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Post by René on Dec 2, 2017 17:46:07 GMT
I think Carl referred to Chip Ganassi!  My mistake I miss read, or should I say couldn't see clearly what Carl had written. The type face is rather small as default and that was one of the reasons I used to put mine in larger face, however I returned to default as I felt others might think I was trying to shout which wasn't my intention. Anyway I still feel that JP Montoya seemed to take a leaf out of Chip's book with regard to diet. Mind you Belgian frites and mayo can become addictive, so not too many trips to Spa. I have increased the default font size. Please let me know if this is enough or if I should increase it more. You're right about JPM of course, he had the tendency to be a bit on the heavy side. Good driver though, a real racer! You are also right about the Belgium frites and mayo!  |
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Post by Carl on Dec 2, 2017 18:32:13 GMT
About Rick Mears... He would drive 225 mph average laps at Indianapolis with a few degrees of steady-state oversteer in each corner. I can't imagine being slightly sideways at 200+... After a private 1980 test session at Riverside, Mears was offered a ride by Bernie Ecclestone after lapping faster than Nelson Piquet. Mears had driven a few times at Riverside, but the Brabham test sessions were his first experience in a Grand Prix car. Like several other American drivers, Mears decided to stay where he was most comfortable. www.motorsportmagazine.com/history/f1/rick-mears-s-1980-f1-tests-brabham |
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Post by charleselan on Dec 2, 2017 18:53:40 GMT
René,
The new size of type face is much more agreeable to these tired old eyes. Many thanks for doing that, I hope others like it also.
JPM was a mighty good driver and pretty sensational when in CART driving for Chip; I always found it a great shame that Williams did not get behind him more rather than waste time with Ralf who had only half his ability.
Carl,
Rick Mears was a great driver and would have been exceptional in Grand Prix, but as you say stayed in his comfort zone. I missed out commenting on Michael Andretti a while back, and fully endorse what others have said about him when he made that leap to McLaren. He was never really given a chance, and also took the incorrect choice of jet setting back to the States when he should have immersed himself in Europe. I really rated Michael as a class driver.
Incidentally I had a little "set to" with a poster on MS about his performance at Donington Park when I mentioned that he also drove a blinding first few corners not far behind Ayrton which he did, until take out by Karl Wendlinger. According to the guy it isn't like that at all; however I know what I saw at the time and what was written by journalists also.
Interestingly it has been said by a number of drivers over the years that when testing they have been quicker than Nelson Piquet, however what isn't disclosed is the fact that Nelson spent more time setting up a car than trying to go fast. He was a very clever driver and although he had the reputation of being a rather naughty little school boy character he was hugely good at development and setting up cars, very fast too when need be. A lot of people do not appear to like him, but I do, maybe a bit Vettel like.
JC
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Post by Carl on Dec 3, 2017 0:07:25 GMT
John Charles,
I agree wholeheartedly with almost your entire comment, but must admit I am one of those who dislike Nelson Piquet. He was a great driver but seemed to me very self-absorbed and quite childish. Emerson Fittipaldi serves as father figure among Brazilian drivers, Ayrton Senna as supremely talented but neurotically obsessed, and Nelson Piquet as perpetual clown prince.
Because of your vast knowledge, I take your word about his approach to development and set-up. Perhaps he was so talented that he at times disregarded serious application, something that may have been a factor in his serious crash at Indianapolis.
He was reportedly unpleasant and overbearing at a Williams test between his son and Nico Rosberg for test driver. As Junior later demonstrated, immaturity seems to be the acorn fallen close to the tree.
Kind regards, Carl
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Post by René on Dec 3, 2017 11:56:18 GMT
I have to agree with Carl here. I didn't like Piquet either.
Mind you, there was a lot to like. Nelson was good, you don't win 3 championships without being exceptional as a driver. He raced those beautiful Murray designed Brabhams to victory and... had a great helmet design!
But Nelson was childish and rude at times. I remember he once made unpleasant remarks about Mansell's wife which in my opinion was styleless. Also his homophobic remarks towards Senna were childish to say the least. I always had the impression he was never loved in the same way as Fittipaldi and Senna were in Brazil.
