Bravery in F1 (Thing of the past?)

[foreversideways]

Originally Posted by mrsweety

Not F1! but how about Karts!!! and to the point gearbox karts!! I guess you have to be brave to ride in any kart doing 80+ mph!!

Maybe that's where the action went!!

Back on topic!! I'd say most people would S**T themselves driving an F1 car :-) so yes very brave but without the higher chance of death!

A

Formula one drivers are hardly picked up of the street and shoved in an F1 car. They are used to high speed racing cars as most have been racing since childhood. The majority of the public would S**T themselves if they could be transported into any extreme sport. Not really a valid point.

[Oaksnaf]

Cars are faster, crashes are harder, G-Forces are higher today.

What makes the drivers from the 70's more brave than those of today? Nothing, because they weren't more brave. In a sense they were probably more stupid for stepping in those machines in the first place.

Every driver is brave.

[mrsweety]

Originally Posted by foreversideways

Formula one drivers are hardly picked up of the street and shoved in an F1 car. They are used to high speed racing cars as most have been racing since childhood. Not really a valid point.

Well the chap I'm sat next too started when he was 22! not childhood and he reckons it was always frightning!!. Regardless of when you start racing there's not many drivers who don't get nervous on the grid!!

Thanks

A

[foreversideways]

Originally Posted by mrsweety

Well the chap I'm sat next too started when he was 22! not childhood and he reckons it was always frightning!!. Regardless of when you start racing there's not many drivers who don't get nervous on the grid!!

Thanks

A

I think you have missed my point. It was that of course if you put a member of the general public in an F1 car they would be shocked. However as formula one drivers have made progress through the lower formula they are more able to adjust to it. My original point was in respect of bravery and the differences between now and the past, where in the 30s through to the mid 90s drivers were clearly gambling with their lives. clearly more so untill the late 80s. My suggestion was that to gamble with your life on a regular basis whilst those around you were being killed was clearly brave. In my opinion the modern F1 driver require less bravery as the circuits and cars are now thankfully a lot safer and fatalities are rare. In respect of nerves, i myself suffer from intolerable nerviousness prior to a race (and i am only in an FF1600), however i suspect that this aids performance.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by foreversideways

In respect of nerves, i myself suffer from intolerable nerviousness prior to a race (and i am only in an FF1600), however i suspect that this aids performance.

It certainly didn't do James Hunt any harm.

[Paddockman]

Originally Posted by Oaksnaf

Cars are faster, crashes are harder, G-Forces are higher today.

What makes the drivers from the 70's more brave than those of today? Nothing, because they weren't more brave. In a sense they were probably more stupid for stepping in those machines in the first place

Couldnot disagree more!!

[marzF1rocks]

I think they are brave, they have to get in a car that can quite easily kill.. them they have to drive round bends at 120mph..
If thats not brave i don't no what is

[Knowlesy]

Would you have the courage to hop aboard an open-wheel projectile, your backside centimetres from the floor, surrounded by 21 competitiors, doing 0-150 in the blink of an eye, barrelling into turn one on cold tyres, cold brakes....the field bearing down on you?

You've got to be brave to do it.....it's part of what makes it so fascinating, even today. They are simply brave in a slightly different way to those in eras past.

I still have the utmost respect for them all.....

[Dutton]

Pffff!

My Grandma could drive an F1 car. I mean all these electronics do it all for them.

Bunch of overpaid softies that deserve no respect at all. Blimey, I don't even know why I bother to watch F1!

*stomps off to complain vociferously to the nearest wall about the state of F1 today*

[mrsweety]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Would you have the courage to hop aboard an open-wheel projectile, your backside centimetres from the floor, surrounded by 21 competitiors, doing 0-150 in the blink of an eye, barrelling into turn one on cold tyres, cold brakes....the field bearing down on you?

You've got to be brave to do it.....it's part of what makes it so fascinating, even today. They are simply brave in a slightly different way to those in eras past.

I still have the utmost respect for them all.....

What like a superkart !!

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Dutton

Pffff!

My Grandma could drive an F1 car. I mean all these electronics do it all for them.

Bunch of overpaid softies that deserve no respect at all. Blimey, I don't even know why I bother to watch F1!

*stomps off to complain vociferously to the nearest wall about the state of F1 today*

Dutton, you must be very good in illuding innocent young girls and not-so-innocent old ladies !

[Paddockman]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Would you have the courage to hop aboard an open-wheel projectile, your backside centimetres from the floor, surrounded by 21 competitiors, doing 0-150 in the blink of an eye, barrelling into turn one on cold tyres, cold brakes....the field bearing down on you?

You've got to be brave to do it.....it's part of what makes it so fascinating, even today. They are simply brave in a slightly different way to those in eras past.

Sorry but I disagree entirely!

Today's tracks and the level of todays safety means that the driver is alot of the time aware that even if he makes a mistake the consequences are of a very controlled risk in their nature.

Just one example would be the massive swaths of tarmac runoff, miss the apex and run 2 foot wide and what is the penalty! Yes a nice cosy overshoot area.

