Why was HHF dumped by EJ anyone know

Jack racer · 29 May 2002, 10:35 (Ref:299314)

Does anyone know wahat was behind the sacking of HHF last year?

Lee Janotta · 29 May 2002, 11:08 (Ref:299344)

I think Eddie's just nuts. Probably a third of the grid has been sacked by Jordan at one time or another!

Glen · 29 May 2002, 11:20 (Ref:299356)

Apparently some of it is happenning again, at Arrows! As I read it HHF insisted on doing things his own way and would not always listen to his engineers. He did the same thing at Monaco this year, and only went quicker when he eventually gave in and tried a new suspension arrangement that the had resisted hitherto. Doesn't sound like the ideal team-player...

JV has somthing of a similar reputation.

HHF has scored ponts though, which is all that counts!

enemy-ace · 29 May 2002, 11:49 (Ref:299382)

But really which GP driver isn't a little headstrong. It's the nature of the beast. If it were just a question of HHF being difficult, Eddie should have just laid down the law. He was paying the bills.

kdr · 29 May 2002, 11:55 (Ref:299392)

to give sato a seat...and his cars, an engine.

neilap · 29 May 2002, 16:28 (Ref:299596)

HHF was trying to be the driver and the engineer. It is fine to have opinions but he did not know his place. As per EJ he is a nice guy but they had unresolveable differences. Throught the year last year his performance seemed to fall off, this is I assume, because of the rift between him, EJ and the engineers. Imagine an engineer telling a driver where he needs to brake! Well HHF was doing something similar.

Dino IV · 29 May 2002, 18:43 (Ref:299717)

Presumably its more the other way around, neilap. The break-up between HHF and Williams was mainly because he was given absolutely no room to have his input heard, implemented and let alone tested. Teams like that are pretty fanatical in running after their own engineering and not taking their drivers serious enough. For a rookie like Villeneuve who had to learn the trade from the beginning this attitude works fine and will be productive. In the case of HHF who without a doubt has exceptional racing talents this only works counter-productive and will result in a war of words and, like we have seen too many times, in a break-up between driver and team.

At Jordan it was not ultimately the fanatical trust in their engineering department, but the amazing trust they had in Trulli's capabilities. Now these capabilities are worth worshipping, but come to car development he is not the one to rely upon. HHF couldn't turn it his way, got into the war of words and was out again.

On both teams he got a few testing occasions where he could call the shots on his car and on these occasions he surprised friend and foe with surprising pace. Come raceday he had to step back again and let the engineering tell him who, what and when. If that's not frustrating and eating your heart out then what is. Leaving Frentzen's calls for input unheard is a big sign of mismanagement rather than blaming HHF who he thinks he is. If HHF experiences at one team a manager who has as blinding trust in him as i.e. Todt has in TGF or Eddie had in Trulli and probably now in Fisichella he would be able to bring the best in him to the fore. As he's got himself a too bad reputation meanwhile his chances for that are very slim. He might consider Jaguar as they are in desperate need of a driver who can get them up and running ...

Damon · 29 May 2002, 19:10 (Ref:299732)

My boss was second in command to EJ right up untill the end of the '92. For that reason he knows EJ very well and was less the suprised with what happened. EJ is a very hot headed guy who tends to do a lot of stuff without thinking about the consequences. It would seem that Frentzen simply pointed out that the team was not performing. This didn't go down to well and we all witnessed the results.

av8rirl · 29 May 2002, 20:33 (Ref:299808)

Or maybe it was something to do with the fact that while HHF was undoubtably quick, he couldn't race/battle to save his life!

Mr V · 29 May 2002, 20:42 (Ref:299817)

Quote:

Originally posted by av8rirl
Or maybe it was something to do with the fact that while HHF was undoubtably quick, he couldn't race/battle to save his life!

who was driving his car in 1999? his identical twin?

av8rirl · 29 May 2002, 20:50 (Ref:299824)

Can't argue there mr v, but he was pretty dire in 2001 when he lost his seat. Like HHF found out last year, JV will soon find out that you can't live the rest of your F1 racing life on one good year in F1.

neilap · 29 May 2002, 21:42 (Ref:299873)

Oops, shows what I know. I only could piece together the fragments that the media spewed.

mac · 30 May 2002, 01:36 (Ref:299975)

Quote:

Originally posted by Damon
It would seem that Frentzen simply pointed out that the team was not performing. This didn't go down to well and we all witnessed the results.

It must have been more than this, as Jarno pointed this out every second weekend after he retired from the race.

EERO · 30 May 2002, 01:59 (Ref:299989)

Rumour had it that the last straw involved HHF taking a hacksaw to the rear wing when the engineers wouldn't heed his opinion. Needless to say, this wasn't a popular move.

