'Montoya makes mistakes' -Niki Lauda

To paraphrase Leona Helmsley about Donald Trump: "I wouldn't trust Niki if he had his tongue notarized."

This is the same guy (who was IMO a courageous and admirable driver) who is reckoned as one of the worst team managers and judges of F1 talent who was ever in the business. Before being removed he nearly ran Team Jaguar in the ground, coldly backstabbed Bobby Rahal and confessed undying love to and faith in the self proclaimed second greatest driver in the world: "Fast" Eddie Irvine. Oh and he was voted off the board of the airline he started.

Maybe Niki could start owning up to a few of his own mistakes.

 

Ouch!
I agree that JPM make mistakes, but so does the rest of the world. I think Niki made a mistake by saying his opinion on this matter.

 

Does it take no brain or big balls to say what Niki said publicly knowing all will hear?

 

NIKI HAS BALLS......yes, and his comments are correct....

 

Well....had he used his brain more often than the other parts he might still be active in F1 (and Lauda Air) instead of making remarks from the sidelines.

 

Niki Lauda is one of my heros, but I have to admitt that he has lost it lately.

Read his biography and he is a very interesting chap. I think he was voted off his airline board because he is a pain to work with, not because he is not on the right track. Niki works a minimum of 12 hours per day and finds time to do things that us lazy people can just not think of ... thus I bet not fun to work with.

Remember guys who are knocking him regarding his airline, he created that all by himself ... pretty impressive! I cannot say anything that impressive ...

Pete

 

Montoya crashes far too many F1 cars to be as blameless as he thinks.

 

Stating that JPM makes mistakes is a HUGE understatement!

 

Hi guys!
Just got back from Disney World. While there (EPCOT) I saw a girl (Cast Member) from Columbia. I bet my wife that she would know who JPM was (also if a girl from Italy was an F1 fan and a guy from Germany, etc., etc...I drove my wife crazy!). THe girl answered that she did indead know who JPM was. She also said that she is embarrassed by his "how you say...loud mouth with no kind of results? He blames everyone else for his own bad things." She also went on to say how important he is for her country. She said that things are not so good and he represents the hometown boy done good. It was a very interesting conversation, we talked for about a half hour. I certainly have a better understanding of the Columbian fans at Indy and their passion.

As far as Niki is concerned, I have mucho respect for the man. I have also worked side-by-side with folks from the UK. Nothing against anyone from the UK, but I can understand how someone with Niki's work ethic would clash horribly with the boys at Jag. I also do not think WE know all that happened with the Bobby Rahal incident. As far as being able to assess a driver - as I've said before, anyone who has spent time on a track and in F1 and a WC no less, has a better take on it than us schleps! And I am not saying this just because I have said similar things about JPM for years now. I do think it further validates my and many other, drivers, writers, broadcasters, and fans, opinion of JPM's lack of ability.

As far as Eddie is concerned, I think he contributed to his own show - tongue in cheek! Do you really think he believed his own self generated PR?!?! I do think he was a very capable driver, but also told it like it was and that peeved a lot of people.

I'm sure we will now have to endure the endless whinning posts and nasty language from JPM's fan club president, Asianbond and his trolls, who just love to come to our humble site and flame away. ;0)

Jim

 

Niki is biased. Any fool can see that.

Niki makes mistakes too.....that's why he's burnt to a crisp.
maybe niki needs to look in the mirror.

 

Gee that is a hard call. I do not believe that Niki's Ring accident was caused by Niki ... I thought it was mechanical failure?

Anyway any racing driver that is on the limit will fall off every now and then. JPM does not make those sorts of mistakes. JPM makes mistakes that prove he has not got enough brain capacity left to think out a racing strategy or pass.

One of the amazing things about MS (and he is not perfect) is that driving the car is so natural to him that he can think about many other things ... I think JPM is so over worked keeping the car on the track that he has nothing left.

IMO JPM is a little like Mansell, ie. an aggressive driver that gets his speed NOT by natural talent but by frightening the car ... this always means that it is harder for JPM than a driver with natural ability.

Niki BTW was a far better driver than everybody on the current F1 grid except MS. Infact I would love to see Niki in his prime race against MS ... I definitely would not right off Niki in that theroetical battle.

Pete

 

Sure.....live your life relying on professional opinions from a girl who works at epcot.

Interesting.....how everyone conveniently ignores to address how JPM has the third most driver's points in (00-02) combine. I guess where you're from that is not a true indicator of talent

 

Already answered that way back on a post somewhere ... obviously your reading skills are right up there with your one eyed-ness

Pete

 

This comment is totally uncalled for. Especially knowing that Mr Lauda came back to win 2 more WDC after he was 'burnt to a crisp' as you so well put it. Show a little more respect for a man that JPM can never be compared with.

