Who make the better drivers????

Walshy · 26 Nov 2003, 00:47 (Ref:794560)

Age old question.

Do single seater drivers make better saloon car drivers than saloon car drivers in single seaters?

I would have to say that the single seater drivers translate to saloon cars better than the other. I have seen it happen on several occasions when saloon car drivers come along and try to drive single seaters and make a right hash of it. Whereas all single seater drivers drive saloon cars every day on the road, it seems to take a saloon racer a lot longer to adapt to the confines of a cockpit.

You might disagree?

(Great this site isn't it?)

Mackmot · 26 Nov 2003, 03:16 (Ref:794633)

Its not that single seater dirvers are better, its more that single seater championships are more competative and have better teams who are better at teaching. This means that all the better driver tend to go to championships like FFord and Renault. They also leave with a better understanding of the car and racecraft.

I think that any mediocre driver from those championships would be able to go into any saloon car champ (below BTCC) or any clubman single seater champ and look like a star.

Matt Gilmore, Luke Hines, Michael Bentwood, Earl Goddard a few examples

Walshy · 26 Nov 2003, 23:08 (Ref:795597)

True.

And it's always easier to adapt to Front Wheel Drive than Rear Wheel.

I know of one or two tin top drivers who have injured themselves trying to go quick out of the box in single seaters. You definitely have to be smoother with your driving.

**Adam43** · 26 Nov 2003, 23:37 (Ref:795612)

Generally I agree, for the reasons that Mackmot states. I don't think it is anything inherent in single seaters or saloons, just the competitiveness of the series.

FWD/RWD? Well some saloons and (almost) all sportscars are RWD so it isn't that simple. And the ranges of power to grip changes dramatically depending on car/series too.

Driving on the road? Other than being used to the controls I think there is little to be said for road car skills helping with race skills. It is very rare that any race-like driving come into play on the road. While nominally the skills are the same - control, observation, smoothness, etc. these are used in different ways. Even when out on your country road and you press on, driving should be different on the road to on the track.

To a certain extent the old adage (which I read again on this forum somewhere else today) applies. If you can drive you can drive.

diz · 27 Nov 2003, 00:17 (Ref:795636)

Quote:

Originally posted by Mackmot
single seater championships have better teams who are better at teaching. This means that all the better drivers tend to go to championships like FFord and Renault.

Andy, as you well know, the numbers doing FF1800 + Renault are much, much lower than the total single seater fraternity. Only the well heeled can even contemplate running with "you professionals".
The bigger the team, the better the teaching normally means one of two things. Either the budget allows for a driver coach [read good driver who can't raise the necessary budget to be out there himself], or the team principal is an ex - and very, very good - leading driver who knows it all and can pass it on.
An awful lot more "better drivers" will never aspire to the budgets required for 1800 or FR, but do very nicely in the lower echelons.
Maybe better driver should have read "better funded driver".

Tell me, are you happier now than when you were helping the Merseyside Mouth with his Haggis?

Mackmot · 27 Nov 2003, 02:55 (Ref:795700)

It not Andy its Wayne.

I disagree about driver coaching however. We teach our drivers to work with their engineer and data in order to push the limits. A driver coach can only teach the basics which I think even I can teach. When you get to the top echelons you dont have any driver coaches to help you, you have to do it all between you and your engineer. Our drivers are often commented on by the teams the move to about how well they can understand data and vehicle dynamics.

Who's Merseyside mouth anyway, its not Rick O'Reilly is it??

diz · 27 Nov 2003, 08:43 (Ref:795833)

Quote:

Originally posted by Mackmot
It not Andy its Wayne.
Who's Merseyside mouth anyway, its not Rick O'Reilly is it??

Sorry Wayne, just assumed you were Andy. But if you aren't Andy, how do you know about Rick???

Mackmot · 27 Nov 2003, 09:18 (Ref:795851)

Cos hes a loud mouthed bloke from Merseyside and I used to go to his house when I was little.

ovaltrack · 27 Nov 2003, 11:10 (Ref:795933)

Short circuit drivers are better!! I've not seen too many fail to make a decent impression when moving from the ovals to the big circuits.

ss_collins · 27 Nov 2003, 16:24 (Ref:796209)

oval - no they are not!

Hybrid · 28 Nov 2003, 02:47 (Ref:796602)

My wife. She drives me
Up the wall
round the bend.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
6 IRL Drivers Make Autosports Top 50	GP Racer	IRL Indycar Series	5	8 Jan 2004 19:01
one make series for F1 drivers like IROC in the US	mariov	Formula One	31	11 Apr 2002 12:40
[LM24] does anyone know what drivers tend to make just for doing Le Mans?	nreed	24 Heures du Mans	17	19 Mar 2002 23:34
Drivers in other series that would make NASCAR stock car drivers	Joe Fan	NASCAR & Stock Car Racing	16	2 Aug 2001 08:34
They don't make drivers like they used to...	TimD	Motorsport History	1	29 Mar 2001 06:35