Also, this is RUMOUR, believe what you will.

f1manoz · 30 May 2002, 02:35 (Ref:300012)

I'd go with the conspiracy theory on this one:

EJ needed to keep Honda engine and he needed Sato to keep them.

Fire HHF first. Bring up reason about him being disruptive to team.

Bring in Alesi for farewell tour. EJ and Alesi are old friends and the partnership won't sour.

For 2002, Sato is immiediately signed and EJ keeps Honda happy.

Seems perfect to me.

Valve Bounce · 30 May 2002, 06:25 (Ref:300069)

Quote:

Originally posted by EERO
Rumour had it that the last straw involved HHF taking a hacksaw to the rear wing when the engineers wouldn't heed his opinion. Needless to say, this wasn't a popular move.

Also, this is RUMOUR, believe what you will.

This has got to be the funniest explanation I ever heard. However, I have always had the impression that HHF was nice and easy going and I can't believe he'd do a thing as silly as that. It would explain why he was suddenly fired without an explanation.
No, this is too far out. Freud!! What do you think? :confused: :confused:

RWC · 30 May 2002, 10:03 (Ref:300195)

I've heard similar things.HHF would try to go his own way too much and wanted to be an engineer as well as the driver.The sticking point was that he was too often wrong is the general gist of it.He just rubbed eddie and the team up the wrong way.
Question;do you think Tom will tolerate any 'bad' behavior?hehe

EERO · 31 May 2002, 01:24 (Ref:300974)

Bouncey, for the life of me, I cannot remember where I heard, but I agree, it seems out of character. If its true, his famous sense of humour is wilder that I've heard.

Valve Bounce · 31 May 2002, 01:55 (Ref:300984)

I wish we could get a cartoonist to draw us a pic of HHF cutting the Jordan up with a hacksaw.

On the other hand, it was reported that Alesi would drive for free, and up to his sacking, HHF had openly criticised the Jordan.
However, I must add here that nothing can justify Eddie sacking HHF via a fax, not unless HHF threatened to attack Eddie and not the car with a hacksaw.

Valve[img]http://www.**************************/smilies/bouncy.gif[/img]

Rha · 3 Jun 2002, 09:15 (Ref:303235)

Well in'99 in Nurburgring HHF was in pole position afther a little fight with his team (Jordan) because he wants to do thigns his way and the team has other strategies....
Result HHF in pole.... you know what i mean.... he was right
Eddie didn't want to pay to much for peapole in his team
he lost Mike Gascogne, Sam Michael, and HHF... the winning team of '99, and now where are they....? In Monaco HHF was in front of Fisi (Jordan) but a problem with his pit stop cost him 5th place......
Afther beeing sacked by Williams in '98 he was in '99 in front of them
Afther beeing sacked by Jordan in '01 he is in '02 front of them... funny....
Best regars....

Damon · 3 Jun 2002, 16:00 (Ref:303570)

Frentzen at Williams was very strange. It was the best car he's ever likely to have and he did nothing with it. Granted of course the '98 Williams wasn't exactly the cream of the crop, he underachieved greatly in that year.

Rha · 4 Jun 2002, 06:44 (Ref:304079)

In '97 HHF with Williams, he scores 1 win (Imola) 1 pole (Monaco)6 fastest laps (Laps Records) finish 3rd in WDC (2nd after Shumi diqualif..) and scores several 2nd and 3rd places ......
That's what you call doing nothing in F1.......Damon?
That was his first season with Williams and he was in front in many races but had technical problems Australia-Hungary-Monaco etc....

Jack racer · 4 Jun 2002, 12:19 (Ref:304352)

Thankyou Rha. well put.

Ian-S · 4 Jun 2002, 13:49 (Ref:304442)

something to do with not being able to afford his wages was what I heard?

But I love the bit about the hacksaw

Damon · 4 Jun 2002, 16:13 (Ref:304560)

Quote:

Originally posted by Rha
In '97 HHF with Williams, he scores 1 win (Imola) 1 pole (Monaco)6 fastest laps (Laps Records) finish 3rd in WDC (2nd after Shumi diqualif..) and scores several 2nd and 3rd places ......
That's what you call doing nothing in F1.......Damon?
That was his first season with Williams and he was in front in many races but had technical problems Australia-Hungary-Monaco etc....

Granted, but Frentzen was tauted as being "quicker than Schumacher". He showed promise at Sauber and was supposed to blow the feild away with a decent drive. He won one race while JV went on to win the championship.

Then of cause 98 was a no hoper for the whole team with the supertec engines, but he was still conclusively out paced by JV.

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