Keke vs Nico

[jarnold88]

Just out of interest, both in their prime, in identical machines, who do you think would come out on top?

Asked my dad this the other day he said it was a difficult one and couldn't give me an answer...what do us on PH think?

I vote Nico but then I wasn't alive in Keke's era

[StevieBee]

Keke was of the some mould as Mansell; get in, strap up and drive fast. Stuff the finesse - and it seemed to work.

Don't think it really possible to compare as the cars and dynamics are so different between the two eras..... but I'd say that over a handful of laps, Keke would be the faster but Nico would probably be the more successful of the two.

[Streps]

Impossible to answer really

But Nico has his own reputation now
He's just not "the son of a f1 driver"

I think he has the power to win the championship in the future.
Also Nico is one of the generation of super fit f1 drivers,so probably has that
in his favour

Edited by Streps on Friday 10th December 14:10

[StevieBee]

Streps said:

Also Nico is one of the generation of super fit f1 drivers,so probably has that
in his favour

Edited by Streps on Friday 10th December 14:10

You saying his old man wasn't??

[Fire99]

StevieBee said:

Streps said:

Also Nico is one of the generation of super fit f1 drivers,so probably has that
in his favour

Edited by Streps on Friday 10th December 14:10

You saying his old man wasn't??

That's the way it should be.. A bit more human and earthy.

[timarnold]

Nico seems to be a chip off the old block. But I think in his prime Keke would have the edge, he was awesome. As for the cigs, I remember Keke putting his car on the top of the boards in qualifying at Silverstone then sitting on the pit wall to watch, and lighting up. He sat there smoking and watching the screens until someone snatched the top spot away. Keke then calmly took a last draw on his cigrette, threw the stub on the ground and put it out with his foot, pulled his helmet on, climbed into his Williams and went straight out and snatched pole back again!

[Animal]

Was that the session where he was told afterwards that he had a slow puncture?

[ForzaGilles]

Animal said:

Was that the session where he was told afterwards that he had a slow puncture?

British GP '85 at Silverstone I believe. That was the 160mph average lap

[timarnold]

Some reasons why I think Keke would have the edge.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtvStAL1oKk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhMPC-pwW0

[SeeFive]

I think it largely depends what car you put them in. In today's cars Nico may just have the edge. But in a proper F1 car from the early to mid 80's, I am afraid that Keke's style would come out on top without a doubt.

I have said this before on here, but watching Keke showboating for fun was something else. Coming balls out into paddock at Brands, bang it down an extra gear and pile through wide open on the limiter in a cloud of tail out tyre smoke like a Japanese drifer, with Palmer following in an identical car on a racing line, trying hard and making no noticeable ground was gobsmacking.

That man had natural car control in spades. He deserved far more success in his career, but maybe it was just that "Keke" approach that prevented it. Hamilton is worryingly similar in the car.

[SeeFive]

timarnold said:

Some reasons why I think Keke would have the edge.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtvStAL1oKk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhMPC-pwW0

I remember that ROC race at the end of the first video like it was yesterday. You should have seen the state of Keke's rear tyres when he came back into the pits - blistered, rubber missing, canvas etc. Marginal isn't the word. Another lap or two would have seen him in the kitty litter with a flat left rear for sure. But hey, it was just a fun race to him, very competitive as always, but not too serious like a WDC event.

He murdered them having fun in the early part of the race - as he tended to do at Brands, notably in '82 when he stalled on pole and had to start from the back. I think he was third when he ran out of rubber.

[heebeegeetee]

Keke by a long chalk imo.

[Life Saab Itch]

heebeegeetee said:

Keke by a long chalk imo.

This! No contest.

[Thorburn]

ForzaGilles said:

Animal said:

Was that the session where he was told afterwards that he had a slow puncture?

British GP '85 at Silverstone I believe. That was the 160mph average lap

A record that stood until about Monza 2004 didn't it?

[KaraK]

Keke - but FWIW I don't think we've seen Nico's "prime" yet.

[ForzaGilles]

Thorburn said:

ForzaGilles said:

Animal said:

Was that the session where he was told afterwards that he had a slow puncture?

British GP '85 at Silverstone I believe. That was the 160mph average lap

A record that stood until about Monza 2004 didn't it?

Yes, it was Montoya in the Williams that took the record.

[heebeegeetee]

Didn't Patrick Head once come out with a quote about Keke, referring to his pace, something like "He'd flick his fag out, drag his bracelet over the side of the car, and nail it".

Whereas Mark Webber referred to Nico as 'Britney'.

Keke set a blistering all-time fastest lap record with a slow puncture and spots of rain falling, Nico ran over the white line on the pit exit on his first pit stop the first time he looked like winning a GP.

That's sort of how I sum those two guys up.