What education do Formula-1 drivers need at least ?

Bridget Stone · 23 Oct 2003, 09:29 (Ref:760420)

hi all
I know that for becoming a Fighter-jet pilot you must at least, here in Belgium, have passed the highest form of secondary education with success.So the demands in this regard are very high. Are there any f-1 drivers with for example an university-degree? Is f-1 driving more a question of balls then brains? I dont think they would perform well in a quiz like "University Challenge'(BBC)

greeetzz..Bridget

Led ZeppF1 · 23 Oct 2003, 09:44 (Ref:760435)

I don't know. Senior high schooll, maybe?

But I don't think an university-degree guarantee someone to have brains.

In other word, have no an university-degree not means no brains.

903cc · 23 Oct 2003, 09:49 (Ref:760438)

As a minimum.. Learn to drive course!

I do not think many if at all any would have a university degree. I think it will be mainly just natural talent and then a lot of practice.

DriverT · 23 Oct 2003, 09:59 (Ref:760454)

Well, Damon Hill dropped out of a Business Studies degree didn't he? Dunno about any others.

DriverT · 23 Oct 2003, 10:00 (Ref:760456)

Of course, having a university degree doesn't mean you have intelligence, these days. In several subjects, they literally give them to ANYONE.

Bridget Stone · 23 Oct 2003, 10:14 (Ref:760470)

Yes, i think that most of them at most have a sort of high-school degree and that they then dont have the time for any more education because of the practice and skills they have to learn for motorsports. But I guess they will have some additional training in how to deal with the media, or even may have some sort of personalitytraining, to adjust the more undesirable features of their character. Paid for by the team-bosses i presume. Do f-1 drivers have a personal mental coach ? (besides doctors, fysiotherapists)

**BertMk2** · 23 Oct 2003, 10:14 (Ref:760472)

Generally if they're good enough at driving to even be considered for F1 they'll be driving full time by the time they get to university age anyway surely? Most degrees are 3 year courses so they'd be at least 21 by the time they graduated.

Super Tourer · 23 Oct 2003, 10:17 (Ref:760476)

I think the smart drivers are realising that you need a good education and qualifications as a fallback, should a racing career peter out.

DriverT · 23 Oct 2003, 10:21 (Ref:760482)

Well, Dr. Jonathan Palmer obviously did. But was he any good?

jetsetter · 23 Oct 2003, 10:25 (Ref:760486)

I think talent is more important in F1 than an education as if you get that far you should have enough money not to need a profession to fall back on.

Ryo28 · 23 Oct 2003, 10:26 (Ref:760487)

Marc Gene has a degree in economics. He got it while racing in the British Formula Ford championship at the same time, i think...

**Peter Mallett** · 23 Oct 2003, 10:26 (Ref:760488)

You might say that Dr. JP is the best example. He was stunning in F2 and a pretty good Porsche 956 pedaller to boot. But in F1 he was pretty mediocre.

However his education seems to have worked for him. I don't think it got him in a car in the first place though.

PaulSands · 23 Oct 2003, 10:29 (Ref:760490)

Palmer? F2 Champ...struggle in a Cosworth Tyrrell against the turbos but was Jim Clark champ in F1..not bad I'd hazard but no superstar

**Peter Mallett** · 23 Oct 2003, 10:37 (Ref:760497)

My point exactly Paul.

PaulSands · 23 Oct 2003, 10:42 (Ref:760503)

It's all down to economics really isnt it...top flight motor racing (any type?) isn't cheap and a lot of drivers are going to be coming from moneyed backgrounds (though I accept not all) which will usually mean that they will have had some form of higher education...unlike football (soccer to our colonial cousins

) I don't think there have been too many superstars from the slums in F1 (I'm happy to be proven wrong of course)
Given that they seem to be getting younger by the day though I cant see how the likes of Alonso, Button & Raikkonen could've had more than maybe High School education.

