Discussion
Jim Clark is the one name I can think of form years gone by. I haven't seen an article that has a bad word for him, I'm too young to have seen him race.
He seemed to have been a down to earth guy who in his time off would work on his parents farm. Nearer the end of his life it seems he was coming to terms with his fame.
Jackie Stewart is a bit Marmite for me.
DC, Rubens Barrichello of the more modern but retired drivers who I thought would be good drivers to meet.
Of the current grid, Bottas and Ricciardo are the two I'd like to meet.
He seemed to have been a down to earth guy who in his time off would work on his parents farm. Nearer the end of his life it seems he was coming to terms with his fame.
Jackie Stewart is a bit Marmite for me.
DC, Rubens Barrichello of the more modern but retired drivers who I thought would be good drivers to meet.
Of the current grid, Bottas and Ricciardo are the two I'd like to meet.
entropy said:
What makes a genuinely all round 'good bloke'?
there are some intersting picks aren't there?Ross Brawn, I mean I've forgiven him for the schumacher years (he redeemed himself with Hamilton~mercedes) but by God you know his is a smile that's hoping you won't fire up the spotlight and demand to know where the bodies are buried.
And as for Charlie whiting, remind me what the post expiration time out on only saying nice things is again someone, cos he did some things...
entropy said:
And just what is the Toto Method? Make your driver sweat over his contract by making them wait for a vote of no confidence every year?
I'm talking about the team wide effect it Toto's case. In the end, drivers are temporary assets and like all such assets need to be acquired and retained at the best value price and then the maximum return made from them. Building a team ethos and culture is more permanent and I think that's where the chiefs at Mercedes have really got it right - over and above, say, Ferrari - who on paper have all the resource of Mercedes yet continually show weaknesses in multiple areas. In a nutshell, I think guys like Toto are representative of the future of running a healthy business. I think guys like Frank and Head are representative of the past way.
covboy said:
Not really surprised there are any votes for "Our Nige" !
Perhaps the story about him when there was a wedding on at one of his establishments. the Brides Father asked if he could pop into the "do" to make the couples day - Which he did. Cue an invoice being delivered sometime later for a personal appearance (seen this mentioned somewhere on PH before)
I'm familiar with this story which is either utter bPerhaps the story about him when there was a wedding on at one of his establishments. the Brides Father asked if he could pop into the "do" to make the couples day - Which he did. Cue an invoice being delivered sometime later for a personal appearance (seen this mentioned somewhere on PH before)
ks or there's more to it than meets the eye.I went to Mansell's home on the IoM in 1991 for him to sign some limited edition Art Prints I'd published having set up a publishing business at the age of 20. It would be wrong of me to quote actual numbers but via his agent, I had agreed a fee of between £5k and £7k; the cheque had to be made payable to an IoM Cancer Charity. I think he thought he'd be dealing with a bigger 'corporate' entity so when this spotty Essex lad turned up with the prints to sign, he was genuinely taken aback. The prints were really good and he kept asking if the fee was affordable for us..that we could defer it if needed..didn't want to put a new business under pressure... I explained that we had recovered the fee from advanced sales but he remained genuinely concerned that he was charging too much.
Spent around 2 hours with him. A throughly decent chap and very very down to earth despite the obvious trappings of his success. My only regret is that he was all set to take me back to the airport in one of his Ferrari's via the TT course but received a call that meant he couldn't - so the lady from the Cancer Charity took me round instead. Probably not quite as quickly but got to see more of the island than I would've done, I suspect.
We published 12 other prints from that period and paid drivers in money or 'free pints'. Balance the above with the fact that another British driver at the time wanted considerably more than Mansell to sign 'his' prints - despite knowing we were a start up - you'll understand why my level of benevolence towards 'Our Nige' is what it is. I'll not name names but it wasn't Brundle (who was equally pleasant by the way - another of the sports 'good guys').
StevieBee said:
I'm familiar with this story which is either utter bks or there's more to it than meets the eye.
I went to Mansell's home on the IoM in 1991 for him to sign some limited edition Art Prints I'd published having set up a publishing business at the age of 20. It would be wrong of me to quote actual numbers but via his agent, I had agreed a fee of between £5k and £7k; the cheque had to be made payable to an IoM Cancer Charity. I think he thought he'd be dealing with a bigger 'corporate' entity so when this spotty Essex lad turned up with the prints to sign, he was genuinely taken aback. The prints were really good and he kept asking if the fee was affordable for us..that we could defer it if needed..didn't want to put a new business under pressure... I explained that we had recovered the fee from advanced sales but he remained genuinely concerned that he was charging too much.
