LOL! I'll be 'good' when I start beating people in better/similar cars, which isn't quite yet. And fortunately we don't have pitstops, but if I do I'll be sure to try and do it myself. Would make a great video for Youtube!
I think the same thing. I think anyone in a competative sport HAS to think like that if you want any success, whether it be Tiddlywinks, Aerobatics, Club Motorsport or F1. Am I better than the people I race against? It's too early to say, but I damn well know that there is no physical or mental reason why I can't BECOME better than them in time. The trouble is that the tens of thousands of people who want to 'be an F1 driver' all think the same thing. Some end up being paid to drive, others end up paying to drive, others stop altogether and do something easier, and a few decide to make the cars for the people that do have "The Talent"
I think Tristan means in other words, you need to watch what terrain you are stepping on, and be careful about your attitude. If you win, it means something. You can't be biassed to think you can win all the time. You have to take into account your surroundings I think, Like Tristan, he knows he isn't at the back of the grid, but he takes it slowly he isn't arrogant in that sense for a reason, he hasn't been racing his Reynard long enough to call himself good, and to be honest, i hate people who say they are GOOD at stuff. They should just say, something modest, rather than be a prick about it.
I agree, totally. I remember thinking 3 years ago how I thought it would be impossible for me to consider getting within 2 seconds of a WR and now often, I can get within 0.2-0.5 of a WR. True, that should mean I should really go for it and I think I will soon in the future but like I said in a thread I made a while ago about if talent exists. I think that the truth of the matter that it lies somewhere in the middle, I mean, you couldn't put David Beckham in an F1 car for a few years and expect him to be as good as Button although, we don't know how Beckham's mind works so maybe he would do good in F1 but most probably, he won't be as good as Button because Button thought about racing waay before Beckham so his way of thinking would suit racing. I still believe in the possibility that anyone can be as good as Alonso, Raikkonen or any of them if they really dedicate or to be realistic, devote themselves to the sport.
Believe me, anyone that has ever managed to even drive an F1 has devoted his entire life to the sport...Remember that the guys driving these cars are the 22 current best overall racers in the world...22 guys from the thousands that have devoted their life to go to F1.
They don't pay you millions, and trust you with something that costs even more to try to be the best, you already have to be the best.
So I guess your best bet is to concentrate on each category and series at a time, and be the best there. Instead of dreaming about F1, first dream about finishing on the podium of an national kart championship race? And then dream about winning that championship, and then an international championship, etc etc etc. Don't bypass everything towards F1 directly, I think that's what's making you sound irrealistic the most.
Doesn't mean that because you did good on your first Solo flight that you're going to be an astronaut. You're in for about the same odds right now...
Edit: Or because you got cheered on a highschool play that you're going to win an Oscar.
Edit 2: Or because you grazed a woman's sideboob that you're going to become the Casanova of the 21st century.
Jesus I could be going on and on with this list but I'm getting too carried away...
I think Hamilton was much better prepared than either of them for his rookie year. IMHO Rosberg - after his first learning year - has emerged as a proper fast, no-bullshit F1 driver this year, and I hope he sticks with Williams because Williams need a talent like him.
Considering how Rosberg has developed in one year, and looking at Kovalainen's races at the end of this season, I think Kovalainen might look like a fully-capable F1 driver next year too.
Hopefully BMW, Renault and Williams will all make gains on the front runners over the winter.
I admire your enthusiasm but honestly stop talking your making a fool of yourself....
But back to the topic at hand, i hope Rosberg stays at Williams.Doesnt matter who has the second ride at Mcferrari as i think they might have a hard year ahead.
So Damon Hill was never world champion then? *puzzled*
I indirrectly competed against Damon once, he set the lap record down at my local go kart track. It took me 6 months of all my spare cash to finaly beat a time he just turned up an set. Damned that guy is fast (and grey haired).
Nothing wrong with supporting Webber! Why would there be. He's outspoken, a character, and pretty quick. But he's not Champ material. Just like Mr Button (and I support him a lot) - I won't pretend he's going to win a championship in F1 because, although he's very very very good, he's missing something that a champion needs.
Yes - I think it's hard to imagine how slow good drivers are compared to F1 drivers. Even 'poor' F1 drivers are very very quick. That's not to say we humans can't go as fast, just that it takes us a lot more practice. Could I ever be as quick as Kimi? Undoubtedly. Could Lep be a skilled as Rosberg? Absolutely. It's just that it would take both of us about 200 years of non-stop practice to acheive it at just one track in a decent (read: powerful, lightweight, slicked, downforced) car.
Tristan's quite correct in saying that 28 is too old to start in F1 these days. Bear in mind that Damon's first season was 15 years ago when F1 was a very different sport. Even by the standards of those days he was old!
Blimey, missed most of this yesterday... You must have edited it!
I'm 26 and still in F3? I was 25 when I started racing (7th May), and 5 days later I became 26. So 'still' is a misnomer, as a) it's not F3 and b) it's my first year.
Also, I don't want to get to F1. I know I'm not good enough. I know I won't get million pound sponsorship. I don't, actually, want to drive professionally, as I enjoy engineering too much.
You might get to F1 when you're 21/22. But bear in mind Hamilton is only 22, and he's been karting/racing and winning since he was a baby. You will be lucky to get to F1 (unless you have amazing talent, which is statistically virtually impossible) before you are 35. I will never ever get to F1. But I don't mind. I'm racing. You're not. Nahh nahh nee nahh nahh!
