Worst F1 drivers to have won a race...?

[Mr_Thyroid]

FourWheelDrift said:

Muzzer79 said:

Definitely Olivier Panis at Monaco 96. That was a race won by whoever could keep going in one piece.

I was thinking of him as well, but 2nd was still a quick David Coulthard in the McLaren Mercedes. If he had dropped out and the 2 Saubers were 2nd & 3rd then it would be a no brainer.

The McLaren was crap in 96. But Panis did some good overtakes - if I remember correctly only Hill and Alesi retired ahead of him with mechanicals - everyone else crashed.

Kovalainen gets my vote - did one or two good qualifying in 08, lucked into a win after something happened to Massa (from memory) otherwise never looked like a contender. I don't understand why Lotus picked him at the end of last year.

[Smollet]

Eric Mc said:

I still propose Baghetti. Her won the first three F1 races he entered - and never won another F1 race ever again.

Eric, he won 3 races albeit the last two weren't chanpionship events. To do that required some talent unlike Brambilla who was at best a journeyman

[woof]

Smollet said:

Maldonado on that day drove excellently to hold off a very determined Fred. I'd say he thoroughly deserved the win.

That would have been the day that he had a those special Maldonado tyres that were delivered for his car only ?
That race was a total fix. I honestly believe that a deal was done on that day for him to win.

[Agent Orange]

I'm tempted to say Vettel because I cannot recall a single win of his that stands out in the memory.

Dare I say it too.. and I like the guy but Johnny Herbert in the 1995 British GP?

But I'm going to say Alessandro Nannini in Japan 89 for which no one recalls the winner just Senna and Prost. Don't think he managed to finish more than a couple of races in his first few seasons and then got that single win in Japan 89. Senna and Prost took each other out and Nannini inherited 1st. With Prost out Senna charged back from the pits, caught and easily past Nannini who put up pretty much zero resistance.

Race finished Senna 1st, 2nd Nannini but then of course Senna was disqualified and Nannini inherited 1st.

[Muzzer79]

Agent Orange said:

I'm tempted to say Vettel because I cannot recall a single win of his that stands out in the memory.

Seriously?

Much as I'm no fan of his; even his first win was impressive, considering he qualified and won purely on merit in a car that had no real place being there.

[KaraK]

Maldonado for me.. He has got some pace certainly but in pretty much every other aspect of the racing driver "package" he is poor to mediocre at best (would still whoop my sorry ass of course but so would the back row of the Ginetta Jnr grid!) and when he won that race I remember commenting that I thought his good twin had shown up that day.

[Smollet]

woof said:

That would have been the day that he had a those special Maldonado tyres that were delivered for his car only ?
That race was a total fix. I honestly believe that a deal was done on that day for him to win.

Well bully for you and all the other conspiracy theorists

[Smollet]

Agent Orange said:

I'm tempted to say Vettel because I cannot recall a single win of his that stands out in the memory.

Dare I say it too.. and I like the guy but Johnny Herbert in the 1995 British GP?

But I'm going to say Alessandro Nannini in Japan 89 for which no one recalls the winner just Senna and Prost. Don't think he managed to finish more than a couple of races in his first few seasons and then got that single win in Japan 89. Senna and Prost took each other out and Nannini inherited 1st. With Prost out Senna charged back from the pits, caught and easily past Nannini who put up pretty much zero resistance.

Race finished Senna 1st, 2nd Nannini but then of course Senna was disqualified and Nannini inherited 1st.

So Vettel a multiple GP winner and 4 times champion is the worst driver to ever win a race?
I give up.
If you want a poor example look no further than Senna who'd endanger someone else's life to win a GP. Now that to me and I think any rational person would agree but there are many Senna apologists here. He caused the decline in F1 and should've been kicked out of F1 when he admitted to deliberately taking Prost out. A more odious man I cannot think of.

[Some Gump]

@ everyone dissing Panis...


My memory is fuzzy, but I seem to think 2 or 3 people stacked ahead of him by pusing too hard, and 3/4 of the entire grid crashed behind him trying to keep up.

IMO a fantastic drive in average machinery.

