This Badoer bloke

MichaelC · 4 Oct 2001, 10:39 (Ref:155736)

There seem to be a number of people on here raving about the wonder Luca Badoer, and how he should be getting every seat going, preferably all at the same time. I know very little about him, but I'd like to hear more before I make a judgement on whether to join the campaign to get him a seat or not.

1. He's Ferarri test driver, so he must have some form of ability
2. He's driven for Minardi recently (ish), so he must be judged safe to run in a race

What I don't know about him is any previous form - presumably he ran in some junior forumla at some time in his career, but how did he do? Has he won championships or races at F3/3000 level, is he a Wurz-style ex sportscar WDC, or has he taken the Gaston Mazzacane route to the top, and somehow arrived there without really doing anything of note?

Thanks!

enemy-ace · 4 Oct 2001, 11:06 (Ref:155743)

From what I understand he's an ex-F3000 champ, and he must be fairly decent for Ferrari to keep him on as a test-driver. What I don't get, is with decent credentials like that why he can't get a race seat, unless he is holding out for that coveted race-seat in a red car. Which I'm afraid just isn't going to happen. On a personal note, I don't understand how somebody can stay as a tester for so long without getting itchy to race. Unless of course he's just in it for the money.

Wrex · 4 Oct 2001, 11:15 (Ref:155744)

Well, 56 Gp's and not a single point, excellent knowlege of the current World champion team, and no drive. What does this say? Luca is not God.

He has a few die hard fans (most seem to be very young :confused: ) who I'm sure will be along to sing his praises, but the reality is he just does'nt have it. Ferrari seem to be willing to put anyone in the car but Luca (see Salo and Barrichello).

I think we have seen Luca's last F1 race.

Red · 4 Oct 2001, 11:39 (Ref:155750)

Here’s all what I have:
1985 - kart, 2 wins
1986 - 100cc Kart, Champion of Venice
1987 - 100cc Kart, Italian Champion
1988 - Kart, Super-100cc and international classes, Italian Champion
1989 - Italian F3-Championship/Trivellato
1990 - Italian F3-Championship/MDR
1991 - Italian F3-Championship/Supercars, 4th
1992 - F3000/Crypton, European Champion
1993 - 14 F1 races (BMS Scuderia Italia-Ferrari), DNQ=2
1995 - 17 races (Minardi), 0 points
1996 - F1 Forti Ford, 0 points, 17 th Championship position
1997 - FIA GT Championship (GBF Engineering Lotus GT1)
1998 - Ferrari test driver
1999 - F1 (Minardi Ford M01), 0 pts + Ferrari test driver
2000-1 Ferrari test driver

**Adam43** · 4 Oct 2001, 11:46 (Ref:155756)

Quote:

Originally posted by Red
1986 - 100cc Kart, Champion of Venice

100cc Gondolier, surely? He should be quite good in the wet?

**Bononi** · 4 Oct 2001, 12:05 (Ref:155759)

I remember Badoer opted to be a test driver of a top team, instead racing underpowered cars...
He was hoping to get attention from the top teams, specially Ferrari, but it seems it's not working.

mtpanorama · 4 Oct 2001, 12:29 (Ref:155763)

I remember this bloke,Luka the taxi driver, and i think we decided he wasnt even good enough for that.

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=10071

Alan Jones · 4 Oct 2001, 12:59 (Ref:155775)

Onya Mt,
thanks for the memories

Fissysmella.................................................... inspired stuff AMoffatt

Logan · 4 Oct 2001, 13:39 (Ref:155783)

But you had to feel sorry for the guy at the Nurburgring in '99. He was about to come home fourth in a Minardi (a feat in itself!), and he slid off in the rain into a barrier.

He then followed the F1 fashion of that year promptly bursting into tears by the trackside and not even trying to hide hos face from the Helicam!

Logan.

Red · 4 Oct 2001, 13:41 (Ref:155785)

Shame on you mr Ashmore

. Bononi is right, apparently it was a slim chance for Luca to take the car no. 3 in 1999 if he wasn't driving a Minardi, and since then he stated he'd rather only test for Ferrari.

Marshal · 4 Oct 2001, 13:44 (Ref:155786)

Quote:

Originally posted by Logan
But you had to feel sorry for the guy at the Nurburgring in '99. He was about to come home fourth in a Minardi (a feat in itself!), and he slid off in the rain into a barrier.

He then followed the F1 fashion of that year promptly bursting into tears by the trackside and not even trying to hide hos face from the Helicam!

Logan.

To be fair to Luca, I think you'll find thaty the car failed, not him....

Tristan · 4 Oct 2001, 14:16 (Ref:155801)

Indeed, he most certainly did NOT slide off. That was the most heart wrenching momenet in GP history. ANYONE who can run a Minardi in FOURTH has GOT to be god.

