What a Guy - James Hunt - LEGEND

[LordGrover]

TonyHetherington said:

LordGrover said:

His type is sorely missing from today's society.

I think his type is still very much in society - but it's so common that that alone is not reason enough to report.

You may be right. Rose tinted specs and all that.

[jellison]

samwilliams said:

jellison said:

Team 17 said:

Exactly, not exactly a role model you would want your son to aspire to for example.

Better than your son saying he is "how can I put it without the PH Police getting Upperty", liking the Sword.

You'd rather your son ended up dying of a heart attack at 45 due to self-inflicted excesses than being gay?

Of course!

[andy_s]

Top man.

[superkartracer]

From the other thread -

James was a hero of mine and i know some of the drivers that raced against him, what you don't read about in the link is the drugs also, bit of a sad story really the way his life ended.

Regards today drivers, a few laps in todays cars would have killed Hunt, the fitness required is staggering and people that keep saying the cars are easy to drive are either clueless or just thick.

Nearest thing a *normal* person could drive that is close to the physical demands would be a shifter kart, on pace you have to be very fit to drive these, F1 cars are in another league.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAykMktOsU4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtPOc8KIRjI

160-170 bpm HR for 2 hours, try it on the treadmill while playing this -

http://www.kongregate.com/games/IcyLime/multitask

S

Edited by superkartracer on Thursday 14th October 17:50

[compocon]

superkartracer said:

From the other thread -

James was a hero of mine and i know some of the drivers that raced against him, what you don't read about in the link is the drugs also, bit of a sad story really the way his life ended.

Regards today drivers, a few laps in todays cars would have killed Hunt, the fitness required is staggering and people that keep saying the cars are easy to drive are either clueless or just thick.

Nearest thing a *normal* person could drive that is close to the physical demands would be a shifter kart, on pace you have to be very fit to drive these, F1 cars are in another league.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAykMktOsU4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtPOc8KIRjI

160-170 bpm HR for 2 hours, try it on the treadmill while playing this -

http://www.kongregate.com/games/IcyLime/multitask

S

Edited by superkartracer on Thursday 14th October 17:50

Really?

I doubt it would have been much of a struggle for him. He looks fit enough to me, if not give him a couple of months worth of specialised training and he'd be close I'm sure.

I dont buy into this F1 fitness hype, it's no Tour de France. I'm not saying it's easy by any stretch but I don't think it's as hardcore as it's made out. I would think the 80's turbo cars were more physically and mentally challenging as they look like they were 'man-handled' round a track on a knife edge.

If someone like Montoya can cope surely Hunt would've been in with a chance!

But we'll never know for sure.

Edited by compocon on Thursday 14th October 18:40

[Get Karter]

Whilst F1 drivers are fit, I feel their fitness pudding is over-egged.

It is interesting that the 'really fit ones' finish their triathalons amongst amateur competitors many of whom probably sit in offices all day, and don't have the same free time to devote to fitness training that F1 drivers will.

[superkartracer]

Out of interest do either of you do triathalons/race or train? or driven anything quick? because you clearly have no idea whats required.

These guys are super fit, Hunt was a piss artist who was most often coked up to his eyeballs on race day sadly.

[Get Karter]

Whilst it is nothing to do with what I can do, now you mention it yes, I road raced for 5 years at club level...and even now I can keep my HR up around 180 for a 3 hour ride and be fine afterwards.

I just don't see how an F1 driver competing against some amateurs in a triathalon and not winning, is demonstating their super fitness.

I'm sure they have developed specific fitness over years of driving, such as the famous labrador-resistant neck muscles (left hand side only - probs at Brazil and now Turkey).

But from what you quoted, their cardio fitness is not particularly unusual, especially for professional sportsmen, as millions of amateurs do the same every weekend.

[compocon]

superkartracer said:

Out of interest do either of you do triathalons/race or train? or driven anything quick? because you clearly have no idea whats required.

These guys are super fit, Hunt was a piss artist who was most often coked up to his eyeballs on race day sadly.

Clearly

Go ask Mark Webber if he thinks he's super-fit compared to Lance Armstrong

[GTP rpm]

Formula One fitness isn't comparable to other sports.

You need to be fit, yes, but you also need to be very strong. Something most triathlon competitors arn't!

Lance Armstrongs head would fall off after a 5G corner, let alone not be strong enough to steer!

[shoestring7]

Get Karter said:

Whilst it is nothing to do with what I can do, now you mention it yes, I road raced for 5 years at club level...and even now I can keep my HR up around 180 for a 3 hour ride and be fine afterwards.

I just don't see how an F1 driver competing against some amateurs in a triathalon and not winning, is demonstating their super fitness.

I'm sure they have developed specific fitness over years of driving, such as the famous labrador-resistant neck muscles (left hand side only - probs at Brazil and now Turkey).

But from what you quoted, their cardio fitness is not particularly unusual, especially for professional sportsmen, as millions of amateurs do the same every weekend.

But their not supposed to be the best triathletes, they're the best racing drivers. For them fitness for a tri is incidental to their main pursuit; being able to sit in a F1 car for 2 hours, survive multiple G's, heat and humidity and still be able to function mentally at an level way beyond 99% of the human race.

SS7

[superkartracer]

Get Karter said:

I can keep my HR up around 180 for a 3 hour ride and be fine afterwards.

No you can't!! anyway if you were fit ( like Lance ) it would be around 140-150bmp on a run. I've a VO2max of over 70 and 180 is 95% max and sustainable for 20mins tops, so 3 hours you say?

