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Post by Carl on Feb 4, 2023 19:39:58 GMT
Mario Andretti is a legend of the sport having won so much in many different forms of racing. But his son Michael was a super talent in IndyCar and I still believe he had the talent to become an F1 star but the circumstances just weren't right at the time. Graham Rahal is clearly not as good as his dad Bobby but what about the Unsers? Al Unser jr. was also a super talent, F1 level talent, but didn't have the focus needed. Carl, any more?  René, Ernest Hemingway wrote about the sun also rising, but most sons never rise to the same heights. Max Verstappen's talent is incredible, far greater than his father's, but both are one dimensional.
In America, there have been many lesser sons of great drivers who've raced, none as comparable to their father as Michael Andretti, every bit as talented as Mario but with less obsession to succeed. As adolescents in Italy, Mario and his twin Aldo, unable to afford admission, used to stand outside of Monza at the Curva Grande just to listen to the heroes they couldn't see roar by. Michael's talent was just as amazing, but his ambitions less intense.
At Indianapolis, it's a longstanding tradition that the son also rises. Al Unser Jr. had great talent, like his father, and even more potential because of the foundation of success Al and Bobby established, but lacked focus and strength of character. Other great Indycar drivers have had sons whose racing careers were desultory and disappointing token efforts. Maybe there's something in the nearby Wabash River water that causes delusions.
In road racing, Al Holbert was immensely successful, a three time winner at LeMans, as fast as anyone in a Porsche 956/962. His success outshone that of his great father, Bob, four times SCCA champion who also raced Porsches and shared a class victory at LeMans with Masten Gregory in 1961. Dan Gurney and Mark Donohue both had sons with notable success, but who understandably never attained the same level of greatness.
Jackie Stewart said Parnelli Jones was the best he ever saw at Indy, an incredible talent who so impressed Colin Chapman that he was offered the second Lotus seat. His two sons were very fast and successful, primarily in Sprint Cars and Midgets on dirt tracks, where many greats learned their trade. Son P.J. also proved himself an excellent road racer, co-driving a Toyota GTP to victory in the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona for Dan Gurney's All American Racers.
William Shakespeare wrote about the difficult path in life for heirs to the throne of greatness. It's probably better to have a good father than a great one. 
Cheers, Carl
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Post by René on Feb 4, 2023 21:12:59 GMT
Talking about Marko, or citron face as I believe JC used to call him , he does have an occasional clear moment still when he says something sensible. On a recent German tv interview he said the clampdown on political speech in F1 is " clearly wrong". "The drivers are responsible citizens who are in the global public eye and who know what they have to say and how. In general we are in a democratic society and everyone can express their opinion."And on the matter of a possible Saudi ownership of F1: "I think it wouldn't be so good if it went to a country that is culturally different from where most of the races take place. And generally in these commercial matters, it's more likely to happen with someone who meets normal corporate standards, if you want to put it that way."Way to go Helmut! When Helmut Marko voices an opinion, I always assume an ulterior motive. Most F1 drivers live in a world of wealth and privilege and have little understanding of ordinary existence. What they have to say usually reflects this disconnection. Instead of being concise, the good doctor "doctors" his opinions into bland generalization. He speaks to the importance of democracy, then does an acrobatic turn to embrace corporate standards, seldom in accordance with democracy. He's absolutely right about the risk to the sport of Saudi ownership, but launders his reasoning into political pablum without conviction.
Ah Carl, give good old Helmut a break!  But yeah, you’re probably right, there’s always a hidden agenda with Herr Doktor. |
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Post by René on Feb 6, 2023 18:36:18 GMT
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Post by René on Feb 6, 2023 20:22:20 GMT
Charles driving another classic Ferrari; Michael Schumacher’s F2003-GA.  |
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Post by René on Feb 7, 2023 13:07:14 GMT
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Post by Carl on Feb 7, 2023 16:56:44 GMT
Finally, a real new car, the Sauber Alfa Romeo C43! And a nice new livery to go with it.   Very impressive! Like other famous Italians, the new Alfa has a beautiful rearend and curvaceous flanks 
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Post by mikael on Feb 7, 2023 18:13:04 GMT
Charles driving another classic Ferrari; Michael Schumacher’s F2003-GA.