[Agent Orange]

Smollet said:

Agent Orange said:

I'm tempted to say Vettel because I cannot recall a single win of his that stands out in the memory.

Dare I say it too.. and I like the guy but Johnny Herbert in the 1995 British GP?

But I'm going to say Alessandro Nannini in Japan 89 for which no one recalls the winner just Senna and Prost. Don't think he managed to finish more than a couple of races in his first few seasons and then got that single win in Japan 89. Senna and Prost took each other out and Nannini inherited 1st. With Prost out Senna charged back from the pits, caught and easily past Nannini who put up pretty much zero resistance.

Race finished Senna 1st, 2nd Nannini but then of course Senna was disqualified and Nannini inherited 1st.

So Vettel a multiple GP winner and 4 times champion is the worst driver to ever win a race?
I give up.
If you want a poor example look no further than Senna who'd endanger someone else's life to win a GP. Now that to me and I think any rational person would agree but there are many Senna apologists here. He caused the decline in F1 and should've been kicked out of F1 when he admitted to deliberately taking Prost out. A more odious man I cannot think of.

Before you give up maybe you need to read that again.

"I'm tempted to say Vettel..."

"But I'm going to say Alessandro Nannini in Japan 89"

I didn't say Vettel. I said Nannini.

[Some Gump]

Agent Orange said:

Before you give up maybe you need to read that again.

"I'm tempted to say Vettel..."

"But I'm going to say Alessandro Nannini in Japan 89"

I didn't say Vettel. I said Nannini.

You said jehovah.

[markcoznottz]

Halmyre said:

350Matt said:

Thierry Boutsen
1990 hungary GP

??? He qualified on pole and led from start to finish. That's not too shabby.

It's a pity better drivers weren't in the 89-90 williams, it never realised it's potential.

[markcoznottz]

Smollet said:

woof said:

That would have been the day that he had a those special Maldonado tyres that were delivered for his car only ?
That race was a total fix. I honestly believe that a deal was done on that day for him to win.

Well bully for you and all the other conspiracy theorists

Hmmm, tyre fixing is never mentioned in f1, it certainly has happened in moto gp before though...

[thegreenhell]

Kovalainen never looked likely to win, and most races you wouldn't even know he was there. He was rarely even on the podium in the McLaren in Hamilton's championship year in 2008. He lucked into a single win after first Hamilton punctured from the lead, then Massa's engine blew up three laps from the end of the Hungarian GP. Otherwise a completely anonymous and forgetable career.

[1000TCR]

thegreenhell said:

Kovalainen never looked likely to win, and most races you wouldn't even know he was there. He was rarely even on the podium in the McLaren in Hamilton's championship year in 2008. He lucked into a single win after first Hamilton punctured from the lead, then Massa's engine blew up three laps from the end of the Hungarian GP. Otherwise a completely anonymous and forgetable career.

I have to say that I was a bit disappointed too. After he beat Loeb in a Peugeot 307 WRC and Schumacher in a Ferrari 360 at the Race Of Champions 2004 I thought he would become one of the all time greats in F1...

[Smollet]

Agent Orange said:

Before you give up maybe you need to read that again.

"I'm tempted to say Vettel..."

"But I'm going to say Alessandro Nannini in Japan 89"

I didn't say Vettel. I said Nannini.

Ok, I won't give up this time

[Eric Mc]

Smollet said:

Eric Mc said:

I still propose Baghetti. Her won the first three F1 races he entered - and never won another F1 race ever again.

Eric, he won 3 races albeit the last two weren't chanpionship events. To do that required some talent unlike Brambilla who was at best a journeyman

Read up on the facts of the races he won and you will see how lucky he was. The fact that he won nothing (nor even finished credibly) for the next 20 odd years says something.

[cookracing]

I saw this and thought of the loveable Venezuelan... he drove a clean fast race in Barcelona when teams were playing a lottery with tyres, so deserves his win.

However, if you're asking who is the worst driver as in who has the least racing talent, that's one thing. But the worst driver on the grid as a human being? I've already mentioned him...!

[Agent Orange]

Smollet said:

Ok, I won't give up this time

[LeapingDeere]

Haven't read all the posts so I'll say it.

Vettel......... Im only half joking.