Wehrlein is a *****! Inside Line: Wehrlein is a *****! Inside Line: Why pull out Pascal? I know this is going to cop me some flak but I have to get it off my chest What was Pascal Wehrlein thinking giving up his race seat at the 2017 season opening Australian Grand Prix with his new team because: My fitness level is not as it should be for a full race distance because of my training deficit. Full excuse here>>> Call me old fashioned but all I can say ask: Why?! If the official reason given is true then in my opinion he does not deserve to be a Formula 1 driver with that attitude. The guy drove on Friday, then went to his team and asked to be pulled from the rest of the weekend! I am not sure a Formula 1 driver has ever done such a thing in the history of the sport. I immediately think of Niki Lauda who came close to death during the 1976 German Grand Prix. Remember how he was dragged out of the burning Ferrari? Despite inhaling scalding toxic fumes, suffering severe burns and being administered the last rites Lauda was back in the cockpit six weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix, his burn wounds still raw, and finished fourth. Then there is the story of Johnny Herbert, who also survived a death defying accident and suffered horrific injuries to his feet, amputation was considered. Yet months later, suffering enormous pain, he was testing for Benetton. Then went on to score points in his debut at the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix. Images of Herbert in agony, putting aside his crutches, and being lowered into the cockpit of his car linger in my mind. In 1991, Ayrton Senna carrying an injury from a jet-ski incident which affected his back went on to suffer a huge accident at the high speed Peraltada during qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix. Reports at the time say he was unscathed as he limped from the overturned car, but since then it is known that he was in pain for the rest of the weekend. Neverethless he went on to qualify third a day later and finished third in the race. Other similar cases I can recall off the cuff include: Mark Webber drove in the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix while suffering from food poisoning and he even vomited inside his helmet, Webber also drove the last four races of 2010 with a broken shoulder; David Coulthard raced with broken ribs in 2000 after surviving a plane crash; Jackie Stewart won the 1968 German Grand Prix driving with a broken wrist. These are just a few that immediately spring to my mind as I write. I am sure our learned readers can add many more to that list And then lets not forget MotoGP riders who often race with injuries broken bones, helped on to their machines and going out there to do battle. The list of walking wounded who refuse to miss a race is massive. Imagine the guffaws and derision when the likes of Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and the legion of MotogP fans learn that an F1 driver opted to not drive because of a training deficit. Indeed Wehrlein inexplicable decision to cower out of his duties as a race driver has made a mockery of modern F1 drivers, and only added to the theory that they are a bunch of *******. Only good news about the whole episode is that young Antonio Giovinazzi stepped up to the plate and hit a home run, as Wehrlein stood and watched from the Sauber pit garage to me he looked fit as a fiddle: no burns, no crutches, no bandages, no slings, no wheelchair, no drip Giovinazzi showed the kind of balls a real Formula 1 driver should have . Inside Line Opinion by Paul Velasco
Lada walked away in 1979 Canadian Grand Prix, parked it before the race started, and said good bye. He's a bad choice to bring up for a reason to "not walk out before a GP starts". Extremely poor writing and research into that article. Lada didn't race the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix for Ferrari either, didn't like the rain. The author of this article paints himself clueless. Perhaps he just looked up "racing with injuries" and didn't do any real ground work? A narrative he wanted to speil, but didn't understand the full history? I saw a TV bit on a 24hr kart race I was in, the media's best and brightest commented after a driving mentioned how tiring it is, that perhaps it was the lack of room in the small karts to stretch yours legs that made it tiring. No lady, its the constant cornering forces on a short track with no more than one second a lap spent not cornering. Anyway, rant over.
Lauda, not Lada. Nikki Lauda pulled out of the 1976 Japanese GP after a few laps because he judged that the weather conditions were not safe. He was still recovering from a horrible accident at the Nurburgring that almost cost his life.
And what about 1979? Lauda ran practice, then just up and quit, the team to had to find a replacement driver for the race. You should be old enough to see the holes in that article. Do I need to point out the races Sir Jackie showed up to the event, but decided to not make the race start? Lauda is used as an example of not pulling out of races; but Lauda did just that in two easy to mind instances, Japan 1976 after a few laps, and Canada 1979 after practice.
