F1 Drivers - what do they drive on the road?

[chevronb37]

phatgixer said:

chevronb37 said:

JPM turned up to Rockingham in a BMW M5 while he was a Williams driver. HTH.

I've been in that car! (I live near Grove)

Nice E39. Was a bit loose.

Yeah I bet it was! I saw him emerging from it in the Champ Car paddock where he was catching up with old chums.

[Project 644]

chevronb37 said:

phatgixer said:

chevronb37 said:

JPM turned up to Rockingham in a BMW M5 while he was a Williams driver. HTH.

I've been in that car! (I live near Grove)

Nice E39. Was a bit loose.

Yeah I bet it was! I saw him emerging from it in the Champ Car paddock where he was catching up with old chums.

Was that the one he totalled on the road to Denchworth?

[Racefan_uk]

Muzzer said:

Sign deal to drive for Ferrari ------> Get given Enzo as gift....

That's how Mansell and Alesi got their F40s and Irv got his 550....

Apparantly Mansell was the last driver to be given his 'company' Ferrari by Enzo himself, it was a Testarossa I seem to remember reading. I should think he had others after that I think though.

I'd also heard that for a long time the drivers at Ferrari didn't actually get a 'company' car as such, hence why Mansell's was quite an honour, but he was also the last driver to be signed by Enzo himself too.

There was an advert many years ago by Mercedes that stated that 80% of the then F1 grid drove Mercedes Benz when not behind the wheel of a Formula One car (as their own choice of personal car). I'll have to have a look on You Tube for it.
I 'think' Senna was in it as he had an SL at the time. A friend who used to work at Tyrrell said he'd been passed by Senna doing multiple leptons at the wheel of an SL when he was at McLaren, once with a police car in full pursuit mode trying to catch him as he weaved quite effortlessly through the traffic!

[aeropilot]

Muzzer said:

Damon Hill famously didn't drive anything tasty on the road, reasoning that after an F1 car anything else was a bit dull. He drove a Civic for a while IINM....

He used to ride as much as he drove.
Not long after he retired from F1, he was appearing at a Goodwood Festival of Speed I was marshalling at, and he arrived on his Harley Davidson.

[andyps]

Racefan_uk said:

There was an advert many years ago by Mercedes that stated that 80% of the then F1 grid drove Mercedes Benz when not behind the wheel of a Formula One car (as their own choice of personal car). I'll have to have a look on You Tube for it.

I think that was before Mercedes were involved as a supplier to the sport, and therefore drivers from any team would be able to drive them. I seem to remember reading that there was quite a good financial inducement from Mercedes to help the percentage be high.

[Dominic H]

Project 644 said:

chevronb37 said:

phatgixer said:

chevronb37 said:

JPM turned up to Rockingham in a BMW M5 while he was a Williams driver. HTH.

I've been in that car! (I live near Grove)

Nice E39. Was a bit loose.

Yeah I bet it was! I saw him emerging from it in the Champ Car paddock where he was catching up with old chums.

Was that the one he totalled on the road to Denchworth?

Here's JPM in said M5...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9od6DTAtis

Available shortly after as a BMW approved used car.....

RJB_666 said:

I know a couple of years ago one of DC's cars was a smart car.

I think DC and Mika received a Mercedes A class, with an engine at both ends.

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/5350/a...

Edited by Dominic H on Wednesday 14th October 19:44

[phatgixer]

Project 644 said:

chevronb37 said:

phatgixer said:

chevronb37 said:

JPM turned up to Rockingham in a BMW M5 while he was a Williams driver. HTH.

I've been in that car! (I live near Grove)

Nice E39. Was a bit loose.

Yeah I bet it was! I saw him emerging from it in the Champ Car paddock where he was catching up with old chums.

Was that the one he totalled on the road to Denchworth?

Not sure if it was totalled, but when I had a passenger ride in it (driven by a Williams employee, not JPM) it had just had a new rear tyre and the rim was looking sorry for itself as it had clouted a kerb the day before, apparently!

