planetf1.com

I love reading other's impressions of motorsport personalities, especially if its someone I don't know much about or had never properly considered. Would be great to hear/read some tales of admiration from other fans. Can be an individual, a team, a car...driver, owner, engineer, designer, commentator, journalist - whatever! And from any time period or category. Tell us a little about your choice and why it matters to you. Please, please, PLEASE try to contribute your bit without attacking anyone else's. This is a personal opinion, and there's no need to try to prove each other's opinions wrong. All too often it seems, especially on the board, that we can't enjoy motorsport without making sure everyone else thinks the same way we do, and honestly that shouldn't even matter. Surely during the holidays we can put our weapons down and have a thread full of warm and fuzzy thoughts

Perhaps I'll share mine once we get rolling

_________________

Schumacher of the Michael variety.

Passionate, ruthless, fast, never gave up, days like race day Hungary 1998 or Brazil 2006 sum Schumacher up in one race and why he was my hero. No one else will ever come close as well. Not for me.

_________________
1994 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Many hero's, all past away unfortunately.

The highest in my admiration will always be Colin McRae.

_________________

Kimi Raikkonen - Doesn't listen or deal with bullshit, just there for the racing, fair on track but he takes absolutely no prisoners

Although I'm not into heroism, I have two F1 drivers (or even three, if you allow): Alain Prost is the best F1 driver I have seen in action in over 30 years. But Niki Lauda is without a shadow of a doubt the most courageous one. So perhaps I should name him as my hero.

The third one is somebody I would love to talk to, on more subjects than just motorsport, because I feel he has become a philosopher of sorts: Jacky Ickx.

I just noticed: three world champions.

_________________
Use every man after his desert, and who should scape whipping? Use them after your own honour and dignity.

Maria de Villota

Senna for me, although I have immense respect for the Prost school of driving too. Only Colin McRae's driving advice stuck in my head though: "When in doubt, flat out!"

_________________
Copper Masked Sunrise
http://tufty1992.wordpress.com/
P-F1 PHOTO COMPETITION: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7089&p=271860#p271860
http://www.justgiving.com/CIN-Mystery-P ... 00b9467dcb

Am I the only one who could write pages about how I feel on this subject? Come on guys, give us more than a few lines!

_________________

Love to, but I'm meant to be working on a 5000 word essay on T S Eliot.

On which note, I'm going shopping. Procrastination central here at Tufty Towers...

_________________
Copper Masked Sunrise
http://tufty1992.wordpress.com/
P-F1 PHOTO COMPETITION: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7089&p=271860#p271860
http://www.justgiving.com/CIN-Mystery-P ... 00b9467dcb

You're excused if you obtain a gift for me. I'll even write you a get out of jail free note for the essay, by the powers vested in me by WebMD.com.

_________________

What sort of gift...?

_________________
Copper Masked Sunrise
http://tufty1992.wordpress.com/
P-F1 PHOTO COMPETITION: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7089&p=271860#p271860
http://www.justgiving.com/CIN-Mystery-P ... 00b9467dcb

Can I say Murray Walker? Mainly because all of my early childhood memories I associate with him. One of my earliest memories is watching the F1 aged 6 with my now deceased father and becoming obsessed with it all. Drawing cars, racing little cars around a track - All with Mr Walkers voice. He just manages to evoke such an infectious, passionate response in motorsport with me, and I'm pretty sure I will shed a tear when he dies.

That or Olivier Panis. Why? Any person who can make it past all the bullying into the top level of motorsport with a name that close to Penis has to be awesome.


The non-joke answer is Senna. Don't really need to add to that

_________________
I AM THE THREAD KILLER.

Any sort! I love gifts. Especially shiny things. But not diamonds.

_________________

Terry Harryman.

Had the fortune to actually be in the guys company a number of times.

Great Navi, great stories and very humble, a true gent too.

I don't get too hung up on the hero worship thing. I did have one of the stereotypical ones. But then I met guys who knew him on a day to day level. Never heard a good word, so take the view that we really don't know what happens out of sight.

