Formula 1 Let Downs

[Team DJ]

What are some of the things in F1 that you thought would be amazing but just let you down. Drivers, Cars/Teams, Tracks etc.

For mine
Drivers:
Montoya - Had the speed to match it with anyone ever. Shouldve challenged Michael a lot more then he did.
Zanardi & Bourdais - Both came into Formula 1 with big Indy Car records, but were never able to match their American success. I wouldve liked to see them both in bette cars.
Michael Andretti - Much like the above two, Andretti was a let down in F1. His head was never really in it, and was driving aweaker McLaren (weaker unless your Ayrton Senna). It woudlve been interesting if he was there a year or to earlier with a Honda in the back of it, and without a young family to really give it a shot.

Teams:
BMW, Toyota, and Honda - All big let downs. Shouldve been much better then they were. Williams BMW shoudlve won championships. If only Montoya reached his potential.

 

[NSWCROW]

When my main man IVAN CAPPELLI went to Ferrari..........

 

[ManWithNoName]

Abu Dhabi - All the money in the world and they make such a rubbish track.

Ferrari the last few years - Best driver in the sport but make such awful cars.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

What are some of the things in F1 that you thought would be amazing but just let you down. Drivers, Cars/Teams, Tracks etc.

Nothing. My cynicism of F1 means I know I'll always be let down. I suppose the closest was Mansell's time at Mclaren. I wasn't expecting that much in the first place, but got a whole lot less than that.

For mine
Drivers:
Montoya - Had the speed to match it with anyone ever. Shouldve challenged Michael a lot more then he did.

Kind of funny with Montoya. When I compare him, from they guy I'd read about in Britsh/Euro racing magazines, how determined he was and that. To the guy who just didn't give a **** about F1 and wasn't fussed to end his career half way through a season. I reckon, if he were a BF poster, JPM would say that F1 was a let down!

 

[imadodgyumpire]

When my main man IVAN CAPPELLI went to Ferrari..........

Oh man! I forgot that you were a Capelli fan. That would've been living death!

 

[NSWCROW]

Oh man! I forgot that you were a Capelli fan. That would've been living death!

The lowest point....

 

[Frankster177]

Minardi - how they couldnt build on their relative good form of the early 90's and become a better team.
Martini - Should have gotten a seat at a better team.
Alfa - Didnt get a win as their own team, as an engine supplier at least.

 

[darth_timon]

I was let down by the fact I was never good enough to race .

On a serious note, I wish Mansell had never attempted his 95 comeback. It wasn't his finest hour.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

I suppose the closest was Mansell's time at Mclaren. I wasn't expecting that much in the first place, but got a whole lot less than that.

Thinking about this a bit, a I can't say Mansell's spell at Mclaren was my biggest let down. I don't know if you guys will get what I'm saying, but Mansell isn't a Mclaren guy. It just doesn't sound right "Mansell in the Mclaren". It's simllar to "Malthouse is the coasch of Carlton", it just sounds weird (although I'm expecting a much more successful outcome for Malthouse at Carlton ).

However, my biggest let down did involve the reason why Mansell ended up at Mclaren in the first place. After winning in Adelaide, Mansell was more likely to be driving the Williams for 95. I had a slight feeling of emptiness that Williams chose Coulthard. It was still Nov/Dec 1994, yet I felt it may've been an opportunity missed. Looking back how 1995 turned out, I have no doubt Mansell would've been a huge chance for the title. I'm not saying he was definitely going to win it. You compare Mansell then to Hill at the time, Mansell had the experience, the confidence, the mental strength, that he was hardly gong to be intimidated or overawed by the Schumacher/Benetton combination, like Hill was. He would've put the Schu/Benetton on their toes and made them less potent than what they were. He would've been a major threat in the Williams.

 

[rayven]

Williams bullshit sales pitch to Mark Webber turned out a flop. They even tried blaming him for that crap they spat out when he was lead to believe their future was brighter than Mclarens.

.

 

[BomberFletch31]

For mine
Drivers:
Montoya - Had the speed to match it with anyone ever. Shouldve challenged Michael a lot more then he did.

Definitely. I was quite a big fan of Montoya early in his career when he was driving for Williams. I still remember Montoya unceremoniously shoving Schumacher aside into turn 1 at Brazil 2001, in only his second race. Could've won that if it wasn't for Jos the Toss ....

I think had Montoya stayed in F1 he could've achieved a fair bit. Could've been world champion, I reckon. But it seems towards the latter part of his career, he just couldn't give a shit about F1.

 

[Rustin Cohle]

Probably my favorite Montoya moment:

 

[Team DJ]

Definitely. I was quite a big fan of Montoya early in his career when he was driving for Williams. I still remember Montoya unceremoniously shoving Schumacher aside into turn 1 at Brazil 2001, in only his second race. Could've won that if it wasn't for Jos the Toss ....

I think had Montoya stayed in F1 he could've achieved a fair bit. Could've been world champion, I reckon. But it seems towards the latter part of his career, he just couldn't give a shit about F1.

