Picking a driver to pull performance out of a car

[lebesset]

Because it's criminal that nobody has mentioned him yet, and because famously "you can't let him out in a bad car for more than a few laps because he'll just drive round the deficiencies without telling you they're there"...

Jim Clark

who hasn't mentioned him yet

[raymondu999]

The key question is - are we talking a balanced but slow car, or a car with handling/tyre deficiencies, but fundamentally fast? Eg. Early-2012 Ferrari, Mercedes W03, or something like the 2012 Force India (balanced car, just slow)

[marcush.]

If anyone has shown ability to drag a car to positions underserved by its own performance -one cannot ignore Alonso these days Apart from that only Hamilton seems to have those moments in the curent fray All the others seem to rely more than ever on a car suited to their own ability and if that´s the case they are undoubtedly quick .
Interestingly Sauber ,Williams ,TR and others seem to be prepared to put a lot of blame for lack of performance-eg results at the door of their drivers..
Or drivers like Grosjean or Maldonado do not realise they are far too often in the midst of trouble when they need to keep their calm and do the job no 1:bring the car home!

[zyphro]

I would like to add Adrian Sutil. He worked Magic in those Force Indias at times.

If that's the case, add Fisi in there too.

[marcush.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuIiQ8wf ... re=related
Kimi Alonso and Trulli seem to have big fun ..so Sutil is indeed very qualified to drag performance out of his competitors.. watch from 2:34 to get the Sutil fun ..or watch the whole lot with Brawn Kimi and Maldo no Montoya..Brilliant..

[Ted68]

Stefan Bellof. The last non-turbo car in 1985, the Tyrrell 012, he had some great drives against the massive horsepower competition. Had he lived, I also feel he would have rivaled Senna and Prost in that era.

[marcush.]

Stefan Bellof. The last non-turbo car in 1985, the Tyrrell 012, he had some great drives against the massive horsepower competition. Had he lived, I also feel he would have rivaled Senna and Prost in that era.

Yes he would have ....he was just crazy for the sport ....in the same way as Gilles Villeneuve and Schumacher ,Michael.

[speedmaster]

The first name which came to my mind after seeing the heading was Gilles Villeneuve. Perhaps no other driver has transcended the capabilities of his car on quite such a regular basis as Villeneuve.

The below is a classic example of what a driver he was:
Watkins Glen 1979: During the extremely wet Friday practice session for this race, Villeneuve set a time variously reported to be either 9 or 11 seconds faster than any other driver. His team-mate Jody Scheckter, who was second fastest, recalled that "I scared myself rigid that day. I thought I had to be quickest. Then I saw Gilles's time and - I still don't really understand how it was possible. Eleven seconds!" Jacques Laffite merely laughed and quipped "Why do we bother? Gilles is different from the rest of us. He is on a separate level."

Some of the great words spoken on him:
"His car control was extraordinary, even compared with the many talented drivers I have had the opportunity to drive against over the years. ... [He drove a] Grand Prix car to the absolute limit of its ability." - Jackie Stewart

"Behind the wheel of a racing car he was fearfully quick, never stopped trying, and could extricate himself from the most precarious situations with deft brilliance." - Alan Henry

"Gilles was the last great driver. The rest of us are just a bunch of good professionals." - Alain Prost

[SeijaKessen]

Stefan Bellof. The last non-turbo car in 1985, the Tyrrell 012, he had some great drives against the massive horsepower competition. Had he lived, I also feel he would have rivaled Senna and Prost in that era.

Yes he would have ....he was just crazy for the sport ....in the same way as Gilles Villeneuve and Schumacher ,Michael.

I don't think Prost would have wanted any part of Bellof.

Could you see him having to deal with both Bellof and Senna?

2 guys willing to take every risk just for a single overtake...that probably would have been the ultimate battle of the late 1980s; Senna v. Bellof instead of Senna v. Prost.

[marcush.]

one of my former drivers was actually friends with bellof (who himself was 1977 Formula Vee champ in Germany 1977) and everytime we got to speak about Stefan or we went to Spa it got quite emotional .He was absolutely sure about Bellof being multiple champ material.
Prost certainly had his flaws early in his career ...one does not remember but in the Reanult days he had the habit of letting the ball drop when it counted ..and somehow he needed the year with Lauda to mature into the "prof" he was called later on in his career.

[SeijaKessen]

one of my former drivers was actually friends with bellof (who himself was 1977 Formula Vee champ in Germany 1977) and everytime we got to speak about Stefan or we went to Spa it got quite emotional .He was absolutely sure about Bellof being multiple champ material.
Prost certainly had his flaws early in his career ...one does not remember but in the Reanult days he had the habit of letting the ball drop when it counted ..and somehow he needed the year with Lauda to mature into the "prof" he was called later on in his career.

Good point about Prost Marcus.

His first season was forgettable.

The seasons with Renault were better, but he didn't develop into the driver we later came to know until he teamed up with Lauda. Prost also has the dubious distinction of being sacked by two teams in his career, which for a driver with his resume, I believe is unheard of at least in Formula 1.

The really great thing about Stefan that to me, made him stand out ahead of everyone, including even Senna, was his smile. That man always had such an infectious smile on his face as opposed to the sour look so many drivers have plastered across their face.

I do agree that he would have been a multiple world champion in Formula 1 had he lived.

What kills me is that Stefan would have driven for McLaren in '84 I think it was had Rothmans not been sponsoring Porsche.

Imagine that one...Bellof drives with Lauda in 1984, thus denying Prost a seat at McLaren in 1984. I'm not sure where Prost would have wound up that year. Perhaps he would have been teamed with Brundle at Tyrrell? Not sure what other seats were open to him. Either way Lauda would have been gone in '85, but would Prost have then wound up at McLaren for 1985 alongside Bellof? I do think had Stefan been with McLaren, there's a high probability he never would have been at Spa in September 1985. Either way, then you now have the possibility that Senna never gets to McLaren in '88. He either stays with Lotus, or perhaps he grabs a seat at Williams.

Yes I know it's a complete alternate reality scenario, but it's a hell of a thing to think about.

[schick]

Senna
I feel the importance of qualifying can be overated, as they only pay on "race result". Qualifying can be a hit or miss affair, the ability to turn the tyres on, the weather, so many variables. For outright speed in todays crop Vetel and Hamilton, for smarts and race results Alonso and Kimi.

[marcush.]

One had to watch Senna when it came to setting a qualy time.
He reportedly had announced before what time he would set and everyone in the team was just not seeing from where that time should come from but somehow he squeezed it from the car ...to the disbelieve of his teammates.
One has just to look up the qualyfying times back then to really appreciate the quality Senna had in ripping performance out of the car over a single lap.
One example:Schumacher had ZERO Pole positions before Sennas death and now he is the one with the most poles...incredible.I think Senna was the guy who was far far the best in driving above the limits on the car without losing but gaining time.Very remarkable.
Back then poleposition was worth a lot more come race day ..so this talent was also giving him a head start over Prost or Berger ..