Edit too add.

The imitable Joey dunlop.

_________________
Disclaimer: The above post maybe tongue in cheek.

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

I'm a student, no way can I afford to send you a diamond anyway I'll get you a roll of tin foil

And... [/hijack]

_________________
Copper Masked Sunrise
http://tufty1992.wordpress.com/
P-F1 PHOTO COMPETITION: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7089&p=271860#p271860
http://www.justgiving.com/CIN-Mystery-P ... 00b9467dcb

Tazio Nuvolari

One of the greatest ever by all accounts. His win in front of the Germans is enough to make him a hero but also having a copy of the Italian National Anthem for them to play was the icing on the cake.

Also stunning wins elsewhere like the greatest race ever imo, the Mille Miglia.

His seat fell off near Rome during one attempt so he stopped his car and got a sack of Oranges (I think it was) from a market stall and then used that as a seat.

His museum in Mantova (Mantua) is seriously worth a visit if anyone ever gets a chance.

I could go on about him for hours but I'll let you do your own further research should you want to.

Of course I'll happily respond to any questions anyone may have.

_________________
Going to Spa? Check out my site. http://visit-spa-francorchamps.page.tl/
My own Google Earth Motor Sport file. http://www.mediafire.com/?jzm1ieatytv
Follow me @asphalt_world
Oh and Bernie, National flags should be raised not flipped. Sort it!

My feelings too - I'm worried that if I meet an athlete or musician I respect and they're a complete tool-bag I won't be able to disassociate that from what they've achieved/created. It's already put me off listening to one band as much as I used to before I learned how much of a dick they were

_________________
I AM THE THREAD KILLER.

Ooh, Nuvolari... WAY before my time, but I seem to recall hearing how he once raced with one [two?] broken leg[s], on a motorbike. The crew tied him to the bike, push-started him, and he went on to win.

_________________
Copper Masked Sunrise
http://tufty1992.wordpress.com/
P-F1 PHOTO COMPETITION: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7089&p=271860#p271860
http://www.justgiving.com/CIN-Mystery-P ... 00b9467dcb

Precisely.

An amazing work ethic too.

_________________

When I was a kid it was Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

Reasons:
I'm Irish
Jordan Grand Prix
1999 season

Looking back at drivers before my time it would have to be Prost.

_________________
"I am a believer, but I start each Grand Prix with 195 liters of fuel behind me," he explains. "I don't rely entirely on God, I rely on Prost."

I just didn't want anyone to assume I'm one of those girls who just likes jewels. My favorite shiny gift was a new set of wheels for the TT car. Threadjacking is okay, its my thread.

_________________

Hero? Usually heros are dead and you make fairy tales about them.
I like alive human beings, with passion, heart, brillance & mistakes, therefore I have a soft spot for Hamilton, a very human, brilliant F1 driver
Heros are for Hollywood and fairytale or history books

_________________
"Everything you can imagine is real." Pablo Picasso

A rare case of Haribo destroying childhood dreams

_________________
I AM THE THREAD KILLER.

That too.

Also off track is is a fine example of a human being, his charitable work has been amazing over the years. Much of it still kept from the public for the right reasons. I also like the fact he had flaws, it made him human, it made it ok for everyone else to make mistakes.

I don't need to write an essay to describe why Schumacher is my hero. Just watch Hungary 98, Brazil 06, Monaco 97, Spa 97, Spain 96 and Suzuka 2000. They say it absolutely all for Schuey as a driver.

_________________
1994 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Heroes don't have to be dead OR faultless. Mine are all flawed. Even most in fairy tales are, that's where the stories come from!

_________________

Many of the fairy tales we know from childhood are very different in their original form anyway. Much of them are incredibly dark and depressing and the hero's often turn out to be the complete opposite.

_________________
1994 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Have you ever read old German children's stories? They're terrifying. I wish they were required reading in public schools.