So no Piquet fan here...
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Post by René on Dec 3, 2017 12:05:53 GMT
About Rick Mears... He would drive 225 mph average laps at Indianapolis with a few degrees of steady-state oversteer in each corner. I can't imagine being slightly sideways at 200+... After a private 1980 test session at Riverside, Mears was offered a ride by Bernie Ecclestone after lapping faster than Nelson Piquet. Mears had driven a few times at Riverside, but the Brabham test sessions were his first experience in a Grand Prix car. Like several other American drivers, Mears decided to stay where he was most comfortable. www.motorsportmagazine.com/history/f1/rick-mears-s-1980-f1-tests-brabhamRick Mears was certainly good enough to be a star in Formula 1. Would he have liked the European and/or global lifestyle that F1 requires? Probably not. Carl, if you take the middle part out of your post you get this: He would drive 225 mph average laps at Indianapolis with a few degrees of steady-state oversteer in each corner. Mears decided to stay where he was most comfortable! Cool!  |
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Post by robmarsh on Dec 3, 2017 13:38:10 GMT
My tuppence worth. Piquet was a good driver but never did more than was necessary methinks, although he was a very dedicated and excellent test driver who liked having the "unfair advantage". As a person, I must say I was disappointed in his behaviour many times so did not really like him too much. I think he is the only guy to have won three championships only winning three races in each year he was WDC. The year he won four GPs he came second. Rick Mears was a brilliant driver and I was very disappointed he never took up F1. I think he would have done very well. Michael Andretti was also another driver I rated very highly but he couldn't have chosen a worst time to start in F1. I agree with your views on him Charles and I also seem to remember him doing well very briefly at Donington. He was ill advised on his choice of commuting to the races from the States. JPM was another favourite of mine and yet another whose career never reached the heights his talent showed he could have. I expected at least one WDC from him. Ralph Schumacher was a strange lad and not one I waste too much time on thinking about or remembering.
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Post by charleselan on Dec 3, 2017 15:04:03 GMT
Gents,
I had little doubt that my liking of Nelson Piquet would not garner much in the way of support, but such is the way of things and I will not attempt to add any weight to my reasoning here.
It is however good to see that Michael Andretti has a good deal of respect within our community and isn't judged by his one abortive season with McLaren. Maybe Michael was like Rick Mears and was very much at home in America, and that is where he preferred to be, unlike his father who no doubt still held on to his Italian roots.
JPM was very talented, something upon which we all agree, and should have had one title to his name. However what he did have was the sheer impudence of taking on Michael Schumacher and giving him no ground what so ever, he will be eternally remembered for that fact alone.
The antipathy towards Ralf can be in no way summed up better than by one Johnny Herbert. Who when questioned along with Damon Hill on SKY a year or so ago about who they disliked the most of all the drivers they have raced against, and after being heavily persuade to comment, said that Ralf was the most objectionable driver he had ever come across, Nuff said!
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Post by René on Dec 3, 2017 15:41:43 GMT
JC, be a Piquet fan by all means!  And we agree about Vettel, I like him too. Ralf was a strange guy. Never really knew what to think of him. |
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Post by chrisb on Dec 3, 2017 16:25:55 GMT
I first became interested in 1965 for some strange reason and had followed US racing ever since. Anyone who was a racer knew about King Richard and his Nascar, AJ et al, but for me it really took off in the late 70's peaking int the late 80's and early 90's - the great speeds - the 'old -fashioned manners and the incredible circuits - made for some great races and then there was Alex, that overtake has to be in anyone's top 10 of overtakes, now there is a question? but Alex was a true inspiration before, during and after - I saw him race in the Lotus, disappoint in the Williams and show true mettle subsequently.
I was so fortunate to see the 1995 Indy 500 and an oval race at Rockingham, Northants and the whole thing was just so incredibly impressive, and as Senna said, 'a real racing car' - I was and am so upset as to what happened to Indycars, I had planned another trip to see these brilliant cars again and was toying with the idea of Laguna, and then along comes Mr George and we said goodbye
talking of US racing, is it me or IMSA getting it together? 4 different chassis makers - you pick your engines and design your bodywork? is that right? if so, I like it, now if Indycars follow similar then maybe....