[Dutton]

Originally Posted by Bononi

Dutton, you must be very good in illuding innocent young girls and not-so-innocent old ladies !

Umm......I hope not!......

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by Paddockman

Just one example would be the massive swaths of tarmac runoff, miss the apex and run 2 foot wide and what is the penalty! Yes a nice cosy overshoot area.

Well now then....I hate the sanitised nature of the tracks a great deal and a lot of risks are controlled nowadays.

But you still need balls to drive these things (metaphorically speaking of course, so as not to deny future female F1 drivers!).

[Oaksnaf]

Everyone relates safety to "bravery". I dont believe that just because nowadays Formula One is more safer than the past, that it belittles the current drivers 'bravery' levels.

Entering a corner at 200kmph in a F3 or a V8 Supercar, which driver is more brave? What because a V8 is safer, does that mean the F3 driver is more brave? Thats wrong, and thats why drivers of the past are no more brave than what they are now.

[pdman]

Originally Posted by Dutton

Pffff!

My Grandma could drive an F1 car. I mean all these electronics do it all for them.

Don't tell Honda, it could be the killer blow for JB. I can see the headlines now....
Honda drop JB in favour of Dutton's Grandma
Dutton's Grandma gives Honda their first F1 win.
Schumi says he's not afraid Dutton's Grandma
Kimi or Dutton's Grandma to take Ferrari seat
...
...

[Marbot]

I would have thought JB to be one of the better drivers if all the gizzmo's were to be remove (here's hoping).

[pdman]

Back on topic....
I don't think it has anything to do with bravery.
If you're not skilled, have no natural talent and don't have the correct equipment then I would say you would have to be very very brave.

BUT....
Like mountain climbers, downhill skiers, snow boarders and Motor Bike racers, F1 drivers have the skill, natural ability and equipment to do the job and I'm sure they don't consider themselves brave.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by pdman

If you're not skilled, have no natural talent and don't have the correct equipment then I would say you would have to be very very brave.

Yuji Ide was very very very very very very brave then.

Which is perhaps why he has hero status in Japan.

[Andrew2001]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

Schumacher would still win as Stewart did 35 years ago. He may well have retired too as he played the odds. Sato would be dead, except he wouldn't because he'd drive differently.

Today's drivers are still brave I feel. However the spectators aren't, they couldn't stand it. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing.

Yep agreed there.
But my small group of truly ballsy drivers, is quite frankily not much different from the ones who I think are the best currently racing in f1.

Raikkonen
Montoya
M.Schumacher
Alonso
Villeneuve

In no particular order of course.

[trevisio]

Originally Posted by Andrew2001

Yep agreed there.
But my small group of truly ballsy drivers, is quite frankily not much different from the ones who I think are the best currently racing in f1.

Raikkonen
Montoya
M.Schumacher
Alonso
Villeneuve

In no particular order of course.

I'd agree with that list of ballsy drivers

I don't agree that someone has to be brave to race in F1 though, there are far more important attributes such as luck & wealth

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by Oaksnaf

Cars are faster, crashes are harder, G-Forces are higher today.

The G-forces a driver has to endure in a crash these days is lower than it used to be, given how much better the cars are at absorbing the impacts along with all the other improvements made to the safety of the drivers.

[marzF1rocks]

Originally Posted by Dutton

Pffff!

My Grandma could drive an F1 car. I mean all these electronics do it all for them.

Bunch of overpaid softies that deserve no respect at all. Blimey, I don't even know why I bother to watch F1!

*stomps off to complain vociferously to the nearest wall about the state of F1 today*

Well that would be a sight to see. But with all the Gforces, your grandma could quit easily strain and damage her neck.

Yes they have electronics, but we have autamatic gears in the real world, so whats the difference. It takes a certain amount of skill to drive any car. But an F1 car ya bums virtual on the floor, ur in a car made of fibre glass nad if you take a corner wrongly u can quite easily kill ya self

Respect to them

[Dan Fielden]

In reference to the thread title. Bravery a thing of the past. May i take this opportunity to refer back to Suzuka 05 when Alonso went around the outside of TGF at 130r, up the inside of webber via the grass at 190mph into turn 1 and Raikkonen round the outside of fisi at the first corner on the last lap. Bravery a thing of the past? ermm i think not but hey who am i

[foreversideways]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Would you have the courage to hop aboard an open-wheel projectile, your backside centimetres from the floor, surrounded by 21 competitiors, doing 0-150 in the blink of an eye, barrelling into turn one on cold tyres, cold brakes....the field bearing down on you?

You've got to be brave to do it.....it's part of what makes it so fascinating, even today. They are simply brave in a slightly different way to those in eras past.

I still have the utmost respect for them all.....

In answer to your question, when i was racing in my early 20s YES, and even now i would jump at the chance even though i have neither the fitness nor the skill. As to real bravery i have just read the piece by Nigel Roebuck in the Autosport today. Real bravery was the selfless action taken by Arturo Merzario at the Nurburgring in 76, when he dived into the inferno which had been Niki Lauda's Ferarri to undo his belts and save his life.