100 replies to this topic

[Rasputin]

"I got my tyres over the road paint"

 

Nigel Mansell after crashing out his Lotus at Monaco in 1984.

[Wingcommander]

You do know that paint is quite slippery? 

[johnmhinds]

Car balance issues - Jenson Button (anytime between 2000 and 2015)

All accidents caused by younger drivers having less experience - Felipe Massa.

[Peter Perfect]

"I got my tyres over the road paint"

 

Nigel Mansell after crashing out his Lotus at Monaco in 1984.

 

As Wingcommander said, painted lines are very slippy in the wet.

 

Car balance issues - Jenson Button (anytime between 2000 and 2015)

All accidents caused by younger drivers having less experience - Felipe Massa.

 

I can't think of any driver who hasn't at some point complained about balance/set-up issues.

 

And I don't think Massa said all accidents.

[hittheapex]

I think it's got to be then 38 year old Israeli reserve driver for Minardi Chanoch Nissany, who complained of too much grip* when he was 13 seconds off the pace. He was replaced shortly after.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Rumours that he left the handbrake on are still unconfirmed.

Edited by hittheapex, 30 May 2015 - 09:50.

[redraven9]

I think it's got to be then 38 year old Israeli reserve driver for Minardi Chanoch Nissany, who complained of too much grip* when he was 13 seconds off the pace. He was replaced shortly after.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Rumours that he left the handbrake on are still unconfirmed.

Hahahahaha

[Rasputin]

You do know that paint is quite slippery? 

I guess you should be quite careful at Monaco then?

[jcbc3]

....For sure...

[JHSingo]

"If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver."

 

Yeah, I went there.

[RealRacing]

The whole Hockenheim 2010 post race press conference.

[Timantti]

"If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver."

 

Yeah, I went there.

 

Yep, this is the grandest bs quote the world of motorsports has ever heard. It's one person's way of saying he deliberately crashed another driver off the road going 200km/h and doesn't feel slightest bit of remorse about it.

Edited by Timantti, 30 May 2015 - 13:23.

[Rob G]

At a NASCAR race at Talladega, Kevin Lepage caused a massive pileup by pulling out in front of a huge pack of cars while poking along at barely half their speed. He blamed everybody else's spotters.

 

https://youtu.be/c_WUye6oqpU?t=12s

[GrumpyYoungMan]

....For sure...

Rosberg is that you?

[ViMaMo]

Why doesn't Maldo open his mouth, sad to to see his driving do all the talking.

[HeadFirst]

"I was all the way alongside (video shows not even close), and he just turned into me!" ....... can be attributed to any/all of the frequent crashers at one time or another, including Massa, Perez, and others.

[HeadFirst]

" I honestly thought he was opening the door to let me past." ...... Lewis Hamilton after he hit Jenson Button at the German GP last year.
 

[CurbPainter]

"The problem is we have the same car, so the soon I try and take him on he makes sure he has a gap on the straight line so I can't get by"...Nico Rosberg who hadn't watched the replay of a race with Max Verstappen overtaking with a lesser car on the straight line.

[GoldenColt]

I just couldn't slow the car down. - JB after Valencia GP Quali 2012. 

[realracer200]

I was expected more from this thread but so far it's a bit boring.

[Spillage]

I guess you should be quite careful at Monaco then?

But Mansell's wasn't an excuse - it was basically an admittance and explanation of a cock-up. 

 

I think the best (and worst) driver excuse moment from the last few years is Hamilton successfully blaming liegate in its entirety on Dave Ryan, despite his own nefarious involvement in what went on.

[Jimisgod]

I was expected more from this thread but so far it's a bit boring.

 

"Something my least favorite driver said" thread.

[Garndell]

One from a driver I support currently in F1...

 

Lewis Hamilton, Canada 08 - "Before my pit stop, everything looked on course for the perfect result: we were so quick, we were breezing it in fact. But it wasn't a great pit stop - and, as I exited the box, I saw two cars jostling for position ahead of me in the pit lane. Obviously, I didn't want to get involved in their tussle, and was trying not to do so, and then all of a sudden they stopped.

"And by the time they'd come to a halt, it was too late for me to avoid them. It's just unfortunate when stuff like this happens, but I have no argument with the stewards. We'd looked so strong for the whole weekend though, so at least we can leave Montreal confident that we have a package that will enable us to fight for the World Championship from here on in."

 

Also known as "I didn't see the red light or the red car in front of me"

 

I am also fairly sure there is a quote related to the Australian GP 09 from Hamilton too.

[Jerem]

"I don't consider F1 anymore a sport."

Alonso, Monza 2006

[Dmitriy_Guller]

At a NASCAR race at Talladega, Kevin Lepage caused a massive pileup by pulling out in front of a huge pack of cars while poking along at barely half their speed. He blamed everybody else's spotters.

 

https://youtu.be/c_WUye6oqpU?t=12s

I feel like this is going to win the thread.  I feel a little bad for Kevin;  he made the dumbest mistake possible, short of maybe driving the wrong way on the track, and then, as unlikely as it was, he makes himself look even dumber during the interview, getting both the facts and the common sense dead wrong.  I wonder if he had a mini-stroke sometime during that race.

[Rasputin]

"I just turned in and there he was"

 

Michael Schumacher after ramming Jaques Villeneuve at Jerez in 1997.

 

[alframsey]

It has to be anything Massa or Rubens has ever said, surely?