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Post by charleselan on Dec 3, 2017 16:32:16 GMT
I have to agree with Carl here. I didn't like Piquet either. Mind you, there was a lot to like. Nelson was good, you don't win 3 championships without being exceptional as a driver. He raced those beautiful Murray designed Brabhams to victory and... had a great helmet design! But Nelson was childish and rude at times. I remember he once made unpleasant remarks about Mansell's wife which in my opinion was styleless. Also his homophobic remarks towards Senna were childish to say the least. I always had the impression he was never loved in the same way as Fittipaldi and Senna were in Brazil. So no Piquet fan here... Nelson also called Ayrton a "Taxi Driver"  . Emerson was a great, and very under valued driver today. Far too often remembered for his later F1 years peddling the uncompetitive Copersucar cars. I believe firmly that he and Ronnie formed one of the greatest pairings in Grand Prix during 1973, just an unbelievable partnership. I don't think Emerson has the same feelings for his McLaren years as he does for those he spent at Lotus, he just loved the Lotus 72. Another classy Brazilian was Carlos Pace, sadly never able to fulfil his potential thanks to the airplane crash. |
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Post by chrisb on Dec 3, 2017 16:39:07 GMT
JC, for the first time in memory we do not agree my friend, I too am no Nelson fan, but in his favour George Harrison was, so not all bad, I still think the most amusing episode is when he tried to take Alan Jones on in mind games, oops, perhaps not the wisest of moves,
as a racer again, I was never convinced and he had a torrid time in the USA, I always felt Nelson needed an edge with the car to be competitive, I saw him at Silverstone in F3 against Derick Warwick and in the bar afterwards I found myself talking to Dell and his Uncle i think and I do remember talking about budgets and what one could buy if you had the right contacts...I didn't know then what they meant and I still don'y.
Rick Mears was one of the drivers I revered and knew him capable of being a champion, but didn't our future dictator want money from Rick?
I remember many a 'disagreement' with regards to Michael, me sticking up for him and the dear old Beeb in particular sticking it too him, never understood why so many people were so critical of him, Donington - he was there and I do think could have stayed with Ayrton, - I do think he was hard done by
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Post by chrisb on Dec 3, 2017 16:42:48 GMT
JC, far too often we have see a young driver burn very brightly then dim, was Emmo like that in F1? I do agree re the McLaren years, he just didn't seem to sit comfortably there, but I remember Emmo more as the Indycar driver of immense talent and approachability -
I saw Carlos run away in the lead of a race once and thought, ok this guy looks good - sadly yet another talent taken from us far too early
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Post by Carl on Dec 3, 2017 20:52:13 GMT
I was so fortunate to see the 1995 Indy 500 and an oval race at Rockingham, Northants and the whole thing was just so incredibly impressive, and as Senna said, 'a real racing car' ... and then along comes Mr George and we said goodbye ...talking of US racing, is it me or IMSA getting it together? 4 different chassis makers - you pick your engines and design your bodywork? is that right? if so, I like it, now if Indycars follow similar then maybe....JC, far too often we have see a young driver burn very brightly then dim, was Emmo like that in F1? I do agree re the McLaren years, he just didn't seem to sit comfortably there, but I remember Emmo more as the Indycar driver of immense talent and approachability - Chris, I envy anyone who was at Indy in 1995, an especially wonderful year. I've never even been in Indiana. And you're exactly right about Emerson Fittipaldi. I took my sister to Saturday practice and qualifying in Long Beach one year and we approached Emerson as he sat alone in the paddock. He could not have been more nice! We had no program so he autographed my sister's forearm. She had never been to a race, was astonished by the speed along Shoreline Drive and delighted to meet a world champion. You're also right about IMSA, currently in much better shape than WEC, which needs to allow the IMSA prototypes at LeMans. Tony George's delusions of grandeur wreaked serious damage on Indycar. He imagined he was as shrewd as Bernie. Sad to say, you were right not to return. Cheers, Carl |
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