planetf1.com

Wow! That is seriously crazy to think about! The new generation does seem to be pretty quick. Let's hope they iron out their inconsistencies though!

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[ Kimi Raikkonen ]
2007 Formula 1 World Drivers Champion

Yep, sorry my bad. For some reason I was thinking they both debuted in the same year but actually Alonso was a year earlier.

Webber missed the 2002 Spanish GP due to safety concerns over Minardi's front wing.

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I remember when this website was all fields.

hmm not sure, probably depends on their conditioning over a long period of time, but the car is the biggest factor. You could potentially have a driver who reactions are already slower than his competitors around him but the car is a clear .5 seconds ahead of all others so he qualifies on the front row and then drives off into the distance. Its only in the moments of close qualifying/ overtaking when the cars are similar in pace that the tiny differences in reaction speed could make a difference.

I turn 49 next week and still couldn't grow a full beard of I wanted to.

Don't fret - I've been trying since I was five...

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What did you say... Douglas?

There is also no driver on the grid now who raced Senna

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Remember all of that talk about Kimi maybe not being able to get a super licence for 2001?

No he'll be the second oldest driver on the grid.

Article on Button just before his F1 debut: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,235485,00.html

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Jenson Button & Williams F1 Team supporter!

I too remember when Williams had a sort of race off between Button and another driver to determine who would get the second Williams seat (can't remember who the other driver was), and was pleased it was him that got the seat....I think it was because I liked the name of Jenson coming into F1...strange

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Hard Work Never Killed Anyone, But Why Take The Risk ?

That's not really a staggering fact - the guy died 18 years ago.

But on another note, every driver on the 2012 grid can claim to have raced Senna.

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I also have one of these.

Wit Schum and Pedro gone there is no more driver who raced in the nineties.
Looking at the amount of GP's of the current grid and those still making chance this is the top 10

Button (32) 228 GP
Alonso (31) 197 GP
Webber (36) 196 GP
Raikkonen (33) 176 GP
Massa (31) 172 GP
Rosberg (27) 128 GP
Hamilton (27) 110 GP
Kovalainen (31) 109 GP
Vettel (25) 101 GP
Glock (30) 91 GP

Notice the gap between Massa and Rosberg (44 gp's!).
With Schum gone Vettel is the man now with most WDC's on the grid, that is shocking considering his age and the amount of races he drove.

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F1 fan since 1989

Bruno Junqueira if my memory serves me correctly.

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I remember when this website was all fields.

I was only young but i remember the senna prost days in my formative spectating years and Schumacher entering, it always seemed strange Rubens being most experienced because he was always in the background as such as Schumacher was the figure head of Ferrari, seeing jenson now as the same thing doesn't seem that strange but the gulf of people with 5+ years experience is a bit scary for the sport because of the new guys not many in my view stand out as potential WDC's. But i guess we had it before in the early 2000's so the next superstar will be just round the corner

Oh my gosh, that's a wake up call. I still consider Rosberg just a pup, Vettel a newbie and Kovi a relative newcomer. I'm still mentally in the era of Trulli, Fisi et al.

Nice that the Rosberg and Senna names are still around. I kind of hope Rosberg gets a top drive - at least enough to challenge for Wdc, just cos I think that would be fun (still the only WDC son of a WDC to date is Damon Hill)

I am enjoying seeing some of the new guys though - I think Hulkenberg and possibly Perez this year will turn into long term drivers, assuming Perez doesn't wind up disappointing like Kovi at McLaren. Hamilton and Kubica then Vettel in 07 and 08 were I think the last real injections of top level talent, and at a pinch, maaaaybe Rosberg in 06 before that, then it's all the way back to 2001 for Kimi, Alonso and JPM.

So genuinely top level drivers do not come along all that often. But we're due for a new batch!

Tongue in cheek?

Rookies - Hill, Villeneuve
Big Team - They had slid from 1st to 4th in the constructors race. IMO

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Forza Ferrari

Also Montoya. Zanardi was virtually a rookie and Coulthard was in 1994 as well.

They took on Hill whilst they had Prost and he had more miles in the car than probably anyone plus had already raced in F1 , JV was Cart champion. As Was JPM and AZ. I don't think you could call CART champions back then Rookies.

Oh and DC was a bit of a special case due to circumstance.

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Disclaimer: The above post maybe tongue in cheek.

"I thought I'd get your theories, mock them, then embrace my own. The usual."

Ok. Maybe the common thread was that the may all have been cheap.

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Forza Ferrari