Would you drive for Minardi or Jordan (as an aspiring young racer) ??? | FerrariChat
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Would you drive for Minardi or Jordan (as an aspiring young racer) ???

Discussion in 'F1' started by FLATOUTRACING, May 22, 2005.

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  1. FLATOUTRACING

    FLATOUTRACING F1 Rookie

    Aug 20, 2001
    2,684
    East Coast
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    Jon K.
    #1 FLATOUTRACING, May 22, 2005
    Let's play hypothetical here. You are a young gun making your way up the motorsport ladder. You've been weened on racing since you were 6 years old. You came up through the karting ranks, won a few titles on both the European scene and world karting scene. You progressed to the lower formula and won at least an F3 or F3000 title, or if you didn't you were on of the front runners. You have had a few good testing outings with some F1 teams and there is interest in your racing abilities from a number of teams but as always there are a limited number of seats and your cash/sponsors are not going to hang around forever.

    The Question ???????????

    Do you take a drive, any drive just to get into F1 even if means being stuck in those piece of sh*tboxes from Minardi and Jordan.

    You know that the odds of making it to F1 are 1 million to 1. You are one step away from something you have worked for your ENTIRE LIFE. You foreited a normal life from the time your second set of teeth came in and you haven't had a family vacation or a girlfriend for longer than a weekend. You've spent more time in a race car or airplane (getting to a race track) than you've spent any other place.

    You're at heels of F1 and if you don't make it no one will ever remember you and you wasted 20 years of your life and countless millions on something you will never again use.

    What to do?

    Sign with Minardi or Jordan and sit at the back of the grid and drive a car that is so evil handling and under developed that you have to give 110% just to keep the car on the track while Kimi and Michael don't even break a sweat as the lap you for the third time. Their stress levels in their respective cars is about the same as sitting on the beach sipping a Corono with their eyes closed while your stress level is that of someone running down a snow embankment trying to avoid getting smashed by a 50 foot snow avalanche.

    It seems that the people who end up with Jordan or Minardi are doing so in extrem desperation to get to F1. But the price these people pay is that there is no way in hell to show what they can do and they last one season before being punted out for the next guy desperate enough to jump in.

    Albers, Karthikeyan, Pantano, and many more. We will never know if they were any good because the cars they drive are not just slow they are crap. Ever watch in car of Albers struggling to keep the Minardi on the track. He spends more time in "opposite lock" than he does with his hand straight on the wheel.

    What if Flavio had never had the forsight to give Fernando another chance. I remember that he wasn't bad but everyone laughed when Flavio said that Alonso was the next Schumacher (before he ever turned a wheel at Renault). Does anyone else remember him setting the world on fire at Minardi...............it's doubtful.

    One hand I see why the desperation set in and people agree to drive F1 ****boxes. You worked your entire life off like a slave to get that one chance. Are you going to chance it. Most likely not.

    But the flip side is that you will only get one crappy chance and it will likely be the end of your career unless something truly out of the ordinary happens. Like you getting a podium finish in a Mindardi. It ain't gonna happen.

    Your options are testing, F1 desperation drive via Jordan or Minardi, or sit it out one more season in F3000/GP2.

    What would you do?

    Regards,

    Jon P. Kofod
    www.flatoutracing.net
     
  2. GoFerrari28

    GoFerrari28 Formula 3

    Jun 16, 2004
    2,313
    Ridgemont, CA
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    Jeff Spicoli
    #2 GoFerrari28, May 22, 2005
    I seem to recall a fellow by the name of Schumacher who started in F1 by driving for Jordan.

    If a driver really has the skills to overcome the deficiencies of a lesser car, then it will probably be noticed by the other teams, but there is also a lot depending on the other drivers already in the series, so there may be a certain level of saturation from a driver's standpoint.
     
  3. imperial83

    imperial83 F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    May 14, 2004
    2,893
    #3 imperial83, May 22, 2005
    I agree that many good racers have started their careers with Jordan, but times have changed. It is important that in order to be taken seriously, a racer should test for a legitamate outfit or stick around in a lesser racing series as GP2 or F3000 and continue dominating that series.

    In the future it will be a different story. Jordan is going to become Midland F1 Racing. Midland F1 Racing will have greater resources and better performance than the current joke being raced by Eddie Jordan. Narain Karthekeyan has a lot of potential to do well in F1. However, he is limited to a great deal because Jordan does not have the resources. I am not comparing him to Schumacher, but in this age of technology in F1, it is harder to make a poor car look good. No matter how good the racer is.

    Driving for Minardi a a suicide. Paul Stoddart is does not have the presence of mind to develop a race team, race car and a racer. The sooner he drops out of F1 the better it is for everyone.

