Who is the most underrated driver of all time?

I would say that Emerson Fittipaldi isn't considered one of the best even
though he won Two World Championships, One Cart Title and the Indy 500.
His move to his own team really tarnished his image, perhaps unnecessarily.

Mark

 

He also was the only driver at the time to turn down a personal invitation from Enzo to drive for Ferrari. As a matter of fact he did so TWICE.

 

The most recent under rated driver to me has to be Jean Alesi. If he'd made the move to Williams instead of Ferrari the history books would no doubt look different.

 

Damn this is a good thread!

I knew the Redman story after doing some reading up on the 312P. There are always some drivers who were almost champions-Reutemann, Regazzoni, Watson come to mind. If they had a little more luck they could have been world champion or at least more consistent race winners. Cevert, DeAngelis, Depailler, Peterson, Pryce all passed before showing their true mettle. I think Cevert and Peterson could have been world champ.

How about Jean Pierre Jarier? Jean "Wrong Place Wrong Time" Alesi?

 

I would agree with your statement about Donohue... he was always looking for the "unfair advantage"... he was good, but I think he could never make up his mind ... driver or engineer??? he had talent no doubt.... was maybe getting a bit on age wise when he died in 75.... I will never forget the Panzer wagon Porsche 917 K10... what a monster!!! and he tamed it like no body...

 

Mark was the first thinking man's driver that I can remember. He not only had the best equipment, he was one of the 2-3 best US road racers in his time. Sadly what killed Donohue was a billboard that fell on him after the Penske went off track. I seem to remember his then wife suing everybody, not sure the outcome.

And again, I agree 100% with classic 308, Francois Cevert and Ronnie Peterson would have been world champions. And they were both really neat people. Cevert's death was one of my worst experiences of all time, I had been chatting with him for an hour that Saturday morning at the Glen. Met him another a year earlier at the Glen when he drove a Gitanes Matra in the 6 hour. I had breakfast with Jackie Stewart a couple of years later, he felt Cevert was one of the best ever, sure to be a WC. I believe Cevert's sister was married to Jean Pierre Beltoise, remember him?

Wish I had my slide scanner, I have some great photos I took of all of these guys when I used to work the pits. I will post someday.

 

I don't even need to read the rest of this thread.

ME

DUH!!!!!!!

 

I think you are almost right - I think he was an engineer looking for the best possible car, and the only way to find out if he was right was to try his theories out against other folks on Sunday afternoons.
I spent time around the 917 C/A project, the Lola F/A project, and the M16 project, but, I was 13+ years old at the time. I had NO idea who he was at the time, I just hung out at OMS a lot in the early 70's.

There is a huge list of 'who would have been a champion given the right car', that said, take the championship winning car of any class/era, and plug these drivers into it - who could have done as well or better in that car ?

For example, who from 1973 could have done a better job in the Tyrrell that JYS ?

 

It is Phil Hill.

 

That is what I was trying to determine earlier: the definition of 'underrated'.

Maybe someone who, if they won a race, a string of races, or a championship, that we could not say 'I'm surprised' ??

You have a point, though, indirectly: Donohue was awesome, and he was NOT underrated - in any class.

JYS made it clear to everyone that Cevert was not underrated, that he was 'the real deal'.
On the other hand, don't ask Bobby Unser about his "protege" Swede Savage, you'll get an earful and it won't be pretty.

Phil Hill was not underrated, but was definitely underappreciated.

On the other hand, if Massa was to win the championship next year, I think we can say, without a doubt, he was underrated.