Drivers with promise that never shone
Discussion
Mention of Jan Magnussen on the Jackie Steward thread got me thinking about the many drivers who came into F1 with expectations of greatness with the great and the good suggesting they were 'better than Senna'.... but end up doing little and fizzled away to FormulaE, WEC or obscurity.
Most recently there was Pascal Wehrlein who some suggested was an equal to Hamilton. Further back, many considered Frentzen to be better than Schumacher in the junior formulae but he never lit the F1 world alight.
Why might this be? A case of over-promotion and over-promise or that F1 is sufficiently different? Or both?
Most recently there was Pascal Wehrlein who some suggested was an equal to Hamilton. Further back, many considered Frentzen to be better than Schumacher in the junior formulae but he never lit the F1 world alight.
Why might this be? A case of over-promotion and over-promise or that F1 is sufficiently different? Or both?
F1 is a very high level. You have to be not just fast but consistent with it, any drop off or wavering and your reputation starts to plummet. With so many people chasing such a tiny resource, its no wonder so many fall by the wayside. If we're to add our own names to this list, I submit Susie Stoddart. She was racing Karts at the same time and often the same races as Lewis Hamilton, and was often seen to be competitive. She ended up going down the DTM route rather than the open wheeler. Later she joined Williams as a test driver, and I got hopeful she'd see her turn in the car, especially as she seemed to do alright in testing. It wasn't to be. During her time in DTM she met her husband, and you probably know her better by her married name, Susie Wolff.
Vsix and Vtec said:
F1 is a very high level. You have to be not just fast but consistent with it, any drop off or wavering and your reputation starts to plummet. With so many people chasing such a tiny resource, its no wonder so many fall by the wayside. If we're to add our own names to this list, I submit Susie Stoddart. She was racing Karts at the same time and often the same races as Lewis Hamilton, and was often seen to be competitive. She ended up going down the DTM route rather than the open wheeler. Later she joined Williams as a test driver, and I got hopeful she'd see her turn in the car, especially as she seemed to do alright in testing. It wasn't to be. During her time in DTM she met her husband, and you probably know her better by her married name, Susie Wolff.
Seriously? In the context of higher end of motorsport pool of drivers she was good... for a girl. But thats it. Her dtm career was woeful. Publicity stunt of first f1 female driver was the only thing that could have got her into an f1 car.
Frentzen.
Incidently, he appeared on this excellent podcast recently:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0k0W0aDzPBYSro4j7...
Incidently, he appeared on this excellent podcast recently:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0k0W0aDzPBYSro4j7...
Piginapoke said:
Ivan Capelli at Ferrari.
And Pier Luigi Martini.And you could add to that a whole load of French talent that never quite cut the mustard.
Eric Bernard
Olivier Groulard
Yannick Dalmas
Eric Comas
and not forgetting what I consider to be one of the greatest never to have one a F1 Championship, Jean Alesi.
105.4 said:
Piginapoke said:
Ivan Capelli at Ferrari.
And Pier Luigi Martini.And you could add to that a whole load of French talent that never quite cut the mustard.
Eric Bernard
Olivier Groulard
Yannick Dalmas
Eric Comas
and not forgetting what I consider to be one of the greatest never to have one a F1 Championship, Jean Alesi.
sidewinder500 said:
105.4 said:
Piginapoke said:
Ivan Capelli at Ferrari.
And Pier Luigi Martini.And you could add to that a whole load of French talent that never quite cut the mustard.
Eric Bernard
Olivier Groulard
Yannick Dalmas
Eric Comas
and not forgetting what I consider to be one of the greatest never to have one a F1 Championship, Jean Alesi.
Fortunately, I’m a bit too young to have seen Moss, Amon and Chevert race, although I do just remember Gilles Villeneuve.
105.4 said:
sidewinder500 said:
105.4 said:
Piginapoke said:
Ivan Capelli at Ferrari.
And Pier Luigi Martini.And you could add to that a whole load of French talent that never quite cut the mustard.
Eric Bernard
Olivier Groulard
Yannick Dalmas
Eric Comas
and not forgetting what I consider to be one of the greatest never to have one a F1 Championship, Jean Alesi.
Fortunately, I’m a bit too young to have seen Moss, Amon and Chevert race, although I do just remember Gilles Villeneuve.
He started with some promising races in a underfunded but very clever Tyrrell, but for me it was waisted from the moment he signed two contracts for Williams and Ferrari.
Lots of talent but completely misguided by emotions and lack of proper management.
TO73074E said:
Is it too soon to say Mick Schumacher or has he just been unlucky?
Also Webber, Gerhard Berger, Ickx?
But never shone...?Also Webber, Gerhard Berger, Ickx?
Multiple GP winners, Ickx runner up in 70..., they had their fair share of moments in the sun, some would even say they overachieved and extended their stay just a bit...
paulguitar said:
That's just a list of drivers who weren't quite elite level, all of them had a fair shot in F1.
Ickx is probably the most naturally talented of that bunch.
Ickx was far better than the others listed thereIckx is probably the most naturally talented of that bunch.
He was incredibly fast, especially at the Ring and Spa
Double runner up in F1 and his results in a variety of cars is pretty much without equal (Quick Vic won in lots too)
F1 twice runner up (8 times race winner)
Twice World Sports car champion
Can Am Champion
European F2 Champion
Paris Dakar Winner
Bathurst 1000km winner
6 x Le Mans winner
Etc
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