Happy Birthday, Ricardo Patrese
#1
Posted 17 April 2000 - 07:23
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BRG
"all the time, maximum attack"
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#2
Posted 17 April 2000 - 07:39
An interesting development from junior formula superstar, to F1 Brat. through No hoper to succesful and admired performer.
Quite a career really. I found myself willing Riccardo to beat the gritty Noig every time they went out in those all conquering Williams. a grood run I think, and could't have happened to a nicer chap, despite Hunt's opinions.
#3
Posted 17 April 2000 - 22:08
Happy Birthday!
#4
Posted 18 April 2000 - 09:45
Great guy! Happy Birthday, pardner!
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Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,
Don Capps
Semper Gumbi: If this was easy, we’d have the solution already…
#5
Posted 18 April 2000 - 12:28
#6
Posted 18 April 2000 - 17:31
The only other 200+ drivers were Berger, de Caesaris and Piquet. Of the current brood, the most experienced is Alesi on 170, followed by Herbert on 148. Both are seen by many as near the end of their careers and past it. Neither seems likely to carry on for the 5 or 6 more years needed to catch Patrese.
The next most experienced drivers are the current top men, Hakkinen and Schumacher, who have both done 131 races. Lately, Michael has started to mention retirement and I cannot see either reaching a double century. Then there is (a surprise for me, as I still thought of him as a newcomer!) Barrichello on 116, and then Frentzen and Irvine both on 100 GPs. All the rest have yet to reach treble figures. Drivers don't seem to have the shelf life that they once had...
I reckon that Ricardo's record is safe for now and probably for ever. And as Huw so rightly said, it is in the hands of a real gentleman who was a credit to the sport.
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BRG
"all the time, maximum attack"
#7
Posted 18 April 2000 - 18:26
Another fact we shouldn't forget is, that other drivers were as long as Riccardo in the circuit, but drover much lesser races.
Patrese came in 1977 and leaves F1 1993. Maurice Trintignant (who could forget this fine guy?) drove from 1950 until 1964 - but started only 82 times. And not to forget, Graham Hill. He raced from 1958 'til 1975. If he had done his career in the 80s and 90s the record of Riccardo wouldn't stand.
But racing and subjunctive are two different things
bye
#8
Posted 18 April 2000 - 18:44
That's a fair point about drivers from the earlier eras. Obviously they could only do the races that were available to them. And they would certainly have been doing other formulae at the same time in those days.
But on the other hand, there is the "burn-out" factor. Perhaps an individual only have the motivation to do a certain number of races in their career before it runs out. So Fangio, who came late to F1 was able to soldier on well into his forties. The F1 experience has become increasingly intense and it must be ever more difficult for drivers to keep their performance at 100% - we saw the sad example of Damon Hill in 1999.
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BRG
"all the time, maximum attack"
#9
Posted 21 April 2000 - 04:07
A terrible fate for someone who appeared to get a lot out of his racing... apparently another gentleman.
By the same token, I do think Riccardo was treated very unfairly, even before the Monza incident. His early days at Arrows attracted far too much criticism.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
#10
Posted 21 April 2000 - 09:25
After the Peterson incident, Patrase was lucky to have stayed in F1 (from what I've read/heard) long enough to make 250+ GP's. Had he stayed at Williams he probably would have made at least 275.
#11
Posted 21 April 2000 - 10:25
As for the whole business of "starts," DON'T GET ME STARTED...!!! I have some ugly things to say about those who claim Jacques Laffite didn't tie Graham Hill with 176 starts, something which some claim didn't happen...
As I said, Ricardo is a Gent and fully earned the honor.
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Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,
Don Capps
Semper Gumbi: If this was easy, we’d have the solution already…
#12
Posted 21 April 2000 - 12:13
#13
Posted 21 April 2000 - 12:43
Not really a fair comparison, for the whole world had turned upside down in 1961.
Regarding an earlier comment about the F1 cars being cheaper to run those days - you'll find that their budgets were much lower too. The only factor that contributed there would have been lower levels of starting money... and so the fields weren't always so large.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
#14
Posted 17 April 2002 - 15:56
#15
Posted 17 April 2007 - 07:59