I was going to make the title "the most pathetic driver to race and F1 Ferrari" but though that would be too easy. My nomination currently goes to Badoer, proof that a great test driver does not make a good race driver. One of the horrors from the past would be Ukyo Katayama and in recent times there was someone that drove for BAR I think that was also pretty bad, his name escapes me though. Lets hear your thoughts.
Actually he was faster than both Torro Rossos! He did a good job of not crashing into anyone or anything even tho he spun it a few times. If you look at his past performances and with the new pts system he actually have 5pts to his name. I'd wait for Spa before saying he is the worst of all time. Katayama crashed out before passing the start/finish line on the grid. He is still my favourite worst driver of all time http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=AU&hl=en-GB&v=P6quuYoMhGc&feature=related HAHAHAHA watching the vid again Katayama crashes INTO Badoer in that race!!
Perhaps we could change the rules to allow for my rather bad title...what decade has the worst back markers of all time....(attempts to try and save face lol)
Alex Yoong Hadeki Noda Both did not deserve to be in F1 but they brought a big bag of cash with them.
Yamamoto was a joke of a driver but Sato was not that bad. As for the team you did have to give them lots of credit in 2005 taking a POS 2002 Arrows chassis and turning it into a legal for 2005 car. Then improving it all season long to the point where it was able to beat the spykers. Even Ferrari and Renault acnolaged that Super Aguri did a great job in 2005. And 2006 they were using the POS BAR chassis.
I don't know if he was the worst, but I've always a little smile on my face when I think about Yuji Ide.
Jean-Denis Deletraz has always at the top for me. I think he was lapped within 9 or 10 laps in one of his 3 GP's and was like 10 laps back at the finish. F1 has gotten a LOT closer since the small teams with pay drivers disappeared. Qualifying in Valencia had the top 15 covered by 1 second. There was a time in the early 90's when more than 10 seconds would cover the grid. Anyone remember the Life F1 team? At Hockenheim they were exactly 100mph SLOWER than the McLarens on the straight.
But, wasn't the racing better in the older days of F1, with slower teams and drivers? I always found the the 60s and 70s F1 races more exiting, when I could watch more overtaking, with the fast drivers lapping slower drivers, and no fuel stops.
Alex Yoong. If anyone watches StarSports, notice he's a commentator, and how he talks. Like as if he's a triple World Champion.
How about Giovanna Amati? She had a seat with Brabham in 1992, and failed to qualify in all three of her race entries that season.
I say Jarno Trulli, even though he's a good driver. The problem with him is that whenever he qualifies up the grid, you always know that whatever contender is behind him due to fuel strategy is going to have his entire race ruined. Guys like Yoong and Ide don't factor into the results that much, while Truilli is very influential. Whenever Schu, Kimi or Felipe qualifies behind him, I say "Oh ****"...race is lost.
I would say that is somewhat of a tribute to Jarno's skills. It's easy to slay some names when the machine they drove contributed mightily to their plight. Can't say anyone driving a Life or Amati were roadblocks as neither raced. Even Diniz scored a couple of points once he was in a Ligier.....
If Senna were on here, he'd vote for Schlesser. Schumacher's pick is probably DC. Dornboos pick is probably Schumacher. It is all a matter of perspective. While I have been beating up on BADoer, he wasn't really a chicane in Valencia: Quite the opposite: He lets you even pass in pitlane. He is willing to accept a drive-through penalty just to give you enough room to pass him. Hardly a chicane.