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2 Feb 2004, 11:13
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#1
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Veteran
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Great Drives by 'Non-greats'
I've been inspired by Mr Vs thread on Senna's Donington performance. I was wondering what drives by lesser known drivers would you consider as being up there amongst the greatest GP drives?
I don't want this to turn into a debate about how great some drivers are or are not (so maybe the name of the thread needs changing); I mean no disrespect to the drivers, I just want to highlight great drives by people who don't usually spring to mind.
As a starting point, we can assume that all World Champions are great (plus likes of Moss and GV) and see what happens!
First that come to my mind are
J-P Beltoise - Monaco 1972
R Barrichello - Silverstone 2003 (but they don't have to be wins)
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2 Feb 2004, 11:57
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#2
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Veteran
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Interesting subject - obviously the definition of 'great' is subjective, because certain champions don't have CVs as impressive as the guys they raced against - for example, was Hunt really better than Peterson? Or Hulme better than Ickx?
Barrichello has probably put in enough great drives over the years to make you wonder what his true status is - Donington 1993, Monaco 1997 and Austria 2002 as well as Silverstone.
Alesi put in some mightily impressive drives on his day as well - France 1989 and USA 1990 are the stuff of legends, he was desperately unlucky at Monza 1994, and also quite awesome there in 1997, where only a slow pitstop cost him a win in one of the dullest races in living memory.
Fisichella at Spa 1997 is another one - no one else could live iwth Mcihael that day, and he was only in a Jordan.
There are surely many more, especially from before my time.
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2 Feb 2004, 12:08
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#3
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Panis, Monaco 1996. Crazy race, but he was flying.
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__________________
'I'm a winner', What the **** does that mean? Anybody can utter the words.
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2 Feb 2004, 12:18
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#4
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Veteran
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 556
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Cappeli in France, 1990?
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2 Feb 2004, 12:36
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#5
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2004
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A few memorables:
Carlos Pace - Austria 73
George Follmer - Spain 73
Andrea de Crasheris - Spa 87, Detroit 88, Montreal 89
Olivier Panis - Monaco 96 ( a real gem)
Martin Brundle - Detroit 84 (plus a few others as well)
Mika Salo - Hockenheim 99 (in the borrowed Ferrari)
Pedro Rodriguez - Kyalami 67 (I think this little guy was a great)
Stefano Modena - Canada 91
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__________________
"You can get lucky and win one championship but not two ..." Jamie Whincup. I wonder which person with the initials RK he was referring to.
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2 Feb 2004, 12:41
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#6
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,917
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Rubens at Hockenheim in the rain... (which year was it?)
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__________________
Alonso: "McLaren and Williams are also great racing teams, but Ferrari is the biggest one that you can go to."
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2 Feb 2004, 12:57
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#7
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Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,354
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2000
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__________________
GP Driver meeting -
Coulthard to Taku: "I wouldn´t have tried that move on Barrichello."
Taku to Coulthard: "I know..."
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2 Feb 2004, 12:58
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#8
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 Weasel Wrangler Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 7,890
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Yeah, concur with a couple of others: Panis at Monaco in '96.
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__________________
"If nothing else works a total pig headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through." - General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett
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2 Feb 2004, 13:06
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#9
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Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,354
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I would say non-greats as in underdogs
Damon Hill - Hungary 1997
Takuma Sato - Suzuka 2002
Jean Alesi - Nurburgring 1995
Ivan Capelli - France 1990
Aguri Suzuki - Suzuka 1990
Olivier Grouillard - Mexico 1992 (well, he did pass a Ferrari on the main straight)
Andrea de Cesaris - Spa 1991
Heinz Harald Frentzen - Spain 2002
Jos Verstappen - Malaysia 2001
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__________________
GP Driver meeting -
Coulthard to Taku: "I wouldn´t have tried that move on Barrichello."
Taku to Coulthard: "I know..."
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2 Feb 2004, 15:32
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#10
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Veteran
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A lot of those weren't that great. Things like Modena Canada 1991, De Cesaris Detroit 1988 and Spa 1991 and Suzuki Suzuka 1990 were made to look good only because so many others around them broke down. In terms of qualifying and racing pace,t hey weren't much better than usual.
Capelli deserves a mention in this category, not only for France 1990 but also for Spain and Japan 1988. At that time he was seen as a future superstar, but it became clear that it was Newey's brilliant designs, more than his ability, which produced those results.
John Love in the 1967 South African race is worthy of a mention. It's reported on at www.f1rejects.com, and although the circumstances were in his favour (he knew the track and none of the regulars did, msot of the cars were 1966-spec, no Ferraris) he still did a mighty job and deserved the win.
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2 Feb 2004, 15:56
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#11
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Racer
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 362
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Gerhard Berger - Hockenheim 1997 (I think) the weekend after his Dad died.
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__________________
Vacancy - Apply within.
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2 Feb 2004, 17:54
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#12
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Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
20KPINAL
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 28,255
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And his first race back from sinus problems! Great drive from Gerhard, stuck it to Flavio that day!
Luca Badoer, Nurburgring 1999 was a good drive.
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__________________
Once there were mountains on mountains,
and once there were sun birds to soar with,
and once I could never be down.
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2 Feb 2004, 17:54
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#13
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Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,147
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Yeah that was a good drive by Berger. You're right. I agree.
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2 Feb 2004, 18:07
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#14
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Forum Host
Veteran
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even though he was lucky Webber in his first race Aussie 02.
Andrea de Cesaris - Spa 1991
i wouldnt really call Rubens an underdog...
Panis in 96 Monaco... crazy win!!
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__________________
A byte walks into a bar and orders a pint. Bartender asks him "What's wrong?" Byte says "Parity error." Bartender nods and says "Yeah, I thought you looked a bit off."
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2 Feb 2004, 18:19
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#15
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Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,065
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One that definitely deserves its place on this list, but hasn't yet been mentioned...
Stefan Bellof, Monaco 1984
Such a tragedy that fate would intervene to abruptly end the career and life of one of F1's stars that never was... 
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__________________
I am just a cowboy lonesome on the trail
A starry night, a campfire light
The coyote call, the howling winds wail
So I ride out to the old sundown
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