As quiet man Andy Priaulx announces a return to BTCC, who’s your favourite under-rated racing driver?
Question of the week – 12/01/15
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Freddie Bulliard of the Gas Dandy website, merchandise business and podcast recounts a visit to last week’s Esposizione di Stile
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Ben Collins. Not only underrated, but very self effacing and practically un-publicised.
Allan Simonsen, the Great Dane, and his British GT team mate Hector Lester. I met them a few times over the years, and they were both great blokes.
RIP Allan
To most people, Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi are failed F1 drivers. To a few of us, they are the current World Endurance Champions and rightfully so given the quality of both their driving and the opposition.
mine has to be Anke-Eve Goldmann, if youve never heard of her google her. She was a motorcyclist but quite a foxy looking lady… (she would have made my monacle fall out)
Luca Cadalora. Greatest, most stylish 250cc GP champion ever.
Robert Wickens. He really should have got a seat in F1 a few years ago (F2 runner-up, GP3 runner-up, FR3.5 champion), now he’s doing a very good job in DTM, but Merc’s struggles in the last few years didn’t help him.
Jean Alesi. I started following Formula 1 in the late 80’s. Watching Alesi leading Senna in the 1990 US GP, made me a F1 fan and an Alesi fan.
Taki Inoue …
+1 for Jean Alesi, especially in the wet.
Mark Webber.
I always thought that he was not bad for a No.2 driver…
David Thexton
Alex Buncombe. When he’s not racing a GT3 spec Nissan GTR very well indeed, he’s four-wheel-drifting in priceless classic Lister Jaguars and the like. Search for “Best first lap ever?” in YouTube and enjoy.
Spudly Do-Little, no one could fling a Bentley around Aintree like good old Spudly, followed by light a bit of lighthearted upperclass tomfoolery at the local all girls boarding school.
Spudly Do-Little, no one could fling a Bentley around Aintree like good old Spudly, followed by a bit of lighthearted upperclass tomfoolery at the local all girls boarding school.
James Haydon. A rider, rather than a driver, who never quite made it as a top championship winner, but surely one of the quickest on his day and always great to watch.
And his dad was my GP a long time ago in a different life… (no bias of course)
Another +1 for Anthony Davidson. Saw him at Goodwood last year and he might well be the smallest fully grown human being that’s ever existed. Think he deserved a better shot in F1. Patriotically – Think DiResta deserved a better run too.
Alesi.
Q. How the Fuck was he not completely dominant?
A. Ferrari. It took his prime.
Someone has to say it: Nico Hulkenberg.
Tony Trimmer, much loved of those of us who used to enjoy British F1/Group 8
Anthony Reid.
Kamui Kobayashi. A genuinely stylish driver (remember his one-handed drifting antics – in an F1 car), and fast too, but never had the right machinery to prove himself. Genuinely nice bloke as well, the exact opposite of the ‘aloof and arrogant F1 driver’ stereotype. I really hope someone offers him a drive in the WEC.
Has always been Andy Priaulx
Clay Regazzoni and Jean-Pierre jabouille. And they’re got orsum names too.
Adam Carroll. While some of his fans didn’t do him justice (a memorable Irish flag with the words “Adam Carroll is No One” always made me us laugh here at dotdotdotcomma Towers), he was consistently stunning on track in F3 and GP2, though you never knew which team and which new sponsor he would turn up with week on week. And that was his problem – the most naturally talented young driver I ever saw, sadly didn’t have a rich Dad who was an ex-F1 driver.
Rubens Barrichello all the way.
First F1 driver to be faster than the Stig
How about Rebecca Jackson? Race driving credibility plus, in a delightfully tight skirt and summery top, even manages to make a review of a dreadful car a worthwhile watch.
http://www.rebeccaracer.com/carbuyer-chrylser-300c
Marvellous.
It has to be pastor Maldonado.
The things he can do with a car are sublime.
My mother in law.
Crankie Shaft. When I die and come back, I want be reincarnated as the diagonal part of Rebecca Jackson’s seatbelt…
Has to be Jason Plato. Hugely under hated and also shy and retiring – albeit, not as retiring as those poor unfortuates that he blatantly punts off….. oh wait, was this under rated or under hated?
Me. You heard it here first. If you all chip in I can get a drive with Lotus and not be any worse than Pastor Maldonado
Mr Stig (not Blomqvist)
What a splendid plan for your reincarnation, dear chap.
Jealous.
Danica Patrick, she’s the best! Oh wait, says here she hasn’t won much…never mind
Derek Warwick
Mr Consistency himself Nick Heidfeld
Stéphane Sarrazin – got to be one of the best allrounders in motorsport today?
Sebastian Vettel.
Oh sorry, I was holding my copy of the internet upside down. You wanted the most under-rated racing driver.
that fella from Finland who comes second in every BMW he drives… Marcus Paltala.
Mimmo Schiaterella was awesome in Sportscars, just never caught the right drive. Micheal Vergers is another that has incredible natural speed, but somehow got overlooked.
Katherine Legge.
No seriously I just want her agent. He is seriously good at his job.
Definitely David Brabham, he never got a chance with an F1 team worthy of his talents but has since been one of the very best endurance racers.
Lewis Hamilton.
The man needs more recognition. He even signs now apparently.
Lewis 4 EVA
Driver X
That Fangio chappie is quite decent, but no bugger seems to give him a mention these days…
+1 Jean Alesi.
He perhaps wasn’t smart enough to be truly successful at the top of F1, but *nobody* could hustle a car better than him. He was great in the wet, but other-worldly in wet-dry conditions.
Check out Suzuka ’95!
Jean Alesi – fast, brave and brilliant on a damp track. Ronnie Peterson – for much the same reasons. You’d happily pay good money to watch either of them on a hot lap.
Gary Paffett every time.
Since F Vauxhall Junior, he’s been very fast indeed; McLaren shat on him badly….
James Hichcliffe was rather a star too.
Sandro Nannini… cut down (literally) in his prime… just as he was becoming a force in a Benetton B190. Only had his arm reattached so he could continue to chain smoke and drink espresso at the same time!
Jenson Button.
Now, bear with me on this.
Despite being a world champion, no-one seems to expect too much of him (unless it rains, at which point, the BBC commentary team collectively pee their pants). Also, the way McLaren treated him recently would suggest that they don’t think all that highly of him (though the results do speak for themselves, hence getting the nod over Ken Magggnusssennn). Another thing – when was the last time any of us had a heated debate with our mates about “the greats”, and Jenson’s name got mentioned?
With the right car (witness the Brawn motor that propelled him to a world championship), he’s utterly fantastic. His problem may well be that he’s just too affable. If he were a bit of a shit, like some of “the greats”, maybe we’d be talking about him more.
Anyway, my vote goes to Jenson Button.
I think people don’t give Rosberg enough credit. He had one of the best drivers in formula one as his team mates for the last two seasons and he has been able to hold his own.
But Hamilton is still better.
The almighty Kim Jong-un the supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Soon The World fantastic multiple F1 world champion and all round amazing person who be genius of everything.
Tony Brooks.
Mika Salo. Looked like a World Champ in Schumacher’s Ferrari.
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