Ferrari are the best constructor out there. Look at what their rivals have got as testers: McLaren - Wurz, Williams - Gené, Jordan - Zonta/Sato. Mugs none of them. And yet the best team of ALL those has LUCA BADOER AS ITS SOLE TESTER???? The guy is god. Give him a drive. He mayn't have scored any points, but the cars he's driven have hardly been competitive. Besides, he IS an F3000 champ, and that should speak for its self.

f1manoz · 4 Oct 2001, 14:38 (Ref:155810)

Quote:

Originally posted by Red
1993 - 14 F1 races (BMS Scuderia Italia-Ferrari), DNQ=2
1995 - 17 races (Minardi), 0 points
1996 - F1 Forti Ford, 0 points, 17 th Championship position
1999 - F1 (Minardi Ford M01), 0 pts + Ferrari test driver

Well, looking at the cars above, two (Lola-Ferrari and Forti) never scored points, while the Minardi cars he drove only scored one point each season - Lamy at Adelaide 1995 mostly due to attrition and Gene at the Nurburgring 1999, the same race Badoer would have finished fourth. So I think it's a bit unfair to look at the fact that Badoer hasn't scored points as an attribute to his skill.

I'm not a big a fan of Badoer as others in here, but I think after the years of faithful service he has given to Ferrari he deserves a seat in F1. But would he want to give up probably the best testing job in the world for another crack at F1, albeit with a lower team (such as Prost)?

**Adam43** · 4 Oct 2001, 14:39 (Ref:155812)

Quote:

Originally posted by Tristan
Besides, he IS an F3000 champ, and that should speak for its self.

Unfortunately I don't think being F3000 champion counts for much. Bit odd really. However the situation is better at the moment than it has been (Montoya, Heidfeld and the experienced Alesi and Panis)...

Red · 4 Oct 2001, 14:43 (Ref:155815)

Ooops. I appologize. Didn't realize that I highlighted that 0p bit. It certainly was NOT my intention.

LucaBadoer · 4 Oct 2001, 15:49 (Ref:155841)

Please note that Luca was offered race drives at several midfield teams for this season (ie; Sauber, Arrows, Minardi, Prost...) Luca turned down these drives because he said he will only race in F1 for a 'decent' team.

Luca is a really good driver - whenever he has had a decent car, he has performed (Note his superb performances in the 1992 F300 championship). Luca is getting older (he's currently 30) but he is determined to get a race drive for Ferrari - and he will do just that for the 2003 campaign. Mark my words!

Luca also has stamina. Usually, after every GP, Luca tests from the Tuesday to the Saturday (+ he carries out a shakedown early in the week before a GP). Luca regularly does over 50 lap (up to 150ish @ times) and he does it - working right through from 9/10 am to 6/7pm. If there was a GP at Fiorano, Luca would win by several laps...

LUCA FOR KING!

Info on Luca Badoer's F1 career can be found @ http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/badoer

jiggly_puff · 4 Oct 2001, 16:13 (Ref:155853)

Quote:

Originally posted by Logan
But you had to feel sorry for the guy at the Nurburgring in '99. He was about to come home fourth in a Minardi (a feat in itself!), and he slid off in the rain into a barrier.

He then followed the F1 fashion of that year promptly bursting into tears by the trackside and not even trying to hide hos face from the Helicam!

Logan.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW POOR BABES

i ADMIRE MEN WHO CRY SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Logan · 4 Oct 2001, 17:26 (Ref:155875)

Quote:

Originally posted by Marshal

To be fair to Luca, I think you'll find thaty the car failed, not him....

Sorry Marshal - you're right I was wrong.

I think I was probably getting muddled up with Fissi (who did the sliding just after he inherited the lead?) - so many people led that race it's hard to remember what happened!

However did Gene eventually make it into the top 6 and score a point for the F1 minnows?

Logan.

Ralf's Girl · 4 Oct 2001, 21:04 (Ref:155985)

Quote:

Originally posted by Logan
However did Gene eventually make it into the top 6 and score a point for the F1 minnows?

Yes - he moved up to 5th when Badoer went out but Hakkinen overtook him in the closing stages.

MichaelC · 5 Oct 2001, 09:22 (Ref:156172)

Quote:

Originally posted by LucaBadoer
Please note that Luca was offered race drives at several midfield teams for this season (ie; Sauber, Arrows, Minardi, Prost...) Luca turned down these drives because he said he will only race in F1 for a 'decent' team.

How gutted is he that he didn't take the Sauber drive then? He could have been driving for McLaren next year by now - that's a good team!

**Bononi** · 5 Oct 2001, 11:34 (Ref:156199)

Quote:

Originally posted by MichaelC

How gutted is he that he didn't take the Sauber drive then? He could have been driving for McLaren next year by now - that's a good team!

I Ate Yoko Ono · 5 Oct 2001, 21:15 (Ref:156465)

I recall the press at the time of his 92 F3000 championship saying who is this Badoer guy he just came from nowhere without a massive pedigree on won....and he promptly went nowhere and disappeared nowhere. He hasn't got it, and I have never understood why he hangs on at Ferrari just testing. I imagine he gets a few lira (euros) for it though!

However, as a footnote neither Niki Lauda, Jacque Villeneuve or arguably even Michael Schumacher had what could exactly be termed an early career littered with championships in the junior formulae, or anything that would point them out as being any better than say a Bernoldi or Burti level driver, but look what happened to them! Badoer, sadly, simply never performed. Enjoyed the tears though back in 99.

Luca, go back to taxis.

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