The Charney Bassett / Denchworth road is a great run!

[phatgixer]

james_gt3rs said:

I think Alonso drove a Megane diesel, as it was "all the car he ever needed". Racing drivers generally aren't very interested in road cars.

Sort of tosh they'd have you believe, but most have a bit more brio than that.

I know one ex-BTCC driver who used to smoke about in a ratty old 406 (into 5th gear before it had travelled 20ft!) and he was very Laissez Faire about it all.

Now he has a bit of money he has been looking at scuderias / DBS / New McLaren etc. He won't buy a GT3 as I have one....

Also, local to me, a certain number plate P1 ATO smolkes about on the back of a 997 Turbo..

So do't listen to their bullst. They all like cars, just don't like admitting it. Is not cool...

[phatgixer]

Be interesting to see how many have bikes.

I know Brundle likes his (fuggin horrible!) Harleys and most drivers I know like sportsbikes...

[Rollcage]

phatgixer said:

james_gt3rs said:

I think Alonso drove a Megane diesel, as it was "all the car he ever needed". Racing drivers generally aren't very interested in road cars.

Sort of tosh they'd have you believe, but most have a bit more brio than that.

I know one ex-BTCC driver who used to smoke about in a ratty old 406 (into 5th gear before it had travelled 20ft!) and he was very Laissez Faire about it all.

Now he has a bit of money he has been looking at scuderias / DBS / New McLaren etc. He won't buy a GT3 as I have one....

Also, local to me, a certain number plate P1 ATO smolkes about on the back of a 997 Turbo..

So do't listen to their bullst. They all like cars, just don't like admitting it. Is not cool...

I dont think Mr Plato has a problem admitting he like fast road cars! At least he doesn't drive a Lacetti road car!

[dom180]

Surely company cars don't count.

Heidfeld owned a GT2 and Exige.

When Kubica joined BMW, they asked him what company car would he like - he asked for an Mitsubishi Evo.

[superkartracer]

james_gt3rs said:

Racing drivers generally aren't very interested in road cars.

Agree, most of the guys i know drive normal cars, 80's f1 mate drives an old Merc.... for ref!

[zac510]

Roop said:

Never seen a Croma. He drives a Fiat 500 Abarth and various Ferraris. I know this because he lives in the next village to mine and also happens to be next door to my dad. Also occasionally see his car parked outside his office on the main road through the village.

Hard to argue with that then!

[jamiebae]

phatgixer said:

james_gt3rs said:

I think Alonso drove a Megane diesel, as it was "all the car he ever needed". Racing drivers generally aren't very interested in road cars.

Sort of tosh they'd have you believe, but most have a bit more brio than that.

I know one ex-BTCC driver who used to smoke about in a ratty old 406 (into 5th gear before it had travelled 20ft!) and he was very Laissez Faire about it all.

Now he has a bit of money he has been looking at scuderias / DBS / New McLaren etc. He won't buy a GT3 as I have one....

Also, local to me, a certain number plate P1 ATO smolkes about on the back of a 997 Turbo..

So do't listen to their bullst. They all like cars, just don't like admitting it. Is not cool...

I thought JP had a 996 Turbo? Last time I saw him he was driving a CL65 AMG but the 911 is actually his own car, the Merc was on loan from MB. It's safe to say he's not a big fan of the regular Lacetti, no matter how many times he compliments his race car

Oh, and the story Tim Harvey told about him in Evo when he had his F355 is true too, I'm told by a reliable source

[Rollcage]

jamiebae said:

phatgixer said:

james_gt3rs said:

I think Alonso drove a Megane diesel, as it was "all the car he ever needed". Racing drivers generally aren't very interested in road cars.

Sort of tosh they'd have you believe, but most have a bit more brio than that.

I know one ex-BTCC driver who used to smoke about in a ratty old 406 (into 5th gear before it had travelled 20ft!) and he was very Laissez Faire about it all.