    In short, a new racer should loo for a race seat at Sauber or at Red Bull. It is also important to stay away from unethical outfits such as BAR Honda who cheat to win and sell their race seats. Being associated with a unethical outfit such as BAR Honda can tarnish a young driver's career.
     
  4. ernie

    ernie Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 19, 2001
    22,614
    The Brickyard
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    The Bad Guy
    #4 ernie, May 22, 2005
    Jordan for sure. These days what they really look at is how much sponsorship money you bring with you to the table. Which I think is a load. But then again who am I to question their genius? If you are tallented enough you will shine. However you better have a VERY good agent to have the money behind you. Other wise it won't matter how good you are, and you'll have to settle for dominating the CART series. (wink, wink)
     
  5. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

    Nov 20, 2002
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    Pete
    #5 PSk, May 22, 2005
    Alonso and Webber started in Minardi ... MS in Jordan (but Jordan has gone down hill since).

    I do not think it matters where you start if you are good. If you are mediocre then it would be dangerous and career limiting.

    The people that can read cars properly and thus notice drivers will notice if you have it ... and they will know if it is really the car that is making you look okay. Hence Alonso and Webber have moved forward and we all know what happened to MS ;)

    Thus I would ... but rather drive a Minardi than a Jordan.
    Pete
     
  6. Mr Payne

    Mr Payne F1 Rookie

    Jan 8, 2004
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    Payne
    #6 Mr Payne, May 23, 2005
    I think Sauber & Red Bull would be better for a junior races to come in with, however, Narain has shown that you can still impress driving a Jordan. The 2003-2005 have shown no one of talent in Minardi, as soon as someone comes in a dominates their teammate in a Minardi they might advance to a better team.
     
  7. Anthony_Ferrari

    Anthony_Ferrari Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    2,365
    Sheffield, UK
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    Anthony Currie
    #7 Anthony_Ferrari, May 23, 2005
    Eddie Jordan sold the team last year. He is no longer running the team. As for increased resources I am not convinced this will happen as Alex Shnaider (sp?) seems to be quite keen to sell the team on to Eddie Irvine's consortium. We will have to wait and see what kind of budget they bring.

    To answer the original question I think that a talented driver is more likely to progress their career by beating a team-mate in a Minardi or Jordan than they would by winning a championship in any other formulae.
     
  8. Dino 208gt4

    Dino 208gt4 F1 World Champ

    Jun 24, 2003
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    Roel
    #8 Dino 208gt4, May 23, 2005
    Driving a Minardi still means you're driving with 19 topreacedrivers in the number 1 top racelague in the world!!
     
  9. judge4re

    judge4re F1 World Champ

    Apr 26, 2003
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    Dr. Dumb Ass
    #9 judge4re, May 23, 2005
    Take the ride. Not many open spots on factory development teams any more. Be a one season wonder and if you pan out, go race sports cars.

    Do not follow Yoong's example. He sucked in F1 and sucks in Porsche Supercup...
     
  10. racerx3317

    racerx3317 F1 Veteran

    Oct 17, 2004
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    Luis
    #10 racerx3317, May 23, 2005
    It would depend on who the team's other driver was. I'd want the fastest possible teammate so i could try to beat him and make a name for myself.
     
  11. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Oct 3, 2002
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    Andreas
    #11 tifosi12, May 23, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  12. sjb509

    sjb509 Guest

    #12 sjb509, May 23, 2005
    It would really depend on the other options available. While there is something to be said for actually having F1 experience, success in other racing series may bring the driver more money/fame, and in a few years a chance to drive for a better team in F1 with a hope of success. OTOH, how much money has the fifth place Mark Webber scored in Australia made him in the last few years?

    Definitely go with Minardi or Jordan if other opportunity was:
    -a top seat in F3000
    -a top seat in GP2
    -an endurance racing team with little chance of winning Le Mans

    Maybe go to Minardi or Jordan if the other opportunity was:
    -a top endurance team like Audi or a factory Ferrari effort
    -a top team in CART with a legitimate chance of the championship

    Would probably choose option B over Jordan or Minardi if it was:
    -test driver/backup for the top five teams in F1
    -a top team in IRL with a chance to win Indy
    -a top team in NASCAR
     
  13. Perfusion

    Perfusion F1 Rookie

    Oct 16, 2004
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    Aaron
    #13 Perfusion, May 23, 2005
    So you're asking if I would drive for Minardi or Jordan, if offered a chance, after working my whole life to reach Formula One? In a word,

    Yes.
     
  14. axemansean

    axemansean Formula Junior

    Jul 11, 2004
    801
    #14 axemansean, May 25, 2005
    Yes you have to start somewhere, lets not forget that Jordan when powered by Honda was a pretty good team. HHF and DH did pretty well at the time. Also if you do well in a crappy car someone will go "Hmm that lad has talent."
     

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