30 replies to this topic

[luftwaffeSHA]

Karun Chandhok (karunchandhok):
off to paris & Bercy today for my first ever kart race amazingly !! we never had karting in india when i started out...should be interesting

http://twitter.com/k...395002309222402



I was wondering if any other driver had ever made it to F1 without ever racing a kart?

[rm111]

petrov?

[nc6]

Damon Hill

[muramasa]

Takuma Sato


I also heard Petrov hasnt gone through karting.

Edited by muramasa, 10 December 2011 - 12:32.

[mjspeed]

Eddie Irvine started in FF1600.

[walkindude]

Juan Manuel Fangio

[JRodrigues]

Tiago Monteiro never did a karting campionship (started in french Porsche Cup). Although I don't know if he's never done a fun race with friends.

[johnmhinds]

Damon Hill

Pretty sure i've seen footage of Damon and and his dad messing about with an old kart.
I'd be surprised if Damon never did any kart racing at all.

Not surprised about Chandhok at all, a lot of the pay drivers have minimal experience of racing as kids.

Edited by johnmhinds, 10 December 2011 - 09:56.

[Clatter]

James Hunt

[MortenF1]

Jacques Villeneuve.

I really miss the Elf Masters at Bercy! That was a more "real" race of champions I think, even if I've become very fond of todays format.

[William Hunt]

Takuma Sato

Takuma Sato was one of the best karting drivers of his generation!

[William Hunt]

Thierry Boutsen didn't start on karts, he started on motorcycles, just like Damon Hill did

[William Hunt]

petrov?

indeed, he started in rallying with a ... Lada!

[Clatter]

Jacques Villeneuve.

I really miss the Elf Masters at Bercy! That was a more "real" race of champions I think, even if I've become very fond of todays format.

Nope, he got to play in Karts.

http://en.wikipedia....ques_Villeneuve
A year later, Joann allowed him to drive a 100 cc kart at a kart track in Imola.[8] The owners of the track, Luigi and Massimo Buratti, were impressed by the Canadian and after proving himself in a 100 cc machine, he moved up to the 135 cc version before, on the same day, being allowed onto the Grand Prix circuit with a Formula Four car.[8]

[MortenF1]

Ah, didn't know that. But he never competed in karts, right?

[garoidb]

Pretty sure i've seen footage of Damon and and his dad messing about with an old kart.
I'd be surprised if Damon never did any kart racing at all.

Not surprised about Chandhok at all, a lot of the pay drivers have minimal experience of racing as kids.

I've never seen this, but I have seen footage with motocross type bikes. His pathway into racing (as you probably know) was from circuit racing on bikes to FF1600 and I am pretty sure he never raced karts in competitions. I also think that the bike racing started several years after his father died.

[Clatter]

Ah, didn't know that. But he never competed in karts, right?

Doesn't look like it.

[Clatter]

I've never seen this, but I have seen footage with motocross type bikes. His pathway into racing (as you probably know) was from circuit racing on bikes to FF1600 and I am pretty sure he never raced karts in competitions. I also think that the bike racing started several years after his father died.

Graham died when Damon was 15 and he didn't start racing until he was 23.

[muramasa]

Takuma Sato was one of the best karting drivers of his generation!

oh yeah my bad, he was actually in kart. It's just that it was extremely short term, only for about one year or so iirc, so slipped my mind completely. Besides he started karting at the age of 19 or so and quickly stepped up by winning scholarship.

[zepunishment]

I don't think you can really count trying out a kart non competitively (eg in jv's case for a day or two). Only when they've taken part in a championship as part of their career ladder.

[Group B]

Jacques Villeneuve.

I really miss the Elf Masters at Bercy! That was a more "real" race of champions I think, even if I've become very fond of todays format.

Yep, used to love that.

[sesku]

Alex Yoong. I think he started racing using a Proton car.

[jee]

Robert Doornbos.

Edited by jee, 10 December 2011 - 13:17.

[Rob]

I've never seen this, but I have seen footage with motocross type bikes. His pathway into racing (as you probably know) was from circuit racing on bikes to FF1600 and I am pretty sure he never raced karts in competitions. I also think that the bike racing started several years after his father died.

If you believe what some other bike racers at the time thought, he may well have been even better on a bike than he was in a car.

[DrProzac]

indeed, he started in rallying with a ... Lada!

Ice racing I think

[DanardiF1]

Mark Blundell started on motorbikes before moving to Formula Ford.

[Sevach]

I'm not completely sure but... Bruno Senna.

[Clatter]

I'm not completely sure but... Bruno Senna.

Not sure if he raced Karts competively, but he did race against Ayrton.

[DanardiF1]

Not sure if he raced Karts competively, but he did race against Ayrton.

I think he may have raced briefly in Brazil, but nothing that seems too 'official'. His first proper racing was in Formula BMW in 2004 (by which time Schumacher was a 6-time Champion!!), so to reach F1 in really such a short time shows that he's not just got a famous name.

By 2005 he had a pole position and 10th place overall in the British F3 championship.
A year later he had won 5 races (7 overall inc. Aus GP support races).
2007 he was a winner in GP2.
2008 he only just missed out on GP2 title.
and by then he was within a inch of being given a drive at Honda, and then Brawn...

Quite a steep development curve...

[Sevach]

He did drive a kart on Ayrton's particular track and reportedly raced against him.
But i don't think he ever took part in an oficial race.

[William Hunt]

Robert Doornbos.

he started as a tennis player and so did Nelson Piquet Sr. (unsure if he did karts though)