That makes two Eddie fans on here, good. Well with Anthony actually three... Actually here is what I think happened: The rain GP at Nuerburgring was a chaos GP for all teams. It had one new leader after another. Tires are dedicated by the FIA to a particular car, you can't just grab one from another stack. You could, but you get DQed for it. Also they have to be preheated. The changing conditions in that race made it a gamble to go from wets to intermediates to drys. So the team can be excused for that. Point in case: Watch the Malaysia GP again where it rained and Schumi had to wait until Rubens was served. Clearly a chaos situation and Ferrari switches back to Grande Casino mode. After all they're Italians... Todt didn't want Eddie to win the title. Definitely true. Luca wanted the team to definitely win the manufacturer's title and probably also Eddie the driver's although I'm not totally sure on that. It was Luca who called Schumi at home in Switzerland and because his daugther answered the phone and made a booboo (told him, that the "recuperating" Schumacher was actually in soccer practice), Luca got Schumi's sorry a_ss down to Maranello to start working on the car again. So some parts of the team really wanted to win. At least one of the two titles. Schumacher wasn't too keen on coming back, obviously. But he quickly jumped onto the band waggon when he set pole (?) in Malaysia and supported Eddie all the way to the checkered flag. The only blame I could give to Schumi was that he didn't defend Eddie harder in Suzuka. If Michael would have done another JV or Hill last race maneuver against Mika, well Eddie would have won. But that would have been asking a lot from Schumi and his pride. But in essence it was what Rubens did to JPM last year in Indy. Let's be honest about that. Eddie could have won 99 if the team hadn't dropped the ball. After Silverstone they basically stopped development on the car and two races later the Ferrari was a midfield car again. Eddie and Salo didn't have the ability of a Schumacher to develop the car either. True. But Todt really dropped the wrench and that was that. He deserves all the blame, which is why still today I'm not a big fan of his, despite that they won every WC thereafter.
Current least favorite F1 driver: Ruebens. He needs to get out of the way and let a real teammate push MS. Although with that said if I was a driver I would drive for Ferrari as a bridesmaid also, rather than fighting for seventh in a Jordan. Close runner-up: Ralf. He's good, but I have a hard time rooting for him over MS or the upstarts JPM, Kimi, or Alonso. He doesn't appear to display the charisma or passion of his brother. Least favorite open-wheel driver: Scott Goodyear. The year JV won Indy, I lost what modicum of respect I had for SG when he was whining about the pace car. You got beat because you screwed up, get over it. I heard him griping about once in 2003 even. Never cared for Roberto Guerrero either. Didn't he drive a F1 car in the early eighties?
You guys need to realize, that people from Finland are extremly low key. They just don't talk much. It wasn't arrogance on Mika's part and it isn't in Kimi's case. Besides, the kid is young. Only after years did Mika start to talk. I'm no Kimi fan either, but wouldn't hate him for lack of outspokenness. Just look at what he is capable of doing behind the wheel: That one on one battle with JPM in Hockenheim 02 is the stuff legends are made off.
Meh...yeah he's good behind the wheel..but he's more a robot than a F1 pilot. If the Grid was filled with raikkonens only type ...F1 would loose the little glamour it still has.
