Aston Martin - disgrace to the flag?
Discussion
Bit harsh maybe but perhaps not...
The "factory" team (i.e the one run by the builders of the car, Prodrive) only raced at Le mans and also the American Le Mans series only runs one British driver (Turner) and even he isn't a regular in the car.
Given the very Britishness of the Aston brand it seems very poor form.
The "factory" team (i.e the one run by the builders of the car, Prodrive) only raced at Le mans and also the American Le Mans series only runs one British driver (Turner) and even he isn't a regular in the car.
Given the very Britishness of the Aston brand it seems very poor form.
F1 isn't the same really is it? Also to be honest I'm not even sure I agree with Ferrari's lack of Italian drivers being a good thing either - one would surely expect manufacturers to support drivers of their own country?
The FIA GT Ferrari team (AF Corsa) has Italian drivers, the Corvette ALMS team has US drivers, Audi and Porsche teams have German drivers and when Peugeot have its new LMP car you can be damn sure they will support French drivers. So why when we have a brand with very very British roots do we not see British drivers?
Surely the support of the very many good British drivers would be a positive thing?
Maybe your not British and can't see my point??
The FIA GT Ferrari team (AF Corsa) has Italian drivers, the Corvette ALMS team has US drivers, Audi and Porsche teams have German drivers and when Peugeot have its new LMP car you can be damn sure they will support French drivers. So why when we have a brand with very very British roots do we not see British drivers?
Surely the support of the very many good British drivers would be a positive thing?
Maybe your not British and can't see my point??
What a crap thread jacobyte said:
You mean they didn't give you a free drive? Why not do a Fluxie? 
It can never be that desperate to do a Fluxie! Regardless of my own position - don't you think it would be a good thing to support British drivers? Lets face it you and I both know that the driver line up they currently have in ALMS are not superstars generating massive PR value and you could take any number of UK drivers - Kelvin Burt, Tim Mullen, Robin Liddell, Guy Smith, JC-W, Jamie Davies, Tim Sugden, Warren Hughes, Andrew Kirkaldy, Peter Dumbreck, Johny Kane - who would all be as quick as the current drivers after some mileage in the car.
I just think its a great pity.
P490KVP said:
the Corvette ALMS team has US drivers, Audi and Porsche teams have German drivers
You need to do some research, Corvette drivers inlcuding (leading car) OliverGavin (British) Max Papis (Italian), Olivier Beretta (Monaco) and has inlcuded Jan Magnussen (Danish) and Andy Pilgrim (British). Audi have run Rinadlo Capello (Italian) and Alan McNish (British), JJ Lehto (Finnish) and the late Michele Alboreto (Italian) amongt many other. Porsche have Emnauele Collard (French) driving for them.
Daft thread.
FourWheelDrift said:
P490KVP said:
the Corvette ALMS team has US drivers, Audi and Porsche teams have German drivers
You need to do some research, Corvette drivers inlcuding (leading car) OliverGavin (British) Max Papis (Italian), Olivier Beretta (Monaco) and has inlcuded Jan Magnussen (Danish) and Andy Pilgrim (British). Audi have run Rinadlo Capello (Italian) and Alan McNish (British), JJ Lehto (Finnish) and the late Michele Alboreto (Italian) amongt many other. Porsche have Emnauele Collard (French) driving for them.
Daft thread.
Err - I think you are on drugs.... Corvette have Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellows both US. Audi have Werner and Biela. Porsche have Lucas Luhr, Timo Bernhard and Sascha Massen, and FYI Collard is not a current factory Porsche driver.
P490KVP said:
FourWheelDrift said:
P490KVP said:
the Corvette ALMS team has US drivers, Audi and Porsche teams have German drivers
You need to do some research, Corvette drivers inlcuding (leading car) OliverGavin (British) Max Papis (Italian), Olivier Beretta (Monaco) and has inlcuded Jan Magnussen (Danish) and Andy Pilgrim (British). Audi have run Rinadlo Capello (Italian) and Alan McNish (British), JJ Lehto (Finnish) and the late Michele Alboreto (Italian) amongt many other. Porsche have Emnauele Collard (French) driving for them.
Daft thread.