I know that Nico Roseberg is planning to race in the UK next year as he is attending college in London

Bridget Stone · 23 Oct 2003, 11:02 (Ref:760524)

But do they get some additional personality-or mediatraining ? I guess that being a f-1 driver also comes with having obligations towards the press and the sponsors. I know that many soccer-stars besides having a personal fyio and doctor also have a personal mental coach

**Peter Mallett** · 23 Oct 2003, 11:06 (Ref:760526)

Er. "Personality" and "Kimi" are not words you'd normally put into the same sentence are they?

PaulSands · 23 Oct 2003, 11:26 (Ref:760548)

didnt Vinnie Jones have a mental coach to ensure he was just the wrong side of mental before he took to the field

sonic · 23 Oct 2003, 11:52 (Ref:760581)

...and Dont forget all the time you need to take off of school to compete in national and international Kart Racing!

alonso11 · 23 Oct 2003, 12:15 (Ref:760618)

I know in lower formulas (like in Formula König,Formula Renault,etc.) it's quite common that the racedrivers are also college students.Even more common in the karting scene.I don't know much about the education of the recent F1 drivers,but we can guess that those guys who got into F1 very early like Massa or Button they don't have too much.AFAIK also Villeneuve left the school quite early.

Zsolt Baumgartner graduated in a Gymnasium in Budapest (Gymnasium in Hungary means the highest level of high schools and has nothing to do with gym or sports) and is recently studing for his semester exams at the College of Technology in Gyõr,Hungary.If he pass his final exams he will have a diploma in 2004.Also he speaks five languages: German because he was a junior-high student in Austria, French becuase he learnt racing in Alain Prost's school in the French Formula Renault Campus, Italian (not perfectly) because in Formula Renault Eurocup he raced for an Italian team called CRAM and in F3000 he raced again for an Italain team called Coloni, he speaks English because -among other reasons- he raced for Nordic Racing F3000 and JordanF1 and Hungarian is his mother tongue.

Yunis · 23 Oct 2003, 12:29 (Ref:760652)

marc Gene has a degree in business and economics

alonso11 · 23 Oct 2003, 12:59 (Ref:760686)

" Er. "Personality" and "Kimi" are not words you'd normally put into the same sentence are they? "

Why? Most F1 drivers speak through their mouth while Kimi speaks through his nose,thats quite characteristic if you ask me

Bridget Stone · 23 Oct 2003, 12:59 (Ref:760688)

The only thing i am a bit sorry about is that it seems that only guys from so called upperclass-families seem to get opportunities in this kond of sport. In soccer, you can come from the poorest of backgrounds, but still make to the top (f.e. Ronaldo, Maradonna etc.) But in motorsport, your family must have a lot of money before you can even try karts or lower racing classes. I dont see any possibilities to break through this "wall" of carracing being an elite -sport. How many potential Montoya's and Kimi's are never even spotted, just because daddy isnt a doctor or a lawyer?
I think because the equipment is so expensive, they aren't much teambosses or sponsors who wanna set up a training scheme for the less well off

josvandeperre · 23 Oct 2003, 13:29 (Ref:760745)

1 - life isn't fair
2 - many threads around here suggest that a lobotomy is an essential requirement to be a top driver
3 - funnily enough I don't think most drivers parents are ruling class any more - wasn't Schumi's a truck driver ?
4 - french rock and roll & movies (which are state funded effectively) exemplifies that a silver spoon is often less desirable than hard graft scraping to get by and selling yourself and your talent

And as a separate point media coaching just like in pop music and politics is a part of many drivers' training - alongside nutrition and fitness

Brandy_snap · 23 Oct 2003, 13:43 (Ref:760763)

Quote:

Originally posted by alonso11
" Er. "Personality" and "Kimi" are not words you'd normally put into the same sentence are they? "

Why? Most F1 drivers speak through their mouth while Kimi speaks through his nose,thats quite characteristic if you ask me

Yeah and when he retires from formula 1, the career as a ventriloquist will be calling

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