Now he has a bit of money he has been looking at scuderias / DBS / New McLaren etc. He won't buy a GT3 as I have one....

Also, local to me, a certain number plate P1 ATO smolkes about on the back of a 997 Turbo..

So do't listen to their bullst. They all like cars, just don't like admitting it. Is not cool...

I thought JP had a 996 Turbo? Last time I saw him he was driving a CL65 AMG but the 911 is actually his own car, the Merc was on loan from MB. It's safe to say he's not a big fan of the regular Lacetti, no matter how many times he compliments his race car

Oh, and the story Tim Harvey told about him in Evo when he had his F355 is true too, I'm told by a reliable source

Details?

[jamiebae]

Rollcage said:

jamiebae said:

phatgixer said:

james_gt3rs said:

I think Alonso drove a Megane diesel, as it was "all the car he ever needed". Racing drivers generally aren't very interested in road cars.

Sort of tosh they'd have you believe, but most have a bit more brio than that.

I know one ex-BTCC driver who used to smoke about in a ratty old 406 (into 5th gear before it had travelled 20ft!) and he was very Laissez Faire about it all.

Now he has a bit of money he has been looking at scuderias / DBS / New McLaren etc. He won't buy a GT3 as I have one....

Also, local to me, a certain number plate P1 ATO smolkes about on the back of a 997 Turbo..

So do't listen to their bullst. They all like cars, just don't like admitting it. Is not cool...

I thought JP had a 996 Turbo? Last time I saw him he was driving a CL65 AMG but the 911 is actually his own car, the Merc was on loan from MB. It's safe to say he's not a big fan of the regular Lacetti, no matter how many times he compliments his race car

Oh, and the story Tim Harvey told about him in Evo when he had his F355 is true too, I'm told by a reliable source

Details?

Car was parked up in a town centre and Tim recognised it and left a note on the screen saying something like 'I've seen you around and would love a ride, call me x' and he did actually call the number, much to the amusement of Tim

[Rollcage]

jamiebae said:

Rollcage said:

jamiebae said:

phatgixer said:

james_gt3rs said:

I think Alonso drove a Megane diesel, as it was "all the car he ever needed". Racing drivers generally aren't very interested in road cars.

Sort of tosh they'd have you believe, but most have a bit more brio than that.

I know one ex-BTCC driver who used to smoke about in a ratty old 406 (into 5th gear before it had travelled 20ft!) and he was very Laissez Faire about it all.

Now he has a bit of money he has been looking at scuderias / DBS / New McLaren etc. He won't buy a GT3 as I have one....

Also, local to me, a certain number plate P1 ATO smolkes about on the back of a 997 Turbo..

So do't listen to their bullst. They all like cars, just don't like admitting it. Is not cool...

I thought JP had a 996 Turbo? Last time I saw him he was driving a CL65 AMG but the 911 is actually his own car, the Merc was on loan from MB. It's safe to say he's not a big fan of the regular Lacetti, no matter how many times he compliments his race car

Oh, and the story Tim Harvey told about him in Evo when he had his F355 is true too, I'm told by a reliable source

Details?

Car was parked up in a town centre and Tim recognised it and left a note on the screen saying something like 'I've seen you around and would love a ride, call me x' and he did actually call the number, much to the amusement of Tim

That does sound like JP!

(No point in having a decent car and not using it to its maximum potential!)

[phatgixer]

Tim Harvey drives an E46 M3.

[phatgixer]

superkartracer said:

james_gt3rs said:

Racing drivers generally aren't very interested in road cars.

Agree, most of the guys i know drive normal cars, 80's f1 mate drives an old Merc.... for ref!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and we all remember pot smoking James Hunt and his Austin A40...

But in general they ARE car lovers but they never admit it. Is uncool.

[Rollcage]

phatgixer said:

Tim Harvey drives an E46 M3.

I suppose the GT3 road car has gone now!