59 replies to this topic

[TecnoRacing]

Prety silly and obvious observation, but still remarkable to think about certain drivers (some of them late-bloomers, some not really) if they had started Grand Prix Racing at Max's age - and thus being completely 'out of their time', sometimes by huge ammounts...

Some odd ones:

Fangio on a GP grid  ~1928
Graham Hill on a GP grid ~1946
Keke Rosberg on a GP grid ~1965
Satoru Nakajima on a GP grid ~1970
Nigel Mansell on a GP grid ~1970
Damon Hill on a GP grid ~1977 (wierd )
Eddie Irvine on a GP grid ~1982

Edited by fer312t, 21 October 2015 - 02:23.

[Jimisgod]

Prety silly and obvious observation, but still remarkable to think about certain drivers (some of them late-bloomers, some not really) if they had started Grand Prix Racing at Max's age - and thus being completely 'out of their time', sometimes by huge ammounts...

Some odd ones:

Fangio on an GP grid  ~1928
Graham Hill on an GP grid ~1946
Keke Rosberg on an GP grid ~1965
Satoru Nakajima on an GP grid ~1970
Nigel Mansell on an GP grid ~1970
Damon Hill on an GP grid ~1977 (wierd )
Eddie Irvine on a GP grid ~1982

 

WTF If he'd even started at the age of Alonso that's 1979.

[Atreiu]

Prety silly and obvious observation, but still remarkable to think about certain drivers (some of them late-bloomers, some not really) if they had started Grand Prix Racing at Max's age - and thus being completely 'out of their time', sometimes by huge ammounts...

Some odd ones:

Fangio on a GP grid  ~1928
Graham Hill on a GP grid ~1946
Keke Rosberg on a GP grid ~1965
Satoru Nakajima on a GP grid ~1970
Nigel Mansell on a GP grid ~1970
Damon Hill on a GP grid ~1977 (wierd )
Eddie Irvine on a GP grid ~1982

 

 

Jesus... imagine Mansell being WDC in his 23rd season!

[Atreiu]

Senna would have sterted in 77 as well, right?

And Prost in 72.

[Seanspeed]

Hamilton would have got his start just a year after Alonso and Kimi(2002).

[SophieB]

Prety silly and obvious observation, but still remarkable to think about certain drivers (some of them late-bloomers, some not really) if they had started Grand Prix Racing at Max's age - and thus being completely 'out of their time', sometimes by huge ammounts...

Some odd ones:

Fangio on a GP grid  ~1928
Graham Hill on a GP grid ~1946
Keke Rosberg on a GP grid ~1965
Satoru Nakajima on a GP grid ~1970
Nigel Mansell on a GP grid ~1970
Damon Hill on a GP grid ~1977 (wierd )
Eddie Irvine on a GP grid ~1982

 

Fun thread! Although (and I say this just as another amazing example of racing's shifting landscape), an earlier route to the grid wouldn't have helped Graham as he didn't pass his driving test until he was 24, and only started thinking of racing cars at 25 after he'd had a go at an event where you paid 5 shillings to drive 5 laps at Brands.

 

My appreciation of what Graham Hill achieved in F1 is only enhanced by how little experience he had to prepare for it.  

[Mohican]

Ronnie Peterson in 1961.
Jackie Stewart in 1956.
Stirling Moss in 1946.

At least the latter two were seen in period as young when they made it to F1.

[Collombin]

As I have mentioned previously, Moss was younger than Graham Hill, yet Hill's career only took off after Moss' was over.

Certainly with Hill and Mansell, the evidence seems to show that their mustaches held them back.

[Chubby_Deuce]

If Chanoch Nissany had wanted to buy a ride in a Minardi it would have been in Formula Two in 1981

[Kao18]

Pastor Maldonado would have been in his 14th year already (2002).

 

Stoffel Vandoorne in his 7th. (2009).

 

Carlos Sainz in his 5th. (2011)

[Imperial]

Jesus... imagine Mansell being WDC in his 23rd season!

Hahaha I've proper just burst out laughing at that!!!!


To the OP, great idea for a thread by the way. Very original, interesting and entertaining.