Wauw!
But something is not quite right when the sound of a twenty-year old car gives you goosebumps, while the sound of a contemporary car makes you sigh ...
But this is of course an old "problem" which we, by now, have almost forgotten. But good, perhaps, to be reminded about it once in a while ...
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Post by mikael on Feb 7, 2023 18:18:17 GMT
A good looking car, actually, the Alfa Romeo :-)
Interesting to see the evolution of the sponsor "situation". The Alfa is like a whole forest of company names and symbols!
The Williams doesn't look too bad either, even if it essentially is the '22 car. A very nice colour-scheme; and the Duracel battery-detail on the air-intake is very nice indeed :-)
However, it ought to be obligatory to paint the "halo" in mat-black - just like Alfa Romeo have done. The less it stands out the better.
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Post by René on Feb 7, 2023 19:11:39 GMT
Charles driving another classic Ferrari; Michael Schumacher’s F2003-GA. Wauw!
But something is not quite right when the sound of a twenty-year old car gives you goosebumps, while the sound of a contemporary car makes you sigh ...
But this is of course an old "problem" which we, by now, have almost forgotten. But good, perhaps, to be reminded about it once in a while ...
Yep, the screaming V10 will always be sensational. Just imagine being a new fan who never heard this live and then you witness a demo run like this….But it is what is, as Kimi would say. I can’t remember another Ferrari driver who had his hands on so many classic F1 racers and gave them a serious run as Leclerc has. I think that is really cool and shows Charles’s passion, also for the history of the sport. |
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Post by Carl on Feb 7, 2023 20:00:52 GMT
Wauw!
But something is not quite right when the sound of a twenty-year old car gives you goosebumps, while the sound of a contemporary car makes you sigh ...
But this is of course an old "problem" which we, by now, have almost forgotten. But good, perhaps, to be reminded about it once in a while ...
Yep, the screaming V10 will always be sensational. Just imagine being a new fan who never heard this live and then you witness a demo run like this….But it is what is, as Kimi would say. I can’t remember another Ferrari driver who had his hands on so many classic F1 racers and gave them a serious run as Leclerc has. I think that is really cool and shows Charles’s passion, also for the history of the sport. Charles is one-of-a-kind among current drivers, his interest in Ferrari history another reason he's so admired. Former world champion Phil Hill had a similar passion for the sport and, in conjunction with Road & Track Magazine, road tested a variety of current (at the time) Grand Prix cars after he retired. The road tests, conducted at Riverside Raceway, extensively measured all dimensions and performance data: acceleration times to various speeds, top speed in each gear, braking and handling g-forces, as well as weights and balances in a format identical to the magazine's more traditional road tests. Hill was impressed when a camera revealed that the front wheels of a mid-70s Ferrari 312T lifted momentarily an inch or so under full throttle in first gear. The back straight at Riverside was 1.1 miles and ideal for testing top speed. The record top speed remains at 219mph, set by George Follmer in 1972, driving a Porsche 917-10 during the Can-Am race. The acceleration out of Turn 8 onto the straight seemed like an illusion... |
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Post by René on Feb 8, 2023 17:44:42 GMT
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Post by René on Feb 8, 2023 17:54:11 GMT
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Post by Carl on Feb 8, 2023 19:12:07 GMT
Thanks, René, although the discussion was closer to four years ago, just outside the boundary of my memory bank. The other Grand Prix car I recall Hill testing at Riverside was a Ligier of a few years later vintage. His comprehensive knowledge was amazing even though he'd been retired almost a decade.
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Post by René on Feb 11, 2023 11:02:41 GMT
Thanks, René, although the discussion was closer to four years ago, just outside the boundary of my memory bank. The other Grand Prix car I recall Hill testing at Riverside was a Ligier of a few years later vintage. His comprehensive knowledge was amazing even though he'd been retired almost a decade. Yep four years... it was a vague memory, also for me. But it's such a wonderful article after reading it again. The way Phil describes the car and his thoughts and feel are fascinating. Clearly a man who knows what he is talking about. Great stuff. |
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Post by René on Feb 11, 2023 11:08:03 GMT
First footage of the new Red Bull RB19 at the Silverstone shakedown. And the real Haas VF-23  |
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