Bad British F1 Drivers

[StevieBee]

Have there been any?

Inspired (if that's the right word) by the woes of Grosjean, got me thinking about those from these shores that have proven woefully short of the mark in F1 and to be honest, I'm struggling to think of any.

Sure, there have been a few that haven't exactly been quick (Rupert Keegan?) and others where the hand of opportunity was unduly cruel (Brian Henton? Perry McCarthy?) but none come to mind that one could consider to Lavaggi-esque in the crapability stakes.

...or do we look at our own through rose-tinted specs?


(By the way I don't think Grosjean is 'woefully' short of the mark.....yet!)

[StevieBee]

Eric Mc said:

Tommy had other problems which dented his capabilities.

Not least of which was his attitude, without which, I think he'd have been one of the greats.

Perhaps a candidate for the 'wasted talent' category.

[StevieBee]

coppice said:

Richard Robarts

Edited by coppice on Wednesday 10th October 18:21

I know Richard! Lives in Steeple near Maldon and interviewed him on my radio show in March this year. Properly decent chap and would most probably agree with you!

[StevieBee]

williamp said:

part of the problem with this thread is that, unlike many other countries the UK never has really funded a driver/ had a driver with a large cheque book racing in F1.

There's been a few; Piers Courage and Johnny Dumfries both come to mind. The difference is, that they were both quite handy drivers.

[StevieBee]

andy97 said:

Eric Mc said:

I'm not sure the thread was to disparage anyone.

With a small number of exceptions, most drivers who have made it to F1 have not disgraced themselves.

.

How is a thread titled "bad British F1 drivers" not disparaging?

As the OP to this thread, I can confirm that it was most certainly not the intent to disparage anyone.

At the time, there were (and arguably still is) a significant number of drivers in F1 for reasons other than the ability to drive as competitively compared to many others that were/are available but do not get the opportunity. I was struggling to think of any British driver that might have fallen into this category.

To move the discussion on...

Professional motor racing (not just F1) has long relied on the ability of drivers to pay for their drives but F1 has evolved into the sport's pinnacle, representing the very best at all levels. The most visible aspect of this will always be the driver and those that drive in F1 should be there on merit and merit alone. Otherwise, it devalues the various ladder formulae and ultimately F1 itself.

If you have a good driver that has some budget, then the latter is a bonus but should not be the defining factor.