Who do you root for: the gifted driver or the hard working one?

I don't think it is nearly so black and white as an either or situation. Being gifted alone does not win races, one must work hard...and not make too many mistakes.

 

Id prefer to call any decent driver, including Webber, both talented AND Hard Working.

 

One perfect comparison was that between Jimmie Clark and Graham Hill.

I, for one, was glad to see Hill make champion through tough determination and hard work - not to take anything away from the almost unholy skill that Clark had.

 

The glory goes to the gifted. BUT, the admiration and respect by those who matter (i.e. the other drivers) goes to those who work hard. Better to be respected by one's peers.

CW

 

I root for the drivers where those two options overlap. Gifted drivers who work hard and hard-working drivers who hone their gifts. I think if you list the most popular drivers from the past several decades, you would see the pattern.

 

Great choice of drivers for this. Hill was a gearbox mechanic at Lotus before he ever drove. He really did work hard for it.

Clark was just born that way

 

Hamilton. . . he's clearly gifted, but also he pushes hard on every lap.

But like said before, these folks don't get into this sport with just talent or hard work alone.

 

I seem to be one and only vote for the talented driver. So be it.

I always admire the raw talent drivers more than the worker-bees who are just insanely diligent.

My heroes are James Hunt, lighting a cigarette before and after the drive and Kimi Raikkoenen, still reeking of alcohol, hopping into the Ferrari and hammering fastest lap onto the tarmac. Then falling off the top level of the yacht because he is so drunk.

I'll never root for the less talented drivers who do it through sheer effort and discipline, the Damon Hills and Felipe Massas of this world.

Luckily for me with the new ban on testing the busy bees get less of a chance to make up their lack of talent and the true talents rise to the top.

 

I totally agree with this. However, NO WAY I can root for McLaren. Never.

 

That's how I used to feel, but I like Hamilton and Button too much

And no more Ron Dennis. . . at least not as team principal. Whitmarsh seems pretty swell.

 

The genetically superior Nordic driver.

 

With as many barrel rolls as Kimi is doing lately, he may be better of racing for Red Bull...in their air races.

 

How about the guys who are talented who work their balls off? Senna, Prost, G. Villeneuve, MS, LH?

I think guys who make it because they are merely talented shouldn't win because I don't think a lot of them even love to race. Look at Kimi, raced in like 20 something races? before F1, did a year or two with a backmarker, moved to Mclaren(should have possibly won a title), then Ferrari where he backed into a title. He was there because he was fast. Period. Didn't have a care in the world(30 million reasons for that, per year).

Guys who work their balls off, but just aren't quick enough(Button, Massa, Barrichello)? If they can find something inside to get a hair quicker, then it's fun, like webber and vettel.

Tough call.

Alex

 

Third choice, the talented hard working driver.

Schumacher, Rindt, etc.

 

how about lucky SOB that was given a dream ride through life with all the best kit and then swanned into one of the top teams as God's gift to the F1 world and thought he was as well and is now trying desperately to live down the big-headed opinion of himself type ?

 

Michael Andretti or Ralf Schumacher?

 

you flip the coin

but I was thinking about the grocery store boy, forgot his name right now , was it DeCrashius ?

 

+1

 

This.

 

"When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail".

The so-called "gifted" drivers tend to have blind spots, as few drivers are gifted in every skill needed to make a vehicle dance.

The ones that learn their trade the old fashioned way (rather than "use the farce, luke") tend to have a more complete "tool kit", both for driving and development.

But that's a personal perspective. I know from personal experience that a "gift" will only get you just so far. Then it gets twice as hard to go back and fill in the missing pieces.

 

I don't know the makeup of the Fchat membership but I suspect that vast majority are Americans. These results certainly reflect The Great American Folly that fueled all those Springsteen record sales in the 70's and 80's.

"Workin in the field till you get your back burned
Workin `neath the wheels till you get your facts learned"

 

You need both things to win.

 

Hmmm...does that hard working Pole have a name? Or a team?