F1 Drivers have to deal with -

Heat ( try sitting in a Sauna with full race kit on for two hours, bet you could last 5 mins tops )*
Mental Stress ( relaying info back to pits while driving such a violent complex machine ) and mistakes can kill.
Speeds of 210mph often inches from other cars
5g corner force - ( Hammond can manage a few laps in the World series car way off pace.. and his neck is failing, let alone the F1 car http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGUZJVY-sHo )
5g force from carbon brakes ( that alone is like being hit in the back by a sack of potatoes ) they need very strong core strength
80kg pressure into brake system, Lance might manage a couple of prods.
160-190bmp HR for 2 hours with fluid loss
Upto 150g crash forces - again they walk away from these because they are so fit.

All while putting laps together on the limit of the cars grip and within a 10th every lap and racing each other.

Hence only a few of these guys on the planet.

S


The practice sessions took place in searing temperatures, with a high of 38C. Coulthard told 5 Live that the cockpit temperature of his car was pushing 60C.

"We're absolutely roasting in the cockpit," Hamilton said. "It's like having four jumpers on and shorts and trousers in the sauna."

Edited by superkartracer on Thursday 14th October 21:15

[compocon]

superkartracer said:

Get Karter said:

I can keep my HR up around 180 for a 3 hour ride and be fine afterwards.

No you can't!! anyway if you were fit ( like Lance ) it would be around 140-150bmp on a run. I've a VO2max of over 70 and 180 is 95% max and sustainable for 20mins tops, so 3 hours you say?

F1 Drivers have to deal with -

Heat ( try sitting in a Sunna with full race kit on for two hours, bet you could last 5 mins tops )
Mental Stress ( relaying info back to pits while driving such a violent complex machine ) and mistakes can kill.
Speeds of 210mph often inches from other cars
5g corner force - ( Hammond can manage a few laps in the World series can way off pace and his next is going, let along the F1 car http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGUZJVY-sHo )
5g force from carbon brakes ( that alone is like being hit in the back by a sack of potatoes ) they need very strong core strength
80kg pressure into brake system, Lance might manage a couple of prods.
160-190bmp HR for 2 hours with fluid loss
Upto 150g crash forces - again they walk away from these because they are so fit.

All while putting laps together on the limit of the cars grip and within a 10th every lap and racing each other.

Hence only a few of these guys on the planet.

S

Steve Sutcliffe? Took it in his stride, ok, not a full race distance but proves the point.

Don't believe the hype. Hunt would have been fine.

[superkartracer]

Like i said you really need to drive a car to see what i mean, row/run/cycle i do all these and at a very good level too, but nothing compares to driving fast machines on the limit, it's very exhausting even when very fit. Try and get yourself a test, then come back to this thread

[DangerousMike]

compocon said:

I dont buy into this F1 fitness hype, it's no Tour de France. I'm not saying it's easy by any stretch but I don't think it's as hardcore as it's made out. I would think the 80's turbo cars were more physically and mentally challenging as they look like they were 'man-handled' round a track on a knife edge.

the 80s cars were much slower around the corners, and probably had much longer braking distances, so they would be nowhere near as physical to drive as today's cars.

[jellison]

Liv'in the Dream.......

[superkartracer]

http://vimeo.com/944712 - 2min gives you a clue

[Get Karter]

shoestring7 said:

Get Karter said:

Whilst it is nothing to do with what I can do, now you mention it yes, I road raced for 5 years at club level...and even now I can keep my HR up around 180 for a 3 hour ride and be fine afterwards.

I just don't see how an F1 driver competing against some amateurs in a triathalon and not winning, is demonstating their super fitness.

I'm sure they have developed specific fitness over years of driving, such as the famous labrador-resistant neck muscles (left hand side only - probs at Brazil and now Turkey).

But from what you quoted, their cardio fitness is not particularly unusual, especially for professional sportsmen, as millions of amateurs do the same every weekend.

But their not supposed to be the best triathletes, they're the best racing drivers. For them fitness for a tri is incidental to their main pursuit; being able to sit in a F1 car for 2 hours, survive multiple G's, heat and humidity and still be able to function mentally at an level way beyond 99% of the human race.

SS7

It was not I who brought up the subject of triathalons to demonstrate how fit F1 drivers are.
Perhaps GTP_rpm knows better than most on here. I'd go with his take on things.

[superkartracer]

But Triathlons give you an idea of cardio fitness! seeing as Button and Nico have done a few and posted top times its a good yardstick.

Bottom line, Hunt would be no good in todays cars and F1 drivers are super-fit.

[kiteless]

superkartracer said:

Bottom line, Hunt would be no good in todays cars

To be quite honest, and IMVHO, I don't give a fk.

Yes, modern racing be it two wheeled or four can be very exciting. Yes the technology is fascinating. Yes, modern kit stresses the drivers and riders much more than older stuff.

Yet I have more........respect for those participants in motorsport that i) have the talent to earn a living from what they do best and ii) clearly enjoy the frivolous trappings of it. Barry Sheene and James Hunt enjoyed lives that many petrolheads would like to experience in just one year. Sir Stirling and his fellow drivers of the day thought nothing of "chasing crumpet" before and after a race.

Now we have MS enjoying horses prancing around a field (sorry for the equine fans on here), and DC enjoying his hotels. fk knows what Lewis enjoys; maybe that vapid American creature he cavorts with? I don't know. Little is known about Valentino Rossi's private life, but one thing is sure is that he is more than happy riding the fking tits off a given bike then act a tit afterwards. I'm sure that attitude is duplicated off-track. Why have "WLF" - Viva La Figa (Italian for "Long Live Pussy") embroidered on one's leathers for 15 years?

I want to see racers racing fast and living fast. James Hunt did both. Modern racers - Rossi excepted - all sound like librarians / corporate monkeys to me.