Jensons future

Author
Discussion

VladD

7,855 posts

265 months

Friday 9th December 2016
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I agree with you both, I don't think he will go to Merc, I'd just like to raise two further points.

1) JB's enthusiasm could be restored if he was offered a potential winning car rather than a problematic McLaren.

2) Merc are all about the marketing, JB would be very good at that.

ukaskew

10,642 posts

221 months

Thursday 29th March 2018
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So, 2018...

- Japanese Super GT full season
- Le Mans Classic in an XJR-9
- Goodwood Revival (car TBC)

I imagine he's not regretting his F1 career ending too much.

anonymous-user

54 months

Thursday 29th March 2018
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ukaskew said:
So, 2018...

- Japanese Super GT full season
- Le Mans Classic in an XJR-9
- Goodwood Revival (car TBC)

I imagine he's not regretting his F1 career ending too much.
It’s all great for him but I’d love to see him back in a competitive F1 car.



Vaud

50,497 posts

155 months

Thursday 29th March 2018
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El stovey said:
It’s all great for him but I’d love to see him back in a competitive F1 car.
That time has passed. And this is contentious - but he was not a great. Good, but lacked focus at times and lacked the "killer instinct" vs his peers.

DS240

4,672 posts

218 months

Thursday 29th March 2018
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Vaud said:
El stovey said:
It’s all great for him but I’d love to see him back in a competitive F1 car.
That time has passed. And this is contentious - but he was not a great. Good, but lacked focus at times and lacked the "killer instinct" vs his peers.
Agree. I liked Jenson and though not ever my main focus I always hoped him success.

He was never ‘a great’ in my view, very good, but let’s be honest he was quite lucky with his championship winning year.

But like any driver, you get a winning car, you should be winning and fighting for a championship.

skwdenyer

16,499 posts

240 months

Thursday 29th March 2018
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DS240 said:
Agree. I liked Jenson and though not ever my main focus I always hoped him success.

He was never ‘a great’ in my view, very good, but let’s be honest he was quite lucky with his championship winning year.

But like any driver, you get a winning car, you should be winning and fighting for a championship.
On his day, he had a touch that was often second to none. Memories of his Spa practice in his rookie year and the wrongly-positioned 100m board, putting that year's Williams in some surprising places. There were enough "wow" moments to show that his WDC wasn't just about the car.

But somewhere he lost confidence in himself. Was that Flavio's influence? There were this messy contract problems. And the "wasted" Honda years. But he did enjoy the money...

hairyben

8,516 posts

183 months

Friday 30th March 2018
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skwdenyer said:
On his day, he had a touch that was often second to none. Memories of his Spa practice in his rookie year and the wrongly-positioned 100m board, putting that year's Williams in some surprising places. There were enough "wow" moments to show that his WDC wasn't just about the car.

But somewhere he lost confidence in himself. Was that Flavio's influence? There were this messy contract problems. And the "wasted" Honda years. But he did enjoy the money...
He had the spark of something great when he came into F1, dunno how much Frank doing a number on him dulled his racing edge Vs being tied to the honda for so long purely for Frank's payoff

MissChief

7,110 posts

168 months

Friday 30th March 2018
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hairyben said:
skwdenyer said:
On his day, he had a touch that was often second to none. Memories of his Spa practice in his rookie year and the wrongly-positioned 100m board, putting that year's Williams in some surprising places. There were enough "wow" moments to show that his WDC wasn't just about the car.

But somewhere he lost confidence in himself. Was that Flavio's influence? There were this messy contract problems. And the "wasted" Honda years. But he did enjoy the money...
He had the spark of something great when he came into F1, dunno how much Frank doing a number on him dulled his racing edge Vs being tied to the honda for so long purely for Frank's payoff
I remember his weekend at Spa. He was beyond everyone the whole weekend. Without looking and going by my increasingly hazy memory he topped every practice session, won Pole (one of his biggest weaknesses) and just drove away from everyone on race day. He was nigh on untouchable that weekend in what was far from the best car but I agree with his own assessment. He lost the love for it after his Dad died and stayed one season too long.

People also say the Brawn won, not Jenson. Rubens was no slouch and didn't do as good a job as Jenson did.

Would love to see him at Le Mans at the wheel of a GT3 McLaren.

markcoznottz

7,155 posts

224 months

Friday 30th March 2018
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Was a great story giving him a drive at McLaren, after so many people had written him off, I think people like that kind of thing. A bit like mansell overcoming years of never winning a race. Something F1 sadly misses now, there are no suprises, it's all to clinical, cloned Russian payg drones don't make a good sport.

Vaud

50,497 posts

155 months

Friday 30th March 2018
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markcoznottz said:
Was a great story giving him a drive at McLaren, after so many people had written him off, I think people like that kind of thing. A bit like mansell overcoming years of never winning a race. Something F1 sadly misses now, there are no suprises, it's all to clinical, cloned Russian payg drones don't make a good sport.
How do Verstappen and Ocon fit into that?

wombleh

1,790 posts

122 months

Wednesday 24th October 2018
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From reading his book, seems unlikely he'll return to f1 as it was a journey he went on with his old man.

Vaud

50,497 posts

155 months

Wednesday 24th October 2018
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wombleh said:
From reading his book, seems unlikely he'll return to f1 as it was a journey he went on with his old man.
He was done with F1. He only did Monaco as he had to, he had fallen out of love with it.

He wasn't that good anyway. OK, but no Alonso/Hamilton.

He lacked the killer instinct (in comparison to others), and that is from someone who was very close to him his former team.

wombleh

1,790 posts

122 months

Wednesday 24th October 2018
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It's been said a few times, however he outscored Hamilton during their time at McLaren.

Vaud

50,497 posts

155 months

Wednesday 24th October 2018
quotequote all
wombleh said:
It's been said a few times, however he outscored Hamilton during their time at McLaren.
Sure, he was good, but the person I spoke to thought that was fundamentally misleading as a long term view of his capabilities. Sure the points are the only measure of a season.

London424

12,829 posts

175 months

Wednesday 24th October 2018
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wombleh said:
It's been said a few times, however he outscored Hamilton during their time at McLaren.
In 1 season he did. Cumulative points is an absolute nonsense.

paulguitar

23,428 posts

113 months

Wednesday 24th October 2018
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wombleh said:
It's been said a few times, however he outscored Hamilton during their time at McLaren.
On planet earth though, the points are added up season by season. So it's 2/1 Hamilton.


Leroy902

1,540 posts

103 months

Wednesday 24th October 2018
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Amazingly talented driver. Not QUITE the Lewis/Alonso level, but not far off.

paulguitar

23,428 posts

113 months

Wednesday 24th October 2018
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Leroy902 said:
Amazingly talented driver. Not QUITE the Lewis/Alonso level, but not far off.
A agree, he was a class act in my view, but a little way from a true great.

From a team manager's POV I would imagine he would always be very tempting to have in the team.

ukaskew

10,642 posts

221 months

Thursday 25th October 2018
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Currently top of the standings in Super GT with one race to go, is he not?

Kraken

1,710 posts

200 months

Thursday 25th October 2018
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paulguitar said:
On planet earth though, the points are added up season by season. So it's 2/1 Hamilton.
I always count is as 1/1. He had zero input into the car for the 1st season and he barely even fitted into it for the first few races.

At the recent WEC race he was putting in cracking lap times and was the only guy to really push the dominant Toyotas. Put him in a reliable car and he would be the quickest guy out there in LMP1.