Underrated drivers past and present

[scotty86]

Anyway...

Got another one to run past you lot, this one is perhaps quite controversial - Jarno Trulli? Yeah i know we all made the Trulli train jokes at times but he was capable of really immense speed and for my money somewhat unlucky to only win one race. Also, he outscored Alonso in '04 in the period when they were actually team mates - the only guy to ever do that. No mean feat! Then you have all his brilliant qualifying efforts... I'm not saying he's an all time great or anything, but definitely a better driver than a lot of people seem to give him credit for in my experience.

[bdr529]

Despite all the 'Hype' Bertrand Gachot
Who knows what he might have done with Jordan, I'm sure the cab driver had no clue he was about to change F1 history when he got sprayed in the face with tear gas

[Steven]

Some posts were removed.
Please feel free to further discuss on topic...

[sennafan24]

John Alesi could count in terms of fame and legacy. Which he did not gain due to circumstance.

I think he had the talent to be a WDC, just never had the car. If he would have had a Williams drive from 1993-1996 I think he would have been Champion.

[timbo]

John Alesi could count in terms of fame and legacy. Which he did not gain due to circumstance.

Well, not sure about legacy but he was famous. He was and is very popular, not sure I'd call him underrated, but it does seem he wasn't in the right time in a right place.

[f1316]

Anyway...

Got another one to run past you lot, this one is perhaps quite controversial - Jarno Trulli? Yeah i know we all made the Trulli train jokes at times but he was capable of really immense speed and for my money somewhat unlucky to only win one race. Also, he outscored Alonso in '04 in the period when they were actually team mates - the only guy to ever do that. No mean feat! Then you have all his brilliant qualifying efforts... I'm not saying he's an all time great or anything, but definitely a better driver than a lot of people seem to give him credit for in my experience.

I totally agree with this. The trulli train was often caused by a car that was qualified out of position for its true relative pace. It's not too dissimilar to how senna often went backwards in the lotus.

[sennafan24]

Well, not sure about legacy but he was famous. He was and is very popular, not sure I'd call him underrated, but it does seem he wasn't in the right time in a right place.

Yeah, its a tough one to figure.

But I think he would be seen as a better driver if he had one a WDC. Maybe reach all-time drivers list on a similar level to Mansell and Piquet.

[feni_remmen]

Gabriele Tarquini
Piercarlo Ghinzani
Mike Thackwell
Stefano Modena
Jan Lammers
Pierluigi Martini
Jackie Oliver
Ivan Capelli
Jean-Pierre Jarier
Gianni Morbidelli
Patrick Tambay

How long do you want the list to be?

[wesley123]

John Alesi could count in terms of fame and legacy. Which he did not gain due to circumstance.

I think he had the talent to be a WDC, just never had the car. If he would have had a Williams drive from 1993-1996 I think he would have been Champion.

Anyone would had a huge shot in the Williams of that era

[sennafan24]

John Alesi could count in terms of fame and legacy. Which he did not gain due to circumstance.

I think he had the talent to be a WDC, just never had the car. If he would have had a Williams drive from 1993-1996 I think he would have been Champion.

Anyone would had a huge shot in the Williams of that era

Probably true.

I should have just said a Championship material car. The Ferrari's he was fed were duff.

[wesley123]

I agree in that he could do more, but I do not think he truly was championship material. He could be a consistent race winner, but not a WDC. He came in F1 and was pretty quick, but after that never really grew

[sennafan24]

I agree in that he could do more, but I do not think he truly was championship material. He could be a consistent race winner, but not a WDC. He came in F1 and was pretty quick, but after that never really grew

Can I ask why you think this, not disagreeing in full just curious.

I think with the cars he was given, its hard to make a definitive judgement, much like Villeneurve.

[wesley123]

From what I remember of him he was never really special, he never truly excelled. He did what was expected from him, and not much more. Therefore I would rather rate him as a good race winner than championship material.

He came in F1 with the Tyrrell, and impressed back then. But from that on he never truly evolved, you see lots of drivers impressing at their debut, they then grow out to be something big. Take an exampe to Vettel, Schumacher, Alonso or Raikkonen. They all came into F1 and impressed, and so did Alesi. However the improvement those guys I named made, Alesi never did so. Some drivers 'evolve' rather quickly, like Schumacher or Vettel, some take a lot more time, like Frentzen or Button, and Alesi was just one of those that never grew.

I do believe he could win the WDC in the williams like you said, but I believe anyone would have a good shot at it, it doesnt really make him WDC material, even though he could in that car. Hill won the WDC in that car, although personally I do not rate him WDC material, Button won the WDC in the Brawn, although I do not rate him WDC material. and Alesi was another one of those.

[sennafan24]

Fair play.

A decent perspective

[Gerhard Berger]

I think from 95-97 we could see the difference between a driver like Alesi and a driver like Schumacher.