Can you make it to F1 on talent alone???

[}{arlequin]

anyone remember pedro dinitz?

[JSDSKI]

The old GP/ Prototype winners would win in this age of driver aids and the new GP / Prototype winners would win without them. Talent is talent.

That being said - the difference in technology favors a certain type of driver who is very good at setups that make the most of the available aids. That certain skills, ambitions, motivations are favored over others at different times in GP history always been true. Lauda for example was probably more skilled at set up as opposed to "natural flair". Some say Reuterman was more gifted but his gift of feel for the car and ability to adjust to it reduced his effectiveness at engineering a setup.

Schumacher says he couldn't have competed at the same level in the old days because of safety concerns. Perhaps if he grew up in that era -he wouldn't have had the same concerns and still won.

Anyway, Schumacher fits his time as Clark fit his.... and there has always been rent a drive racers. But even those guys are pretty damn quick - just to represent a sponsor / mentor. Two seconds off the pace in a GP is a lap or more down at the end of a race. The rental guys are still quicker than most.

[Tervuren]

Originally posted by artplumber
Err, I'll let Joe go to town on this one. While some current drivers are good, like Kimi, Alonso, most of them depend on drivers aids to get them that close to the edge (and they still screw up). There is no longer a real Drivers Championship because so many things are no longer dependant on the driver. Teruven, think about riding on the knife-edge of traction while shifting gears, changing mixtures, steering around a course where others are trying to pass and you're experiencing G-loads of >2. Do you really think you'd never miss a shift, or get in the gas to much or whatever for 2-2.5hrs? BTW IMHO, the lack of manual shifting is one of the major reasons for lack of passing in the current format.

I'm thinking even older then Senna - sitting in hot cockpits, no safety equipment, etc... There are modern series with standard shifting, no TC, etc, and they push those car's realy hard. A lot of the older driver's success came not from "skill" - as much as a willingness to push harder then anyone else.



JSDSKI , I pretty much agree, a lot was down to how far a driver was willing to push due to safety.

[GDSOB]

Originally posted by Tervuren
I'm thinking even older then Senna - sitting in hot cockpits, no safety equipment, etc... There are modern series with standard shifting, no TC, etc, and they push those car's realy hard. A lot of the older driver's success came not from "skill" - as much as a willingness to push harder then anyone else.



JSDSKI , I pretty much agree, a lot was down to how far a driver was willing to push due to safety.

The lack of passing now is due to dependence on aero and unbelievably efficient brakes causing minimal braking zones. Alonso had to follow Schumi around for laps at Monza even with the faster car, no place to pass.

We see drivers more willing to go over the limit now because the penalty is not as severe. Back in the 60 & 70's F1 racing was extremely dangerous and deaths were common.

The skill is needed now, maybe different because the cars are so different. These guys are pulling 4 gs in the fast corners. I think right now we've got some really talented guys at the front of the grid. Time will tell.

[nostatic]

and MS is a very smart driver. His ability to take in all the data while driving and make decisions on the fly is imho greater than anyone else out there. You can bemoan a lack of parity on the grid, but there is no way that MS could own all the records he does without an incredible amount of talent, preparation, and tenacity.