I can't win an F3 race at Clubman level? For starters, it's not an F3 race. Secondly it's my first year ever of driving a slicks/wings car, which is somewhat different to a kart or a road car. Thirdly my car is over 11 years older than the winning cars, which in the world of single seaters is a BIG gap. Fourthly I'm on slower crossply tyres. Fifthly our budget is about a quarter of that of the winning teams.
I'd very much like to see you buy an F3 car, engineer/setup it yourself (with your Dad, in the evening, whilst not seeing girlfriends/friends, or renovating a house), and beat people who have been doing it for 4 or 5 years (and have previous experience of F3000 cars, hillclimbing, slicks and wings).
In fact, that just shows to me that you have even less of a clue about racing than I thought you did. You really are a complete eegit aren't you. Good luck getting a drive. You'll be lucky to get a test in a F-Ford team...
And that is your failing as a pro-wannabe. You need to focus on karts. May I see the race results please? Did you win because it was a non-championship race where everyone was running old tyres/engines? I cannot possibly imagine you beat those guys fair and square and didn't get phone calls from every karting team in the country. There must be mitigating circumstances. Cynical? Perhaps. Accurate? Probably.
Harsh? You think I'm harsh? You wait until you have to calm an entire team down because you wrecked a car in your first test session? You wait until every national and international motorsport magazine calls you a waste of space because you stalled once. You wait until members of the public point and laugh because of the pitlane mistake you made... You ain't seen nothing yet, and if you think I'm 'harsh' then you have a LONG way to go.
Have you hurt me? Nope. I know I won't get to F1, and I'm not trying to. My list of things to do for 2008 has stuff on it like 'improve the brake pedal position'. It does NOT have 'find sponsorship despite the fact I am a nameless, talentless, inexperienced idiot who hasn't looked out of a window and seen The Real World for a long time'. That's the difference. I still have aspirations (like getting a mention in Autosport, which I managed, or beating everyone and winning races on pace, which I believe I can do in time). But my aspirations are acheivable, sensible, and grounded. Unlike yours.
Webber made his F1 debut in 2002 at age 26. Davidson only just got a regular race seat this year and he's 28. I don't think age is such a big deal if you're in the right place at the right time.
I'm aware that Damon Hill started late but that was in the last era, things weren't as expensive then and the age thing wasn't such a big deal then. Most F1 drivers in those days started racing in F1 when they were around 25 like Senna and some started older and some a bit younger but if you look now, Alonso started racing in F1 when he was 20 with Minardi in 01, Raikkonen when he was 22, Hamilton 21, Rosberg 20, Massa 21 and Kubica 22. There is only one exception and thats Heikki as he got his F1 drive this year at 26 but if you compare the age difference between those who entered F1 10 years ago and now, theres quite a large difference.
I believe that there is the possibility of getting to F1 at a late age but way I see it, for you to get in it, you'd have to be something really special and thats exactly what Damon was. True, he only won 1 championship but that was because he was surrounded by some other more experienced and world championship drivers like Schumacher and Villeneuve and ofcourse, he would've won 2 if it wasn't for Schumacher's suspicious move at Adelaide in 95.
My point is though is that you'd have to be someone who is on a completely other level and as you stated Becky, it took you 6 months to beat a time that Damon just jumped in and set. True, Damon would've definitely had a ton more experience in racing but still, that just goes to show you how good Damon was. I, myself, actually find it astonishing but thats Damon Hill for ya .
Last Era? It's not that long ago. And we'll hopefully see a return to experience versus youth when the cars get harder to drive again (no TC is the start, and I hope more girly aids are removed too!).
I don't think Jaques was more experienced than Damon when they were together.
Adelaide '94
He'd have won three if he hadn't been sacked after 1996 as well
I don't see how Champcar championships (which are widely considered easier than F1 championships) really counts as 'more experience'. More titles in an easier series doesn't make him more experienced.
Besides, nine times out of ten Hill was quicker than Jacques (before the relationship with Williams broke down, Hill removed from testing duties, and not given the latest car upgrades, which explained his drop in performance towards the end of 1996.
The Williams in '97 was absolutely the class of the field, and the championship still dragged on to the final race. Hill arguably would've wrapped it up a lot earlier. What did Villeneuve do after Williams? Nothing of note. While Hill was busy making Arrows look like they had a fast car.
Bringing back some old painful memories of his throttle link breaking near the finish in his Arrows, he would of won the race by miles ahead of Villenerve.
Tell me about it. Hill deserved that so much more. An OUTSTANDING drive.. and it wasn't just the Hungaroring, it was many many more races too, he was on pace like Kev said, making Arrows look like they had a good car.
No idea, I was young at the time and just thought things only happened in F1 at the weekend. At the time the commentators said it was probably throttle linkage because the car kept cutting in and out. But since it was Arrows I expect it was a 20p part that failed. (the car cost about £1.50)
but like I said in a thread I made a while ago about if talent exists. I think that the truth of the matter that it lies somewhere in the middle, I mean, you couldn't put David Beckham in an F1 car for a few years and expect him to be as good as Button although, we don't know how Beckham's mind works so maybe he would do good in F1 
but most probably, he won't be as good as Button because Button thought about racing waay before Beckham so his way of thinking would suit racing. I still believe in the possibility that anyone can be as good as Alonso, Raikkonen or any of them if they really dedicate or to be realistic, devote themselves to the sport.