As far as I remember, Lauda pulled out of the 1979 Canadian GP after practice because of a disagreement with Bernie Ecclestone about his car, and NOT because of a medical condition. The Brabham had become so bad with the Alfa engine that Lauda saw no point in racing with it, and walked away from the team. I think Alonso should do the same at McLaren! Yes, please, remind me about Jackie Stewart "chickening out". Once he couldn't race at Monaco because of a previous accident where he broke his wrist in F2. The other time was the US GP at Watkins Glen, as a mark of respect for his team mate Francois Cevert killed in practice. Do you blame him for that?
Whoever wrote this article you quoted, is unaware of the multiple occasions this has happened, even by the very drivers that he puts up as "tough guys". No burns, no crutches, no bandages, no slings, no wheelchair, no drip... By the author's standards, yes, he should'er raced, because he didn't Sir Jackie only added to the theory that 1970's drivers are a bunch of *******. The article is a very poor opinion piece with obvious bias, and an ignorance of facts. It's quite an embarrassment on accurate journalism. If it'd been written by you, or another forum member, I'd be willing to give it more grace(Although I'd still disagree with what was written), but a journalist shouldn't write crap like this.
I posted the article, because I though it was interesting. There are very good points in it, no less the comparison with MotoGP riders who take terrible tumbles, break bones and still race the next day (same in MotoX, etc...) I too question Wehrlein's motivation to come to race if he wasn't fit. He didn't look very affected watching qualifs from the pits either. But I suspect there is more to it. I think that sometimes "medical reasons" are invoked in public when a driver wants to make a point with his employer, or a team discreetly disciplines one of its drivers. F1 is becoming very political... Sorry for being pedantic, it's not "he should of raced", but "he should HAVE raced".
A get a weird vibe about Wehrlein. Toto Wolfe commented that he was mercurial and high maintenance(like Lewis), I guess Botas will bring some serenity to the team.
Yeah, I gotta say I was extremely surprised Wehrlein didn't drive. A specific injury being aggravated is one thing, and perhaps there are other valid reasons to not drive, but citing general fitness is virtually inexcusable. Either there's more to this than we're being told, or Wehrlein just failed to prepare himself and therefore failed to do his job like a professional. All the best, Andrew.
Well...I think Werhrlein is better at being a race driver than that author is at good journalism. And considering Werhrlein just did this... https://youtu.be/38PcnwL7Vhg
I read that Wehrlein wasn't very popular among drivers in DTM where he raced before. He surely doesn't smile a lot ...
He probably knows he literally cannot do it. If he was basically immobilized since Race of Champions (to let his back heal), there is very little chance he will be able to make it the race distance. The cars are still pretty easy to steer, but the g-force this year is massive. Even if his back is 100%, he needs to be fit to make it. But I do see your point, and I think a lot of drivers would rather crash or fail trying than opt-out in advance. Criticizing older drivers like Lauda for quitting or whatever holds no water. Back then, if you crashed badly, there was a good chance you would die or destroy your body. Now there is a very small chance of that - the cars are so safe.
A lot of times with back injuries though, you are not permitted to exercise at all. So it has a huge impact on fitness. Just giving him the benefit of the doubt. Although they never released any details of his injury - not that it is really our business.
he said his fitness isn't up. Sorry guys but many would kill for this oppertunity, we've had plenty of drivers accept to a race and they drove till they couldn't take any more, whether through illness or fitness. They went for it. Wehrlein doesn't.
Wehrlein is probably playing it safe. Race this weekend, aggravate the injury, and you are out for 4 weeks. Do not race, get some rest, heal the injury, and be back for the entire season.
+1.He will probably have had advice from some top specialists to rest it up etc ,but still went out on Friday to give it a go. It is very very tough decision to hand over your car to another driver to race,in a way i respect him for that.It's a great opportunity for Antonio,who i believe will turn out to be a bit special.
Whoever wrote that article is an idiot. That said, Pascal is the most talentless guy on the grid. He will never score another point in F1. Like Hamilton, he is just another affirmative action ballerina. Yuck. Is he a pay driver?
Considering he had a previous back injury, maybe trying the new car on Friday was extremely painful, and realized it wouldn't work?
You can't credibly call a triple WDC an affirmative action ballerina. Like him or not (and many understandably don't), he deserves his F1 seat based on driving talent alone. All the best, Andrew.