 

I once had high hopes for JPM, but anymore I really wonder about him. Eventually, time will tell; but I really would like not to see collisions/wrecks caused by JPM.

 

I think he meant 01-03...

How did he get lucky a couple of times? 3rd place in WDC is lucky?

 

Okay hitting the brick wall with my head very, very hard as some of you just do not get how F1 works.

Since JPM started he has been in the third BEST car, as there are only usually 6 cars that even have a chance of winning anything ... and McLaren have started to self destruct ... it is very easy for a Williams driver to do well in the WC's.

Pete

EDIT:
Here is currently how F1 works:

1. If you are a Minardi driver you have to be fncken unbelievably amazing to score points and will NOT be driving for Minardi long
2. If you are a Toyota driver you still have to be fncken amazing to score consistent points, or big points. Might as well enjoy the surroundings caused by huge cash ...
3. If you are a Sauber, Jordan or Jaguar driver you have to be fncken amazing and lucky to score big points ... and if such happens time fort big party and lots of sexy chicks, etc. Really only happened because most of the REAL cars crashed out ... but that won't stop the party
4. If you are a BAR or Renault driver you have to be real fast and a good driver to score big points ... but hang in there to the end of the race and you should get some minor stuff.
5. If you drive for McLaren (if their motor hangs together) or Williams you should be in the hunt for big points every race ... even if you do not know how to control a locking front wheel
6. If you do not finish first or second driving a Ferrari you must be pretty damn average in your driving ability ...

Thus my conclusion Mr Payne and Asianbond THE CARS ARE NOT FNCKEN EVEN ... first rule of F1 is get a fncken good car, JPM has done that (well done lad) ... has he used that good car to its full effect??? ... now do you get it?

 

He is certainly not ****lucky**** though to score 3rd in the WDC. JPM is fast, he was in the running for WDC with two races to go. Not sure how he can possibly be ragged on for 3rd place. At what point would you have been happy with his driving abilities? 1st? 2nd? But not 3rd? It sounds like you can't be pleased, no matter what.

 

Yes I agree (I did not use the term 'lucky' BTW. Luck and motor racing do not go together). He finished exactly where I would have expected a Williams driver to finish ... ie. 3rd behind the 2 Ferraris. Thus to JPM's credit he beat his team mate. This is critical. Now if his team mate was somebody I respected I would be a huge JPM fan ...

After the last race where he drove into the first corner with everything locked still turning the steering wheel, er, JPM needs to do something pretty amazing for me to discuss him respectively.

Pete

 

I think we are both in agreement that the competitiveness of the car determines greatly the probabilty of a higher finish.

But I think you absolutely reinforce the exact point that you're trying so hard to defeat.

READ THIS AGAIN SLOWLY- JPM finished 3rd in WDC points in the 01-03 combined behind the TWO FERRARIS, if there is no argument that FERRRARI had the best two cars out there and WILLIAMS had the third & fourth, then JPM achieve the best that was possible.

If you're agrument is that any monkey could have accomplish the same with the Williams car then what happen with RS? The mere fact that JPM outqualify RS and score more consistently is clear fact that he has talent and a more talented driver than his teammate.

The BMW and Mclarens are not competitive this season, that is a fact supported by the qualify times of both the team drivers. The Renualts and BAR are competitive this year. In line with your statement, whoever finishes consistently in that group of 6 should have some talent.

Enough with these ridiculous hypotheticals about who and who in what car. Let's get away from this video game fantasy and deal with real world performances. After last year everyone thought KR was the next F1 wunderkid. Everyone mentions how JB, MW, FA, JT, would dominate the scene if they're in a better car, I assure you that if these guys were that talented the F1 bosses would've spotted by now and give them a ride with a top team. History will only remember the winners, not the what could've happen.

My point of contention is whether JPM is talented. Not whether he was better than MS or whether he is an all time great. I still stand by my statement that JPM is talented against his current peers and based on his past performance. I haven't read any credible argument that he is not talented except for the crying from top of a soapbox that he sucks, reckless and is a moron. His attitude off the track has no relevance in determining his talent on the track.

I would highly welcome a constructive discussion on who is a more talented driver supported by credible facts, but to date I only see bias baseless rantings........

 

Kind of like Niki Lauda's ranting when he was at Jaguar and saying "any monkey can drive an F1 car today." alluding to aerodynamics, traction control, etc. and criticizing his drivers at the time.

So they set up a Jaguar F1 car for him to drive. This is a man who won a world championship only 20 years ago, who was in his late 40's in age at the time.

He couldn't get withing 20 seconds a lap of his team drivers.

So, to me, Niki Lauda does not have a lot of credibility on the subject of JPM. I don't think Montoya is a "dangerous driver" at all. I am disappointed that he has not done better, but the Williams is no great car, nor has it been for the past few years.