_________________

This one, the consummate professional in F1.

William grover-Williams (look him up if anyone doesn't know him fascinating story) and in afraid to say senna because he was the big star coming into his prime when i started watching f1 and as he was taken before his time there is always that what if. That gives him the added mythic status to what he already had.

Whenever I see pics like that I think if his hat were a wee bit taller he'd look just like Willy Wonka.

_________________

Valentino Rossi.



or Emile Heskey

Heroes... Favorites... whatever, the idea is still the same... motorsports personalities who are important to us beyond the norm for whatever reason.

I enjoy this topic, and yet find it quite difficult... especially since there have been so many... so, rather than a long essay attempting to show why everyone should agree, I will just post the ones who come to mind for me:

Stirling Moss... my first bigger than life motorsports "hero". I started following him in the '50s by whatever media I could find. His patriotism cost him the WDC more than once in my opinion, but he was always a winner to me.

Dan Gurney... F1, Indy 500, NASCAR at Riverside, Sports Cars... and an American! And then the beautiful Gurney-Weslake! That got my attention, meeting him and spending time with him clinched his place on my list. The Gurney Eagles were the car to have at Indy for many years, and I loved his AAR Cudas in TransAm racing.

Richard Petty... NASCAR racer of legendary proportions, and he drove Mopars... my favorite American cars. The electric blue #43 Plymouths were always competitive and often dominate. And it was Petty who pushed NASCAR into the racing spotlight with his very fan friendly approach. Often Petty would be one of the very last people (not just drivers) to leave a track as he would still be there with his fans.

Lorenzo Bandini... I am not sure why I have always like Bandini so much... no WDC, not that many wins, but he was just the Ferrari driver I supported through much of the 60s. or, if only Jim Clark had driven a Ferrari or Gurney!

Mark Donohue... yet another very versatile and very fast driver, who just happened to be a brainiac as well. I loved watching the TransAm series back in the late 60s, and that blue Sunoco Camaro was easy to cheer for. His driving of the lightning fast Porsche Can Am cars was amazing. Sadly, his F1 career came to a very early end with his fatal accident, so the rest of the world did not get to really see his great talent.

In the 70s & 80s, it was more a case of watching the series and not so much a chosen driver, though I admired Gilles, Prost, Bill Elliott (NASCAR) and anybody who beat Dale Earnhardt, Sr.

Mika Hakkinen became my favorite F1 driver in the 90s, and it was always painful that he did not drive for my favorite team. Ironically, the first F1 race I was to see in person was, I believe, Mika's last F1 win... it was at Indy.

Today, I really don't have any driver that I am really drawn to, unless it would be the always enthusiastic Helio Castroneves... but I do have one person who I have followed from the early 60s and still support in a big way today...

He was a driver when I was first exposed to him in his Zerex Special Cooper sports car (Sports Illustrated SCCA Driver of the Year)...then he became a team owner pairing with Mark Donohue in the late 60s...and an Indy 500 legendary team owner, and as of 2012 the owner of a NASCAR championship team as well.

that person is Roger Penske... one of the most remarkable motor racing personalities in and in so many series... Indy, NASCAR, CanAm, TransAm, ALMS, CART, F1, and others. Besides, he also owns one of the 30 Ferrari FXX cars, how can I not like that guy!


Just remember Ashley, you asked for more details in the answers....

_________________
Forza Ferrari
WCCs = 16
WDCs = 15

hehe

_________________
"Everything you can imagine is real." Pablo Picasso

Vic Elford for his 1968 Targa Florio victory (amongst other things):

On the second of 10 laps, a faulty centre-lock nut on one of the wheels of Elford's Porsche 907 worked loose and the wheel nearly fell off. Undaunted, Elford got out, re-tightened the nut and resumed the race, only to have the nut work loose again, pitching the car into a kerb and puncturing the tyre. A group of obliging locals lifted the car and Elford fitted the space-saver spare and limped back to the pits.