Spent around 2 hours with him. A throughly decent chap and very very down to earth despite the obvious trappings of his success. My only regret is that he was all set to take me back to the airport in one of his Ferrari's via the TT course but received a call that meant he couldn't - so the lady from the Cancer Charity took me round instead. Probably not quite as quickly but got to see more of the island than I would've done, I suspect.
We published 12 other prints from that period and paid drivers in money or 'free pints'. Balance the above with the fact that another British driver at the time wanted considerably more than Mansell to sign 'his' prints - despite knowing we were a start up - you'll understand why my level of benevolence towards 'Our Nige' is what it is. I'll not name names but it wasn't Brundle (who was equally pleasant by the way - another of the sports 'good guys').
That's a great story to share. I've met and worked with a lot of celebrities, many sports people - sadly no one F1 as yet... I frequently come away with wildly different impressions than the general public seem to form. To be fair, as often as not my impression is more negative than positive! But there have been a few that have been genuinely warm and generous with themselves. ks or there's more to it than meets the eye.I went to Mansell's home on the IoM in 1991 for him to sign some limited edition Art Prints I'd published having set up a publishing business at the age of 20. It would be wrong of me to quote actual numbers but via his agent, I had agreed a fee of between £5k and £7k; the cheque had to be made payable to an IoM Cancer Charity. I think he thought he'd be dealing with a bigger 'corporate' entity so when this spotty Essex lad turned up with the prints to sign, he was genuinely taken aback. The prints were really good and he kept asking if the fee was affordable for us..that we could defer it if needed..didn't want to put a new business under pressure... I explained that we had recovered the fee from advanced sales but he remained genuinely concerned that he was charging too much.
Spent around 2 hours with him. A throughly decent chap and very very down to earth despite the obvious trappings of his success. My only regret is that he was all set to take me back to the airport in one of his Ferrari's via the TT course but received a call that meant he couldn't - so the lady from the Cancer Charity took me round instead. Probably not quite as quickly but got to see more of the island than I would've done, I suspect.
We published 12 other prints from that period and paid drivers in money or 'free pints'. Balance the above with the fact that another British driver at the time wanted considerably more than Mansell to sign 'his' prints - despite knowing we were a start up - you'll understand why my level of benevolence towards 'Our Nige' is what it is. I'll not name names but it wasn't Brundle (who was equally pleasant by the way - another of the sports 'good guys').
I think you're probably right to suggest there is more to the story of the wedding appearance and subsequent invoice arriving. Realistically there must have been some advance discussion of a fee, otherwise why would an invoice be sent? It's not as if nige is typing them up personally or even keeping track of what he's done, what should be charged for etc. For someone in the back office to send an invoice they surely must have worked from some sort of order for the appearance.
I can well imagine such a story coming about via a simple misunderstanding during the planning of the event or perhaps the person who agreed the sum wasn't the person who saw and was surprised to see an invoice for it. Who knows? Could be any number of perfectly reasonable explanations. Of course if someone is upset by the invoice, the upset and the 'b
d Nigel' is all the press need to run a story.The one thing I'm pretty certain of is that he didn't casually offer to make a friendly appearance and then as an afterthought send an invoice. That would be weird and the public perception of such a decision would (as proven by this story) not be worth the extra pocket money from sending an unexpected invoice.
Worth remembering that JYS led a safety campaign that undoubtedly saved many lives. He stuck his neck out when at the top of his game and made a difference. His tribute at his brother's memorial service, left no-one who attended in any doubt what a good guy he is.
Jim Clark of course.
Peter Collins.
Phil Hill.
David Purley.
Guy Edwards, along with Merzario, Lunger & Ertl.
Thousands of mechanics and marshalls who gave and continue to give so much to make the sport happen.
And an honourable mention to Bob Said, who without his rescue of my old man, would have likely precluded my existence.
Jim Clark of course.
Peter Collins.
Phil Hill.
David Purley.
Guy Edwards, along with Merzario, Lunger & Ertl.
Thousands of mechanics and marshalls who gave and continue to give so much to make the sport happen.
And an honourable mention to Bob Said, who without his rescue of my old man, would have likely precluded my existence.
TwentyFive said:
John Surtees
I'm glad someone mentioned Surtees. It's criminal he was never knighted. Now I wasn't around when he was driving in F1, or even had his team, but he is still the only man to win championships on 2 wheels and on 4 wheels. Yet Stirling Moss, other than being posh, gets a knighthood but Surtees didn't?There might be something I'm missing comparing the two, but for outright uniqueness and titles, Surtees trumped Moss yet he died without that sort of recognition from the wider public.
Leithen said:
sgtBerbatov said:
Yet Stirling Moss, other than being posh, gets a knighthood but Surtees didn't?
Moss wasn't exactly posh - son of a Dentist.It would have been nice for Surtees to have been knighted. He did however get the full set of MBE, OBE & CBE.
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