EDIT TO ADD: Can you now imagine doing a copy/cut/paste job of their career back to the point of their new debut season...

It means Damon would have retired at the end of 1984 !

Edited by Imperial, 21 October 2015 - 09:54.

[Rob]

Louis Chiron would have started in 1916.

 

Don't forget that in the real world he was still attempting to qualify in 1958.

[Mandzipop]

Michael Schumacher 1986

[RedBaron]

Great thread! Some of these starting years are really surprising!

 

Can we accompany drivers with photos as well please guys? If you can... I'd love to see some visuals (or not...)

 

[johnmhinds]

Jean Alesi starts his first season in 1982:

 

[Kao18]

Schumi at 17:

 

 

Lewis at 17:

 

 

I guess it is also another reminder of how young Max really is and how incredible his performance has been so far. 

[Risil]

Prety silly and obvious observation, but still remarkable to think about certain drivers (some of them late-bloomers, some not really) if they had started Grand Prix Racing at Max's age - and thus being completely 'out of their time', sometimes by huge ammounts...

Some odd ones:

Fangio on a GP grid  ~1928
Graham Hill on a GP grid ~1946
Keke Rosberg on a GP grid ~1965
Satoru Nakajima on a GP grid ~1970
Nigel Mansell on a GP grid ~1970
Damon Hill on a GP grid ~1977 (wierd )
Eddie Irvine on a GP grid ~1982

 

Extraordinary...

 

Get some dodgy photoshops together of Nigel Mansell walking round a black and white paddock with Jackie Stewart and Peter Revson and this is feature article material.

Edited by Risil, 22 October 2015 - 12:09.

[Myrvold]

My appreciation of what Graham Hill achieved in F1 is only enhanced by how little experience he had to prepare for it.  

 

Which somehow also applies to Damon. And then Josh did it the opposite way, and just retired early.

[Ruusperi]

Would it have been awesome to see Kimi Räikkönen and Johnny Herbert in Sauber C15 at the beginning of season 1996.

[pdac]

Ah, I thought this thread as about Mosley.

[Atreiu]

(...) I guess it is also another reminder of how young Max really is and how incredible his performance has been so far. 

 

edited:

off topic, I don't want to divert the thread.

 

Meh, I haven't jumped on his bandwagon yet. Toro Rosso is far from being a small toothless team with no reasonable expectation to score points. Like Minardi used to be before them.

Edited by Atreiu, 22 October 2015 - 15:08.

[Myrvold]

Meh, I haven't jumped on his bandwagon yet. Toro Rosso is far from being a small toothless team with no reasonable expectation to score points. Like Minardi used to be before them.

 

Bring it to another thread though! Please!

[Marklar]

Damon Hill in 1977, that makes me feel old...

[SophieB]

Please don't turn this into a Max Verstappen thread!

[djonas79]

Mark Webber 1993.

[Marklar]

Last year when Lotterer made his debut at 32 Adam Cooper tried the same game...

Adam Cooper – ‏@adamcooperF1
If these drivers made their F1 debuts at 32 - Button 2012, Alonso 2013, Vettel 2019, Alguersuari 2022, Kvyat 2026, Verstappen 2029...

Edited by Marklar, 21 October 2015 - 16:56.

[PlatenGlass]

Toshio Suzuki did a couple of races back in 1993. He could have been racing in F1 in 1972!

[ensign14]

Emile Levassor - 1860

[ensign14]

Philippe Etancelin - 1913

 

There actually was at least one driver who raced before World War 1 and after World War 2; the Hon. Sir Francis Samuelson, who took part in the Cyclecar GP at Amiens in 1913, while he was on honeymoon.  At least he took his wife to work - she was his riding mechanic, and between the wars she was his navigator on the Monte Carlo.  He returned to the cyclecar's spiritual successor, 500cc racing, in the late 1940s; high point was 3rd at the British GP support in 1948.

 

In the spirit of this thread, he would have made his debut in 1907...one year before he actually did.

 

 

58 years young...

[GoldenColt]

Hamilton would have got his start just a year after Alonso and Kimi(2002).

 

So basically Kimi's career would have been over in 2003 then. 