After all four wheels (and nuts) had been changed, Elford was 18 minutes behind the leader with 8 laps remaining. By lap 9 Elford was leading the race having broken the lap record several times and at the end his 907 was nearly three minutes ahead of the second placed Alfa Romeo T33/2 of Nanni Galli and Ignazio Giunti. Quick Vic was at the wheel for seven of the race's 10 laps with veteran team-mate Umberto Maglioli driving the other three.

Uniquely, Porsche departed from its firm policy of only featuring cars on its victory posters and for the '68 Targa win the poster fittingly, depicted Vic Elford. That year Elford also won the Monte Carlo Rally, followed a week later by victory in the Daytona 24 Hours Race and a fortnight after the Targa Florio he won the Nurburgring 1,000 kms.

They were told the kids often enough, at least some decades ago

_________________
"Everything you can imagine is real." Pablo Picasso

Jackie Stewart.

I’ve followed and been a fan of JS for a long time (not live – too young for that). I watched an absolutely brilliant documentary on his life a few years ago called ‘The Flying Scot, The Definitive Authorised Documentary’ (I don’t think it is available to watch online, and is not the same as you get searching for the flying Scot on youtube (that’s a completely different and not very good documentary)).

It’s quite a long film but is totally fascinating and completely captures the life of an F1 driver from start to finish, encompassing the trials and tribulations, the hard work, sacrifice and dedication, the low times and the glory days.

I know sometimes JS is dismissed as an old corporate windbag these days, but I would challenge anyone to still hold that opinion after watching this documentary.

Anyway aside from any documentaries JS is definitely the motorsport person I respect the most.

(and if you've not seen the doc go and get it! It is brilliant!)

I don't think the kinds of tales Ashley and myself are talking about have been taught in schools for a very very long time. Some would be inappropriate, some would perhaps shock kids into touch a little.

But a hero is what you define it to be personally. IMO it's that one someone you look up to and has influenced your life for the better. It doesn't have to have just one definition either. A hero can be someone who has saved someone's life too. In all a hero is someone who changed/shaped/bettered a life. If you don't believe in them then that's fine too.

_________________
1994 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

_________________

No shocker from me.

I loved his attitude, its like what someone said in the Senna film he appealed to romantic and ambitious people. Very expressive and emotional, with a incredible work ethic.

He spoke his mind to, as Bryon Young said "he said what was right not what was popular. He did what he did with a charm and style that I will always admire. He is my favorite philosopher also.

He inspired the 3 of the best drivers of the past 20 years in Schumi, Alonso and Lewis to do what they do, they all still say he is their idol. Every women you saw him with was top-notch also, not a dodgy one in the bunch. I think he was smart also and deep down not a bad guy, as someone said he really seemed to care.

He was also a hero to this man



Another hero of mine, I loved how feisty he was and his driving style. Another guy who spoke his mind, the press conference with Schumi was hilarious "you have to blind or stupid"

There was always something likable about him, and you could tell he was a nice guy beneath it all. Although he never reached the heights of the greats, he think he could have become Champ in 2003. As a teenager, he fitted that time in my life.

Growing up as a toddler my hero was Damon Hill, loved it when he won the title. Always came across as a very nice man. I was only 9 when he won it, but I remember being overjoyed.

I also greatly admire Schumi and Kimi.

Today its all about this man though.



As you can probably tell, I like my drivers to have a bit of character, charm and style to them.

_________________
All Time Favorite: Ayrton Senna

Others: Damon Hill
Montoya

Current: Lewis Hamilition

Schumacher...

Been watching F1 since 93 and Michael is the only driver that made my heart race while watching a grand prix. Even during the last three years with the Mercedes dog of a car the feeling was exaxtly the same as it was in the Benetton days. I miss him already

Kenny Bräck and Alex Zanardi for me..
Fantastic drivers and they are both great inspirations after what they went through and what they have done after.
Whenever I watch an interview with these guys I feel a little happier.

_________________

Signature created by Adaemus