Err - I think you are on drugs.... Corvette have Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellows both US. Audi have Werner and Biela. Porsche have Lucas Luhr, Timo Bernhard and Sascha Massen, and FYI Collard is not a current factory Porsche driver.
I mentioned other drivers APART from the US/Germans ones to show you that they don't run just their own nationals.
I can see the point in the thread. Spectators like to see sportsmen being involved in teams of their own nationality. It helps strengthen our identity and also gives them something cheer on for victory. You can't deny that it's great to see a British car win Le Mans, and it's even better if it's a British driver line-up.
But that should only be relevant with factory teams, as they already know how much they are going to pay their drivers, and there is no shortgage of good quality drivers in the UK.
It's a different story for independents, for obvious reasons - sponsorship talks.
So come on Aston, you have my details
But that should only be relevant with factory teams, as they already know how much they are going to pay their drivers, and there is no shortgage of good quality drivers in the UK.
It's a different story for independents, for obvious reasons - sponsorship talks.
So come on Aston, you have my details
Two questions...
1) Are the non-British drivers bringing moolah? Pedro Lamy in particular has always been well funded. P490 gives a list of some top line British racers but most of them are skint. Could this be something to do with it?
2) What's a 'Fluxie'??? Is it something to do with not brushing your teeth? Ever...
1) Are the non-British drivers bringing moolah? Pedro Lamy in particular has always been well funded. P490 gives a list of some top line British racers but most of them are skint. Could this be something to do with it?
2) What's a 'Fluxie'??? Is it something to do with not brushing your teeth? Ever...
It's largely because they're Prodrive drivers. Most of them drove for Prodrive during the 550 programme, so it's just a continuation.
As I always understood it the factory Astons barely get any backing from the factory, being funded instead by M. Dor of Care Racing - exactly as the 550s were. The Aston backing is really name only - more of a 'blessing' with a bit of mutually beneficial marketing rather than full support. As Prodrive run the cars they will simply use their own contracted drivers.
As pointed out already, Corvette Racing has used a variety of non-Americans in its programme over the years - Beretta, Papis, Magnussen, Gavin, Pilgrim (though he's now American, I know), Fellows (who's Canadian) etc. As a true factory team they, more than any, should be using purely US drivers, but they don't.
The French teams really are the only ones left who try their hardest to promote their own talent. Pescarolo should be applauded, as should Alphand etc, for such action.
As I always understood it the factory Astons barely get any backing from the factory, being funded instead by M. Dor of Care Racing - exactly as the 550s were. The Aston backing is really name only - more of a 'blessing' with a bit of mutually beneficial marketing rather than full support. As Prodrive run the cars they will simply use their own contracted drivers.
As pointed out already, Corvette Racing has used a variety of non-Americans in its programme over the years - Beretta, Papis, Magnussen, Gavin, Pilgrim (though he's now American, I know), Fellows (who's Canadian) etc. As a true factory team they, more than any, should be using purely US drivers, but they don't.
The French teams really are the only ones left who try their hardest to promote their own talent. Pescarolo should be applauded, as should Alphand etc, for such action.
Edited by ahonen on Monday 18th September 17:35
P490KVP said:
F1 isn't the same really is it? Also to be honest I'm not even sure I agree with Ferrari's lack of Italian drivers being a good thing either - one would surely expect manufacturers to support drivers of their own country?
The FIA GT Ferrari team (AF Corsa) has Italian drivers, the Corvette ALMS team has US drivers, Audi and Porsche teams have German drivers
The FIA GT Ferrari team (AF Corsa) has Italian drivers, the Corvette ALMS team has US drivers, Audi and Porsche teams have German drivers
Ollie Gavin is English, Ron Fellows is Canadian, Olivier Beretta is French, Allan McNish is Scottish, Kristensen is Danish, Dindo Capello and Emanuele Pirro are both Italian, Patrick Long is a yank and Dumas is French.
So by your standards Audi is just as unpatriotic as Aston Martin (only Biela is German), and so are Corvette (only Johnny O'Connell is American).
As for the other names you mention, Guy Smith races in the ALMS for Dyson, which might as well be a British team, since they've also got James Weaver and sometimes Andy Wallace!
Edited by Dr JonboyG on Monday 18th September 19:52
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