Edited by GoldenColt, 21 October 2015 - 17:20.

[Starchild]

Montoya - 1993.

He could have been racing with Senna, Prost, Mansell... That's ridiculous.

Edited by Starchild, 21 October 2015 - 17:57.

[Anderis]

Sebastien Bourdais- 1996

Alan Jones- 1964

Bruno Senna- 2001

[B Squared]

Gilles Villeneuve - 1967

[Ruusperi]

Other interesting names:

 

Yuji Ide 1992

Jacques Villeneuve 1988

Heinz-Harald Frentzen 1984

Nelson Piquet 1969

John Watson 1963

Carlos Reutemann 1959

Edited by Ruusperi, 21 October 2015 - 20:17.

[WilliamsF1Fan]

Bottas 2006

 

Massa 1998-  He may have looked like this at that point:

 

 

Great thread this though, really enjoying thinking about the different eras drivers might have taken part in!

[Risil]

Gilles Villeneuve - 1967

 

His name fits in quite well there actually.

[Seanspeed]

Bottas 2006

Wild.
 
As is the Maldanado stat.

Massa 1998-  He may have looked like this at that point:

He does look a couple years older now, no doubt. But he'll hit puberty soon enough.


Gotta say, Max is really quite unbelievable. I've always been of the opinion that you either have the talent or you dont, so junior categories aren't as crucial as some make them out to be, but Max is even defying my expectations. It's absolutely unreal how somebody with so damn little car racing experience looks like an absolute high talent veteran out there.

The kid is going to be special. I have zero doubt in my mind.

[Risil]

Dan Gurney - 1948

Bobby Unser - 1951

Mario Andretti - 1957
Danny Sullivan - 1967

Michael Andretti - 1979

Edited by Risil, 21 October 2015 - 20:42.

[B Squared]

Continuing the American theme

 

Mark Donohue - 1954

Peter Revson - 1956

Richie Ginther - 1947

[Atreiu]

Montoya - 1993.

He could have been racing with Senna, Prost, Mansell... That's ridiculous.

 

 

We could have had over a full decade of Montoya vs Schumacher. Damn.

[superdelphinus]

Button would have debuted in Hill's championship defence season?

[Volcano70]

Whoa

[Spillage]

Mika Hakkinen - 1986

Jarno Trulli - 1992

Rene Arnoux - 1965

Nino Farina - 1923

Jean-Pierre Jabouille - 1959

Clay Regazzoni - 1956

Niki Lauda - 1966

James Hunt - 1964

David Coulthard - 1988

Jos Verstappen - 1989

 

Off-topic, but related; Michael Schumacher's pole at 42 at Monaco would be the equivalent of Hamilton getting one in 2027, Vettel in 2029 and Verstappen in 2039!

[R Soul]

Yuji Ide - 1992
Alex Yoong - 1993
Taki Inoue - 1980

 

Oh how we must ponder what might have been.

[paulogman]

Great thread! Some of these starting years are really surprising!

Can we accompany drivers with photos as well please guys? If you can... I'd love to see some visuals (or not...)

Looks like Donald trump`s haircut lol

[George Costanza]

Let's do the try the opposite of Max, like when Damon Hill started at 32 years old? It would be Fernando Alonso's second season. Wow.

 

Lewis, Nico, Seb wouldn't even be in F1.

Edited by George Costanza, 22 October 2015 - 04:31.

[PlatenGlass]

Jacques Laffite - 1960 (probably 1961 actually given his birthday late in 1943)
Patrick Tambay - 1966

[SophieB]

Nothing beats the Damon Hill one for me. Although just think, if he'd taken up F1 racing in'77, he'd have been way too busy for his punk rock band, Sex Hitler and the Hormones.

[Jimisgod]

Nothing beats the Damon Hill one for me. Although just think, if he'd taken up F1 racing in'77, he'd have been way too busy for his punk rock band, Sex Hitler and the Hormones.

 

That's genuinely the name

[Lights]

Had Jos Verstappen been as talented, fit and determined as Michael Schumacher was, and had Jos made an F1 comeback for 3 years at the same age as Michael did, then both Verstappens would be driving in F1 this season.