F1 drivers that have achieved special things that marks them out as a bit special

[Sato san]

Here's a thread on remembering which F1 drivers that have achieved special things in or on their way to F1 that can just mark them as a bit special ...

a couple to get us started ...

Jacques V ( wouldnt be right if we didnt start with Jacques would it ) ... POLE at his F1 debut in Melbourne in 96

Juan Montoya - Won the Indy 500 in 2000 as a rookie ...( 1st rookie to win at Indy since Graham Hill in 1966 ?

[006_007]

How about Senna chasing down Prost (I believe) in Monaco in the rain while driving a Toleman? That race was conveniently cut short before he could catch him. Pure raw talent that was.

[Peter Mallett]

Ah but Bellof had the legs of both of them.

[Mal]

Gilles Villeneuve qualifying 7th in his first ever drive in an F1 car (Silverstone 1977) - Having never even driven the car before first practice it is said that hefound the cars limits by deliberately going progressively faster at each corner until the car spun. He was criticised for spinning so much until it was realised that he only spun once at each corner!

[Nivola]

if we start talking about bellof then we got to talk about that famous out lao at the 'Ring

[darcym]

not something special in terms of an "event" but Schumachers first win - superb driving.

Irvine unlapping himself (not raw driving but showed his special attitude as a driver) at Suzuka against Senna in 93

[RMR]

John Surtees, World Champ on two and four wheels by the age of 30 surely ranks as one of the great achievements.

[Peter Mallett]

Mike Hawthorn. First British World Champion.

[Mal]

Jody Schekter winning of the race debut of the Wolf Racing team

[ASCII Man]

Jacky Ickx, first and only "almost" Belgian World Champion.

[dubby99]

Senna's outstanding qualifying lap around Monoco where he was faster that Prost by about a second or so and said he was driving beyond the capability's of himself and the car.

I really miss the life and times of this special driver.

[Stevespurr]

Chris Amon Never winning a grand prix

[BSchneiderFan]

I know some of you are going to moan, but Schumacher for winning seven world titles (and counting).

Mario Andretti for qualifying on pole for his first Grand Prix.

Jim Clark for, well, so many things: how about the British Grand Prix (forget which year) when his car kept popping out of gear and he had to drive one-handed, holding the gear-level in the gate?

[Armco Bender]

Hans Heyer

Failed to qualify his ATS/Penske for the 1977 German GP,so he illegaly drove out of the pits after the race had started and joined the fray.But before the stewards could disqualify him his car expired.
So he's special because hes the only driver to gate crash an F1 race.

[RWC]

Ah....this is MUCH better than arguments over who was the best!

So many memories.Pitifully few lately of course.
In no order at all:

Shu's 7 titles (but who really cares-not many)
Senna chasing prost at monaco,prost winning or allmost winning the championship for so many years in a row,senna beating prost on their first head to head at mac in '88,Senna flogging prost most of the time,prost pushing senna so hard in the late eighties that senna lost the plot.
Prost easily beating the highly rated rosberg,mansell any time he's at the top of his form(but not talking).

Can't think of many since.
JV outqualifying DH at his first ever f1 race,anytime mika and micheal were racing for a title at suzuka (including eddie's title-look how FAR they left their pathetic team mates behind)

Earlir stuff that i read about:
Monza '71 (ALL of it),Hunt flogging Mass first time out in difficult conditions (for hunt- car troubles),anytime hunt was at his best.

Sadly i have never read or heard much about other greats or so called greats.

[Paddy_NL]

Alonso, the only driver I know who've lapped MSchumacher in the last eight years (or is that the last 14 years?).

Jos Verstappen, always at the wrong team at the wrong time
(So basicly never really achieved anything )

[N I Tram]

Jos? The right teams never hired him.....

No-one's yet mentioned Montoya setting the fastest lap in F1 history, or Rosberg holding that honour for 17 years. Jackie Stewart's win at the Nurburgring in 1968, by over 4 minutes in horrid conditions despite driving with a broken wrist, is perhaps the greatest of all under its circumstances.

Both Senna and Barrichello were super-human at Donington in 1993. I'd say Ayrton drove more truly incredible F1 moments than anyone else, even though his career was cut short by at least 2 years.

[Glen]

Rosberg for his fabulous Monaco win (I remember reading the paper the next day and the reporter recounting the blur of red gloves at work in every corner and half way down the straights, and also Keke's huge blisters on his palms after the race), and his outrageous 160mph Silverstone lap.

Mansell - almost too many golden moments to list, but battling through the field in Hungary, and knocking seconds off the lap record at Silverstone when he already had pole spring to mind.

You'll note that I have a rubbish memory for dates.

[massifheed]

What about Damon Hill in the Arrows at (I think) Hungary in 1997.

[dubby99]

Gilles 11 seconds faster than team mate Jody at watkins glen

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by darcym
not something special in terms of an "event" but Schumachers first win - superb driving.

Irvine unlapping himself (not raw driving but showed his special attitude as a driver) at Suzuka against Senna in 93

And precisely what was "special" about that? (Irvine, I mean, not MS)

[Aysedasi]

But the thread started in the vein of being/doing (something) special on the way to F1, so to get away from simple great memories, can I cite an example which will surprise a lot of people (as its in praise of TGF...... )

Michael's drive (unsuccessful, as it happens) at Le Mans for Mercedes in 1991. He was very quick.....prompting commentator Ian Titchmarsh to remark, "It can't be long before we see him move up to grand prix cars......."

[Tweed]

Before F1; Mika Hakkinen coming from last on the grid at a ( short ) F3 race at Thruxton to finish 2nd just 2 seconds behind Mika Salo in identical cars.

Then;

Hakkinen qualifying halfway up the grid in his first GP in 1991 in a Lotus.

Finally;

Hakkinen outqualifying Senna in his first race for McLaren.

[Glen]

Originally posted by Aysedasi
But the thread started in the vein of being/doing (something) special on the way to F1

It actually says" in or on the way".

Speaking of on the way - what about the remarkable feat of Kimi Raikonnen, who did almost nothing before F1. (OK, so what he did do he did rather well in, to say the least).

[Tweed]

Yes, karts in 1998, some of 1999, FRenault in 2000, then F1 in 2001! Interesting that he started the 1999 FRenault season then was pulled out by his managers because Pizzonia was winning everything ( in a different chassis it must be said ).

So one of Raikkonen's moments on his way to F1 would have to be at Donington Park in 2000 when he won a 17 minute race by the whole length of the GP loop! And that included a safety car period early on in the race!