[hittheapex]

"The thing that holds us all together is happiness"-JJ Lehto, shortly before he was fired by Benetton.

[charly0418]

The whole Hockenheim 2010 post race press conference.

 

LOL, nice

[JtP2]

But in Mansell's case someone went out and painted the lines after his previous lap so it would still be wet.

[Nemo1965]

But Mansell's wasn't an excuse - it was basically an admittance and explanation of a cock-up. 

 

Agreed. As Jacky Stewart once said: 'In Monaco, in the rain, you stay away from the paint.' Wasn't Mansell's line after the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix?

 

So this one. Look how the left front wheel touches the white line. And yiiiiiiiiii....

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=gDrp1I7t040

 

Edited by Nemo1965, 30 May 2015 - 20:47.

[RealRacing]

LOL, nice

And the funny thing was that some Spanish journalists were complaining that the British press was being too harsh on ALO, MAS and Ferrari.

[garoidb]

Agreed. As Jacky Stewart once said: 'In Monaco, in the rain, you stay away from the paint.' Wasn't Mansell's line after the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix?

 

So this one. Look how the left front wheel touches the white line. And yiiiiiiiiii....

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=gDrp1I7t040

 

 

 

Looking at that, I'm not actually convinced that the white line was the problem (even though I have believed that for 30 years). 

[Collombin]

But in Mansell's case someone went out and painted the lines after his previous lap so it would still be wet.

The same people moved the finish line during the 1986 Spanish race, which I believe was Mansell's explanation for losing that one.

Didn't Schumi blame Barrichello for the infamous pitwall squeeze at the 2010 Hungarian GP? Not sure of the exact wording, but that must surely be a contender.

[BillBald]

Looking at that, I'm not actually convinced that the white line was the problem (even though I have believed that for 30 years). 

 

It wouldn't be the front wheel touching the line, it would be the rear wheel which would give wheelspin under acceleration. But there is quite a delay before he starts to get sideways.

[ANF]

Maybe it's just the angle and the light, but it kind of looks as though Mansell lost it going over a bump? I think we might need a poll about this...

[Chick0]

‘Maybe it’s because I’m black"

Edited by Chick0, 30 May 2015 - 23:38.

[JtP2]

I remember watching the race and trying to decide how long Mansell would last. You can't drive round Monaco for 2 hours trying to control the accident, because you are going to fail somewhere with the expected results.

[John B]

For a gem of understatement, "I spin the car a little" by De Cesaris after flipping his Ligier out of the Austrian GP.

Didn't Michael Andretti blame a blind spot for turning in to cause a big wreck in Toronto.

Also agree about lepage and other instances when spotters have been blamed.

One amusingly ironic one was Clint Bowyercalling Michael Waltrip the worst driver in Nascar, I can't believe NAPA resigned with him. (He wound up driving for Waltrip and NAPA left the team after the Richmond scandal, and they have struggled since). Though it's kind of unfair to count radio transmissions in heat of battle.

[RacingDuck]

Other drivers have done this at other tracks as well sooooo....

[Jimisgod]

Maybe it's just the angle and the light, but it kind of looks as though Mansell lost it going over a bump? I think we might need a poll about this...

 

He's nowhere near the center line but maybe there's other markings?

[Rasputin]

"They would make the car do weird things in the corner electronically, stuff out of his control."

 

Marco Andretti about his dad's, Michael Andretti's, 1993 season with McLaren

[velgajski1]

Maybe not an excuse or stupid, just some funny Engrish by Massa:

 

https://youtu.be/MlS_c2zc6cE?t=48

[KnucklesAgain]

Are you going to do a "The best pop songs of the eighties" thread next?

Edited by KnucklesAgain, 31 May 2015 - 10:16.

[DS27]

The Race by Yello - oop's wrong thread

[SpartanChas]

Didn't Mark Webbers car break down because of a train going near the track?

[bub]

"Something my least favorite driver said" thread.

 

 True

[jimjimjeroo]

Could have been a manhole as opposed to a white line

[steferrari]

Hamilton was driving too slow and he compromised my race.

 

Rosberg, China 2015.

[Spillage]

In 1995 Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger were allowed to take Jean Todt's brand-new, custom-made Lancia for a spin around Fiorano. On the way back to the bits, Berger decided Alesi was driving too slowly and so yanked at the handbrake, causing Alesi to lose control and worse, for the car to flip. With Alesi on his way to hospital, it was down to Berger to explain what had happened to Jean Todt. When asked, Berger conceded that he and Alesi had left 'slight curb marks on the roof...'

Edited by Spillage, 31 May 2015 - 12:55.

[KnucklesAgain]

In 1995 Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger were allowed to take Jean Todt's brand-new, custom-made Lancia for a spin around Fiorano. On the way back to the bits, Berger decided Alesi was driving too slowly and so yanked at the handbrake, causing Alesi to lose control and worse, for the car to flip. With Alesi on his way to hospital, it was down to Berger to explain what had happened to Jean Todt. When asked, Berger conceded that he and Alesi had left 'slight curb marks on the roof...'

 

IIRC from the Berger book, they were driving around Maranello, Berger yanked the handbrake when returning to the Ferrari building, and the car slid to a halt, on the roof, smack in the middle of the yard.

 

Edit: While a great story, there is no stupid driver excuse or quote to be seen.

Edited by KnucklesAgain, 31 May 2015 - 13:14.