A 'one of us' kinda guy in a valley of high drama, tragedy, death, betrayal and laser-sharp titans like Schumacher. F1 of that era was like a renaissance drama. And he got his world championship in that era.

I dunno how much raw talent he had. I dunno how much raw talent he'd put on display if he had made his debut at a younger age. But his story is an exciting one of grit and he deserves his plaudits.

His successor wouldn't have won a thing if it weren't for Williams Renault.

[S griffin]

He had raw talent no doubt about it, but was a bit short of being a great. He worked harder than most to make up for it though

[greentrumpet]

His Dad was also a racer who backed up talent with a lot of hard work (by all accounts), DH's autobiography is a good read, he was, and remains, a true gent.

[S griffin]

Indeed, Damon was one who would only give out hard tactics if he needed to give as good as he got. As you said a complete gentleman, backed up with a dry sense of humour

The similarities between him and his Dad being both hard workers is right

[Mekola]

In fact, in 1996-97 SFW contracted THREE, not two but three heirs of famous racing drivers:

Driver #1 Damon HILL, son of sir Graham.
Driver #2 Jacques VILLENEUVE, son of Gilles
Tester Jean-Cristophe BOUILLON, descendant of Pierre Levegh, the man who was victim of the 1955 Le Mans Tragedy.

[Dixon9]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Damon Hill's story is quite epic. He hadn't alot of cash, he was oldish when he got his break. A 'one of us' kinda guy in a valley of high drama, tragedy, death, betrayal and laser-sharp titans like Schumacher. F1 of that era was like a renaissance drama. And he got his world championship in that era.

I dunno how much raw talent he had. I dunno how much raw talent he'd put on display if he had made his debut at a younger age. But his story is an exciting one of grit and he deserves his plaudits.

how old was he when he came in? seems like if you're not there by your early 20s then you never will these days.

[BSchneiderFan]

32 when he made his debut for Williams in 1993.

[S griffin]

Actually he was 31 when he made his debut with Brabham. Don't forget he started car racing late after starting on bikes

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Why is everyone picking on Damon here? Even if they're not, it still feels like it.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Why is everyone picking on Damon here? Even if they're not, it still feels like it.

I think that is because it is the nature of a 'worst' thread. It will generally descend into people being 'picked on' at best, and possibly tend towards unnecessary abuse...

[Dixon9]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

32 when he made his debut for Williams in 1993.

Originally Posted by S griffin

Actually he was 31 when he made his debut with Brabham. Don't forget he started car racing late after starting on bikes

that's awesome. he'll probably be the last of his kind.

[chunder]

Scheckter in 1980 was pretty pathetic.

Rosberg, through no fault of his own in 83. But talent wise you could still see it.

Lauda in 78 was not that greatm, but again in a poor car.

Piquet in 1988, take the money and run.

Hill was in a dump of a car and nearly won a race, rest of the year was crap. But no worse than Scheckters or Lauda's or Rosbergs.

People pick on him for no reason, At least he didn't throw his teddies out he pram and dick off to America like Mansell did!!

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by chunder

Scheckter in 1980 was pretty pathetic.

Rosberg, through no fault of his own in 83. But talent wise you could still see it.

Lauda in 78 was not that greatm, but again in a poor car.

Piquet in 1988, take the money and run.

Hill was in a dump of a car and nearly won a race, rest of the year was crap. But no worse than Scheckters or Lauda's or Rosbergs.

People pick on him for no reason, At least he didn't throw his teddies out he pram and dick off to America like Mansell did!!

The 1980 Ferrari was the definition of crap, no higher than 5th all season, even in the Gilles' capable hands. Speaking of Gilles, his son never won another race after winning the title, a few 3rds were his best results.

[S griffin]

Well Jacques never really had the car again, although we were still reminded of his talent from time to time

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Well Jacques never really had the car again, although we were still reminded of his talent from time to time

Usually by him.......

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Usually by him.......

What talent?

[BSchneiderFan]

Again, this Manichaean division of drivers - they must be great or terrible, legendary or vastly overrated. Jacques Villeneuve was a good driver, a very good one. You don’t win the Indy Car championship, the Indy 500 and the F1 world championship by being average. But he was also flattered by very good cars in 1996 and 1997, did a job that half a dozen drivers could have done, and seemed (seems) to rate himself rather more highly than perhaps he deserves.

[coppice]

Thank God at least one other person can rise above the silly ,adolescent level abuse aimed by some at drivers they have chosen to dislike. In my world , the one where I have never raced , but spent most of my life watching the sport , anyone who wins a Grand Prix is more than good, and anybody who wins a championship is a great .



The fact that some drivers may be less likeable than others , less outspoken, kinder to their mums, nicer to their dogs or faithful to their partner is irrelevant. Judge the art , not the artist

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

Again, this Manichaean division of drivers - they must be great or terrible, legendary or vastly overrated. Jacques Villeneuve was a good driver, a very good one. You don’t win the Indy Car championship, the Indy 500 and the F1 world championship by being average. But he was also flattered by very good cars in 1996 and 1997, did a job that half a dozen drivers could have done, and seemed (seems) to rate himself rather more highly than perhaps he deserves.

This is a silly thread, but thank you for saying that. Regardless of what people think of his personality and his poor decisions in the second half of his F1 career, JVs success in both Indycar/CART and F1 was no fluke.

Richard

[Nononsensecapeesh]

What about Phil Hill?