Yep have to agree. At first I thought it was going to be a stupid thread ... but it is actually interesting ... Not that I know, that was simply my statement ... but come on Mario was an F1 legend and undoubtably proud of his son, and then he looks like a complete d!ckhead and doesn't give it a proper go by testing. If he was my son I would be embarrassed about his poor effort. You know when you go watch any race, even Formula Vees or Fords it does not take long to notice by the cars attitude who is trying and has that something extra. Lets face it MS wins because he always trys and because he always trys he is looking for speed all the time. It is a continuous circle. If you do not have that fire burning so hard to be a winner you should not be racing a car in the supposed peak of a very, very expensive and elite sport. Take DC for example, like 99% of Brits he accepts loosing with grace. As a person that is fantastic, but as a sports person that simply sucks. DH at least was emotional about it when MS bunted him of the track at Adelaide ... thus even though I do not think DH could drive any better than most of us, atleast he wanted to win like a real sports person. DC like the rest of the field get out of their car, when it fails or they come 10th (yet again) and say 'thats motor racing' and walk off happy that they have a r**t planned for the evening. Come on I would like to see more helmets smashed into the ground and some passion ... and then the professional TV interview. Good point, but would MS or Senna have done it that way. NO!!!, they would have raced the **** out of their cars and if it failed they would have given it 150% ... not cruised around hoping MS would not get any points ... again he does not yet want to win BAD enough. It should and needs to consume your life, be everything ... like Senna who divorced former Miss Brazil to concentrate more on racing. We are talking about a sport and life that I would, and I bet most of you guys, chop many fingers off to be able to compete in. I would give up just about everything to have that job ... other than my family and children now that I am married and missed that opportunity, but back when I was a single young man racing at club level it was my life. I worked to pay for my admittedly low level racing, nothing else mattered. I hated the off season , etc. ... I just did not have enough belief in myself to sell myself and get the funds necessary to push it higher. Maybe Tifosi, but I think he would have been over halled that season anyway, and like others have said I personally would have found it an insult to MS and the sport if he had won ... so I for one was in a confused position of not really wanting Irvine to win. I have his biography and as a person I think very, very highly of him and his book was very interesting ... but reading between the lines I still feel that that passion to win and desire to keep pushing at 150% effort everytime he races is just not there. He even states that he believes in letting the race come to him, and what happens will be what happens. Sorry but I bet MS does not think like that ... and neither does any champion of any sport. Pete
I am not a DC fan by any means but I really don't see why everyone knocks him. He gets good results usually and is the only other active driver with double diget wins. In the end, isn't it results that count. As far as Rubens goes, I like him and think he does his job well which is to be Ferraris #2 driver. About Michael Andretti, I think he had lots of talent and would have done well had he commited instead of commuted to the team. Also I can't imagine it was easly being the second driver to Senna. Now to the original question of the thread........I really don't think I have a least favorite driver. I guess it would have to be who ever is #2 in the points behind Schumacher.
I'm ashamed to even wear my BAR Honda had of JV any more. He's that pitiful. JV did some great things in the day, but he even screwed up before improving considerably in CART. Now... in F1, well, er.. uhmm not in F1, he should get a suit that fits him (not this 2 sizes too big crap) and go back to enjoy driving.
I'm Canadian and I can't stand JV. It must have something to do with the French although I loved his father. Personally, I can't stand the Finish drivers either. That goes for Mika and Kimi. No personality, boring... No matter what people say, Irvine was a breath of fresh air in F1!
I used to be a big JV fan. He was amazing in winning the CART title. Had ice going through his veins. I loved him in F1 making a mockery out of Damon Hill and eventually clinching the title. That was the great JV. Then his mouth got too big, the results stopped and the whining begun. That was/is the annoying JV. Allegedly now he is even trying to get a seat with Jordan. He must be desperate. I had a long time aversion towards Mika until I visited Finland and learned that these are different folks and understatements is the way to go. Thereafter I actually got a kick out of his one liners: "Mika, you just won the race beating Michael Schumacher. Talk us through it." "It was a good day." Silence. More silence. The camera pans to Schumacher... Irvine, yup, miss him. Even in his less glorious days at Jaguar he was always good for frank, non corperate talk. Not that this helped the Jag in development, but it was nice to hear a non PRed statement once in a while. Schumacher might use more words than Mika, but the content is about the same.
Lets not forget Mercedes "imposed" a bunch of german drivers including MS on Sauber back in Group C days. Threw out Mike Thackwell, amongst others, who was quicker everywhere (including in the wet) than the German upstarts.
MS never drove for Sauber in F1 atleast ... infact other than Group C MS has never driven with a Mercedes engine behind him, as I assume they planned. Pete
I think it's funny to hear people criticize Kimi for his personality, or as some say, lack thereof. He's not a stonewall dullard like, say, DC, but rather has a reserved confidence that eschews the attention of strangers for the company of close friends. There's a lot more going on with him than people think, but since he's not "Mr. Soundbite", it's not so obvious. Besides DC, I was never a fan of Irvine. However, that sort of ran hot/cold, since there moments like Montreal (the year Schumi broke his leg) when he drove like a man possessed, and afterwards did a dance outside the garage for all the remaining fans. But then he'd display this knack for talking the talk but not being able to walk the walk. Michael Jordan had grounds to talk trash. EJ did not. I'm not a real fan of Ralf either. He's kind of a wussy.