I loved Montoya. He and the Williams BMW shouldve been world champs together. They both had all of the tools. Just couldnt get it together.

 

[Frankster177]

I loved Montoya. He and the Williams BMW shouldve been world champs together. They both had all of the tools. Just couldnt get it together.

Except the bmw's kept exploding...
Good days.

 

[Bacon Warrior]

Minardi - how they couldnt build on their relative good form of the early 90's and become a better team.
Martini - Should have gotten a seat at a better team.
Alfa - Didnt get a win as their own team, as an engine supplier at least.

That's a bit unfair. Minardi were nearly permanently bankrupt for their whole existance. It's a miracle they were even able to survive let alone challenge regularly for points.

 

[Bacon Warrior]

IMO Toyota was a supermassive let down. I read an F1 racing article a few years ago (2007 perhaps?) and their reported budget was over $400 million, whereas Ferrari had a budget of 'only' $90 million likewise McLaren and Renault a bit less.

How they failed to win a single race in 8 seasons is beyond me.

 

[Macca19]

Gotta be Jean Alesi for me. Just the single win in 200 starts. Such a ballsy driver, so aggressive. After how he started at Tyrell, I think most thought he'd win a hell of a lot more races than he did. Whilst he went to Ferrari when they were ordinary (imagine if he did end up at Williams in 91 instead) he still should have consolidated on his talent more than he did.

 

[NSWCROW]

Gotta be Jean Alesi for me. Just the single win in 200 starts. Such a ballsy driver, so aggressive. After how he started at Tyrell, I think most thought he'd win a hell of a lot more races than he did. Whilst he went to Ferrari when they were ordinary (imagine if he did end up at Williams in 91 instead) he still should have consolidated on his talent more than he did.

Sky was the limit after that PHOENIX race.....

 

[Frankster177]

IMO Toyota was a supermassive let down. I read an F1 racing article a few years ago (2007 perhaps?) and their reported budget was over $400 million, whereas Ferrari had a budget of 'only' $90 million likewise McLaren and Renault a bit less.

How they failed to win a single race in 8 seasons is beyond me.

Still celebrating that.
Now hoprfully Honda never come back.

 

[Team DJ]

Still celebrating that.
Now hoprfully Honda never come back.

as an engine supplier would be good. Not as a team themselves though

 

[imadodgyumpire]

IMO Toyota was a supermassive let down. I read an F1 racing article a few years ago (2007 perhaps?) and their reported budget was over $400 million, whereas Ferrari had a budget of 'only' $90 million likewise McLaren and Renault a bit less.

How they failed to win a single race in 8 seasons is beyond me.

Just noticed this post. The word is "culture"

Gotta be Jean Alesi for me. Just the single win in 200 starts. Such a ballsy driver, so aggressive. After how he started at Tyrell, I think most thought he'd win a hell of a lot more races than he did. Whilst he went to Ferrari when they were ordinary (imagine if he did end up at Williams in 91 instead) he still should have consolidated on his talent more than he did.

Yeah, not a bad call. Looking back, even taking into account some mechanical trouble, I don't think he had that killer instinct. . For the one win, he had 30-odd othe podium finishes. That's a wide ratio.

 

[Macca19]

Because of his driving style and the way he bossed that Tyrell around, I think everyone just expected at some point he would snap into gear and really challenge for a title, but it never happened.

Michael Andretti was the second one I thought of. Was a star in Indy, won a title and finished 2nd twice in the three years prior and he flopped big time in a very competitive car.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

Michael Andretti was the second one I thought of. Was a star in Indy, won a title and finished 2nd twice in the three years prior and he flopped big time in a very competitive car.

I don't think Michael made things easier for himself by not living in Europe, and making a full acclimatisation. On the surface, maybe some lifestyle issue and getting used to an unfamiliar car was all that needed. But the facts were, he'd been racing Indycars for 10 years. Those cars are 200kgs heavier, turbos, passive suspension, semi-auto gearbox. The restrictions in testing also didn't help. More time was needed. He didn't apply himself full and wasn't patient.

 

[Team DJ]

Because of his driving style and the way he bossed that Tyrell around, I think everyone just expected at some point he would snap into gear and really challenge for a title, but it never happened.

Michael Andretti was the second one I thought of. Was a star in Indy, won a title and finished 2nd twice in the three years prior and he flopped big time in a very competitive car.

Senna made that Mclaren competitive. It had a crap Ford in the back of it. Anyone but him it was a struggle. In his last race he put it on the podium.

If he came over to Europe a bit earlier and gave it a fair dinkum crack i think he couldve been very good. But when he did he was about 30 with a family in the states.

 

[rideclutch]

Nick Heidfeld. Disappointed he never won a race.

Thought he might be able to pinch one with a bit of luck in the semi-competitive Lotus Renault, but then got the boot for some shit-carter who crashed every 2nd week anyway. Super consistent, just never really got that 1 win out of the way.