How many of us have race experience ? - Page 3

norman-normal · 29 Jul 2003, 21:28 (Ref:674721)

Thanks Lee, you made the right choice.

If you drive like you talk, you would have killed off some of the compition by now.

Redlake27 · 29 Jul 2003, 21:59 (Ref:674748)

I have won races at Club level. How would I perform in F1? I'd make a great truckie

A. C. E. motors · 29 Jul 2003, 23:24 (Ref:674807)

I have built and raced V8 off road 4x4’s. Got my race licence in 2002 and raced a formula 3 1000cc.
If I had plenty of time to practice in an F1 car, and I got myself fitter, I would be in the middle of the pack. (I hope). I believe if you race at the weekends you will be a weekend racer. To be truly competitive you need to spend more time at the race track. Most F1 guys eat, breath and live F1 all the time. In a recent documentary TGF was reported to have phoned his race engineer at 10 in the evening to talk about suspension set ups he and other drivers had been using that week. You might think that is sad, but you aren’t in the position TGF has got himself to. Its attitude, determination, attitude and talent that make a WDC. Not just raw skill.

fast95pony · 30 Jul 2003, 02:58 (Ref:674880)

I have many,many hours on Playstation 2 !!

I might be able to get an F1 car to the end of the pits without stalling it...much....assuming my TeleTubby-like body was greased up enough to fit in the cockpit !

I don't think some drag racing , and a dozen cone-killing events has quite prepared me to pass the safety car,yet alone TGF, but I can dream

norman-normal · 30 Jul 2003, 04:32 (Ref:674914)

Me, I got ms combat flight simulator (WW11 Europe Series)
I was in my P-51 tonight (sometimes I fly a spitfire)and shot down TGF and his buddy too.

Mattracer · 30 Jul 2003, 07:26 (Ref:674979)

Quote:

Originally posted by Redlake27
How would I perform in F1? I'd make a great truckie

Mattracer · 30 Jul 2003, 07:34 (Ref:674987)

No professional race experience but you'd be surprised how a ride day in a touring car opens your eyes even more to race circuit discipline, even after years of being a "hard core fan". You can appreciate much more the technical intricasies of it all- the science of correct technique and track position/lines/braking/apexing so much better having seen and felt it. This is what really fascinates me as well as the usual love of cars/speed/things mechanical/danger we all have.

EvilPumpkin · 30 Jul 2003, 07:39 (Ref:674990)

Quote:

Originally posted by fast95pony

I don't think some drag racing , and a dozen cone-killing events has quite prepared me to pass the safety car,yet alone TGF, but I can dream

That's ok Pony, you're not supposed to pass the Safety Car anyway....

What does everyone think are the top 5 abilities required for an F1 driver? It might be easier to make assessments if we can get a list of criteria together......

Personally:

Driving ability (well duh!)
Determination and single mindedness
Physical fitness
Flexibility (in mindset and approach)
Self-Confidence

Anyone else?

Mattracer · 30 Jul 2003, 07:55 (Ref:675003)

Well, these days, corporate/PR skills?

Seriously though, driving talent, technical awareness and ability to report accurate information, fitness/motivation (goes hand in hand) and like I said, ability to sweet talk a bunch of suits in a board room the day after a DNF.

**ghinzani** · 30 Jul 2003, 10:46 (Ref:675126)

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnSSC
I secretly fancied though that I could have given Andrea DeCrasharis a run for his money!

I dont think so mate, Andrea was many things but he was never slow. However if ur going for the "to finish first, first you must finish" arguement then maybe... altho liklehood is he would have taken you off with him!! ;-) still one of my all time faves tho.... a driver of character

JohnSSC · 30 Jul 2003, 11:07 (Ref:675137)

Like I said ghinzani, it was a "secret fantasy!"

I guess like many here who have raced I downplayed my own perceptions of my ability as I just didn't have the resources to see where my level of incompetence actually was. Having raced though, I understand how much is involved in making a team function properly and what an acomplishment it is to make F1 - even for drivers who are dismissed as "not good enough."

My personality traits for a top driver would be:
1) Communication. The ability to impart a useful description of vehicle behavior to an engineer/team.
2) Intuition. The ability (not in a mystical sense) to take that information and grasp what may remedy that situation.
3) Focus. 'Nuff said.
4) Drive. The ability to extract the most from the machine on any given day rather than just when it is "right."
5) Physical ability.

shiny side up! · 30 Jul 2003, 11:41 (Ref:675175)

I raced karts for a few years when I was younger. Back then, I had the opportunity to race against Casey Atwood, Sarah Fisher, and Sam Hornish, and Danica Patrick. I don't really remember how my times stacked up w/ Atwood/Fisher/Patrick, but I used to race Hornish about 6-10 times per year, and he was regularly .25-.75s a lap faster than me. I suspect that anyone on the F1 grid would wipe the floor with me, for sure...

Revracing · 30 Jul 2003, 12:26 (Ref:675230)

Interesting topic, I like others have directly raced with Caulthard & McNish and also watched the likes of Button and Franchitti develop from very young drivers.
At the time we all ran at the front and swapped wins quite often.

Unfortunately, where they were able to continue into cars I was not and am only just venturing into the single seater scene.

As others have said, oportunities and personal development account for a lot, What could I do in an F1 car..... well I can dream can't I....

gfm · 30 Jul 2003, 20:31 (Ref:675690)

I beat Rosberg in FSV in Sweden ...

... he beat me in Silverstone, Zolder and Nurburgring ...

Hugh Jarce · 31 Jul 2003, 11:48 (Ref:676203)

I used to race a black go-kart with a nice bit of red carpet on the top to sit on, and a pram handle as a steering wheel - being pushed by a certain F1 Technical Director!

Oh, I think I'd do well to even get an F1 car round the first corner - even though I race them very well in my head and on the PC!

ASCII Man · 31 Jul 2003, 11:54 (Ref:676206)

By a certain F1 Technical Director?!
Which one, which one??

Hugh Jarce · 31 Jul 2003, 11:57 (Ref:676210)

Although I should be fair - I did my fair share pushing as well!

Mekola · 31 Jul 2003, 12:06 (Ref:676220)

I only raced rented karts since last June, but I never won a race, besides other reasons due to my weight, what is a handicap (I am 2s below the other karters in a 750m track).

Hugh Jarce · 31 Jul 2003, 12:09 (Ref:676226)

I'm lucky on that count - being a 'short-house' I always do well when I have raced karts. Mind you last time I raced I got really badly bruised - getting chucked around in the seat!

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