Will this guy ever grow up?

I personally hate all of these new helmet designs. I much prefer the old designs leading up until the 90s that were immediately recognizable from the stands while watching them go by. Michelle Albereto just go by? Yep that was him. Yellow helmet green and black stripe... that was Senna. Mansel, Prost, Andretti... all very simple but distinctive designs that you could easily identify.

I thought Eddie Irvine had one of the best helmets designs left until he turned it into that abomination with the Jaguar on the top. No wonder he stopped driving fast, he was too busy trying to figure out what all the stuff on his helmet actually "stood" for. I was sad to see MS change his from yellow to red when he joined Ferrari. I thought the yellow really stood out nicely against the red car.

This is all so retarded. What ever happened to just getting in the car and driving faster than the other guy. Nothing needed to be said or done.

 

Ahem. Thank you Sire.

 

I love JPM! And he loves to be hated. He is the best thing to happen to F1 in decades...not just for his passing abilities, but mostly for his ability to bring new fans to F1...even some Nascar fans now watch F1 just to se JPM...especially after his Trading Paint TV special with that Nascar drive...what's his name again.

 

Frank, do you really love him or do you just like to be controversial around here?

Personally I do like JPM for bringing some color other than red into F1 these days. And if he fights with the Iceman next year, we might even be in for a treat.

PS: I thought Trading Paint was brilliant and wish they'd do more of that. I love to compare different racing cars, series and drivers. It was Jeff Gordon and I know nothing about NASCAR.

 

I really do like him. He is just what F1 needs as a top tier driver, big ego and big mouth. After all, F1 like all racing is entertainment for us fans. Who entertains you more than JPM? The fact that people make all these posts about how they hate him keeps people talking about him...which is what he and his agent wants. If you really hate JPM, you should never post or utter his name in public again. That's the way to hurt a celebrity. Talking thrash about them boast them up! And I hope JPM destroys the iceman, who is about as exciting as watching paint dry.

 

I agree with all your statements except the one about the Iceman. He is a Fin, that's how they are. Introverted by nature. Just like Mika. I actually get a kick out of his one syllable answers at the race interview. He is so predictable.

 

You can trace the downfall of helmet design back to the introduction of that blue pineapple-thing design on the top that just about everyone seems to feel they need. Anyone care to guess who/when/where started that trend?

 

Emmo perhaps? In dark blue.

 

Alesi?

 

I'd be "iceman" too, if I grew up in the snow! Sheesh, he's still defrosting! That's why he isn't that great at speaking. Which... how many speaking opportunities did the broken head get?

General stats on the pair from formula1.com -

2004 - JPM - 58 points - retired twice, DSQ twice
2004 - Kimi - 45 points - retired 8 times

2003 - JPM - 82 points - retired three times
2003 - Kimi - 91 points - retired three times

2002 - JPM - 50 points - retired four times
2002 - Kimi - 24 points - retired ten times (ouch!)
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For all the trash-talking, JPM lightens the place up. He's got a way about him that Irvine did, and talent to back it up (which is more than you can say about *****-about-no-power-steering Eddie).

Kimi may be raw talent, but at the end of the day, what do you want, a character or another robot?

For what it's worth, I do not think blaming the team for everything is cool at all. Look at Rubens and Michael - always congratulatory. Of course, it's easier when you're breaking records abound.

--Dan

 

I want to see a helmet that is painted to look like the driver's head. David Coulthard's would be great, except for the huge air turbulence cause by the block shaped helmet.

 

I can't believe JPM got a helmet like that, how is this guy 29 he's at the top of motor racing and he's acting like a kid. When JPM came into F1 I truely enthusiastic about it, hoping he would bring the fight to MS, and he did on many occasions. But his antics are wearing very thin with me.

Didn't he learn from the JV. vs Button. When JV promised he would quit if Button beat him and JV had to eat his words. Why would you put yourself in that kind of position?

 

I agree with all that has been said about Montoya: its great he fights so hard on the track and is an interesting sound bit for news. However, I think it is all too much. Yes we don't want another robot like Rubens ( like its completely his fault, ) or a over the hill past glory whiner like JV. Weber seems like a great driver and person but defines robot.

Alonso is the one I hope will find more success. He is a thrill to watch, seems like he has no place to go but to grow and grow into a threat as the team builds around him. What I like about him best is he seems fun, really involved with sport. I often see great write-ups on him in CAR and F1 mag test driver some vintage Renault racer. In one in particular, he brought it back in flames and then proceeded to talk about how much he simply loves to race. If he is not driving a race car, he is blasting around for some shoot for a car mag and talking about how much he loves his native country's support. No smash up on the public roads like Ralf or how he is jetting off to another team or to like Button.

JPM complains like a baby to the whole reason for F1, Bernie. He attacks the work ethic of the most storied and respected teams in the sport ( Williams, ) for not giving him the best car. Like Sir Frank is obligated to follow every command this few year wonder? Schuey is tough, there is no doubt in my Ferrari biased mind that he will knock himself and his competition out of contention to save his points lead. However, if I was in JPM shoes I wouldn't whine that a 7 time Champion is cheating and getting unfair treatmet. When I really started to follow F1 it was when Senna went to Williams. A few years later I can't really remember Mika openly talking about MS as cheating or using unfair tactics as much as JPM. Just go out there and beat him and then tell the press, " I did my best, " not in after a failed result, " Bernie loves Ferrari, not me."

JPM is too much of a hot head. Racers like Alonso, who are not robots, not too boring, really put their heart into it, should be more in the spotlight then some guy who now has to but a iceman advertisement to keep his fires burning.

RocketBoy

 

I might be wrong on this, but I have the impression JPM is really only a big deal in the USA because we know him through his previous career.

When I was in England this summer, I heard a lot about F1, but little comments on JPM, despite him driving for a British team. Maybe the hype is a US thing.

Anybody from outside the US care to comment?

 

I have some Columbian friends in Costa Rica. They think JPM is a GOD!!! Period! They also believe it is Ferrari that made MS not the other way around. Kinda sad.......

Rick

 

JPM Who????

 

ha ha. i used to do that in racing games, paint my helmet to look like a head, sometimes with sunnies or big bug-eyes. freaked out other people in the race.

in that nascar game back in the nineties i painted the window to look like my ass was hanging out of it, mooning dudes as you go by.

 

If you look closely, Irvine's old helmet design was senna's helmet design in different colors.

 

Well sorta. I agree on the stripes, although what are the odds to come up with horizontal stripes anyway?

Where it was very different is the back: Has a shamrock on it and of course the prancing horse on top. For reference, well check my avatar.

 

And if you look closely you can see France's flag design is just Ireland's flag design in different colors.