Taken From Us Too Soon

[kiteless]

That "Genie" game in The Lounge recently where it asks you questions about a person / celebrity / character, and it guesses the one you thought of?

I eventually beat it with this lad:



Daijiro Katoh, 2001 World 250cc Motorcycling Champion. Died at Suzuka in 2003.

I remember at the time I was crestfallen by the news, and - indeed - wept quite a bit. Daijiro on a 250 was godlike and, for me, made Biaggi on a 250 look like a Sunday racer. I suspect that, had he been alive today, Stoner and Hayden would not be World Champions and the pointy end of the championship would be Rossi / Katoh. Anyway, enough of my conjecture.

Others that spring to mind that have been taken away from us motorsport fans too soon (either by fatality or physical reasons), for me, would include:

Jarno Saarinen (easy, flowing perfection)
Doriano Romboni (a proper fighter, hampered by inferior machinery, and a career thwarted by a nasty ankle injury)
Dave Jefferies (would have equalled Joey's tally of IoM TT wins)
Jochen Rindt (who knows)
Freddie Spencer (far better than 3 championships, carpal tunnel allegedly to blame)
Colin McRae ('nuff said)
Gilles (of course)
Jim (of course)
Stirling (retired too early, by his admission)

The above is just my "top-of-head" list of those who should have graced the racetracks for far longer than they did.

I'm sure there are many more I have missed.......

Edited by kiteless on Thursday 18th February 23:28

[Spacekadet]

Edit: i must be going blind as i didn't see DJ in your list.

Edited by Spacekadet on Thursday 18th February 23:41

[E31Shrew]

Mr Senna

[mattikake]

Stefan Bellof - forever either being lauded or cussed, but we shall never know who is right on this.

Patrick Depallier?
Elio De Angelis?
Ricardo Paletti - killed in only his 2nd F1 race.

And if early retirements count;

Didier Pironi - could've/would've/should've been 1982 WDC, forced out by injury, soon killed in his new sport.

Martin Donnelly - very promising talent, forced out through injury, indeed is even lucky to still be alive!

Johnny Herbert - everyone knows he was never the same after that Brands F3000 crash.

Keke Rosberg - retired too early, he also later admitted.

Mika Hakkinen? He retired too soon. In hindsight F1 needed him for at least a few more years.

Edited by mattikake on Friday 19th February 00:30

[Mr. Potato Head]

Richard Burns.

[BenElliottRacing]

would have liked to see Henry progress further.

[slivka]

Stephan Bellof

[Leithen]

For me, Bellof & Toivonen.

Go back pre 80 and the list is too large.

[The Riddler]

Mr. Potato Head said:

Richard Burns.

BenElliottRacing said:

would have liked to see Henry progress further.

These two for sure. And as the OP said, Colin McRae.

[Mazda Baiter]

Can you imagine Jimmy Clark in the 1968 Lotus 49B?
With the stronger Hewland 'box he would have been unbeatable. He would have been delicate enough to the car to make the driveshafts last, but fast enough to win just about everything in sight. He might have even got thaþ elusive Monaco victory. And don't get me started on the Lotus 56 turbine Indy Car..

Would there be a Graham Hill racing team now if he hadn't crashed his plane? It was all starting to come together.

[belleair302]

Young Adam Petty back in 2000 (aged 19). The heir to a great racing bloodline.

[belleair302]

Also the young Canadian CART Driver Greg Moore who had just signed for Team Penske. Huge talent, huge personality and died racing aged 24, in California back in 1999.

[Dakkon]

I saw a documentary all about the life of David Jeffries, fantastic to see how he manhandled the bike around and he was awesome in the rain.

[belleair302]

How about the great Mike Hawthorne aged 29.

http://www.atlasf1.com/99/jan27/horton.html

[Redlake27]

It does lead to a 'what might have been' if they hadn't been taken too soon.


Ferrari wanted Bellof at the start of 1985 to replace Arnoux. Could he have forged a Schumacher-esque relationship with the team. Would Berger and Mansell have ever joined Ferrari in that case?

Villeneuve was falling out of love with Ferrari at the start of 1982. What if he had been in Williams-Hondas in the mid 80s instead of Mansell or Piquet?

If Senna had survived to do a four year stint with Williams could he have been 1994,95,96,97 world champion. You have to guess that if Hill and Villeneuve Jnr could - then he could. And Schuey wouldn't have been WDC until the noughties.



But If is F1 backwards, as Murray kept saying.....

[TheArchitect]

Markko Martin

[petergb]

Chris Bristow - if you want to read about track safety in the 'good' old days look it up on wikipedia - Spa 1959 or 60 I think.

[Teppic]

Redlake27 said:

But If is F1 backwards, as Murray kept saying.....

Well, the exact quote is "IF is Formula One spelt backwards", but we all know what he means.

[Mini1275]

Mr. Potato Head said:

Richard Burns.

Really annoys me how most people forget him.

[chevronb37]

The Lost Generation -

- Tom Pryce
- Roger Williamson
- Tony Brise
- David Purley, although I acknowledge he was more enthusiastic amateur than the above.

I also like to imagine how Colin Chapman and Senna would've got along at Lotus. And seeing how Derek Bennett could've managed Chevron into F1. Both great designers who left too soon.