4 replies to this topic

[William Hunt]

Now we all know of his exceptional dominant performance in British F3 in 1982 and of his amazing test at Silverstone '82 in the McLaren (he went quicker as a McLaren had even gone at Silverstone in a car that didn't even have full throttle), what he showed there has been extensively documented.

 

But what I'm wondering is: if he was really as talented as Senna why didn't he just win titles in Indy Lights, I know he came close on a couple of occasions and won many races there (10 races in fact).

 

Byrne lost Indy Lights titles to Didier Theys (whom I do rate highly) but also to Fabrizio Barbazza, Jon Beekhuis and Mike Groff who were all just average imho.

 

If he really was as good as Senna he would have won an Indy Lights title in the same fashion as Paul Tracy did in 1990: be completely crushing all competition. Maybe he Byrne was partying too much in his Indy Lights days, I don't know, he was on paper by far the most talented driver in the field.

And why didn't he win the European F3 title in 1983 then? He certainly went very quick in Eddy Jordan's F3 car bu Pierluigi Martini was a very deserved champion that year, Byrne came 4th overall, 30 points short of Martini and also behin Nielsen and Pirro.

 

Nielsen did have Volkswagen support and Jordan's team was probably underfinanced a bit.

 

Ron Dennis said years later that although Byrne certainly was massively talented that he lacked the qualities to be a top F1 driver and I fully agree. Byrne's cocky attitude, his interest in partying and making fun, his drinking and even taking drugs would never be a fit in corporate F1.

 

He lacked the professional attitude that top drivers like Lauda, Prost or Senna did have and he probably would have gotten in trouble with his big mouth.

Any thoughts?

Edited by William Hunt, 10 June 2017 - 03:58.

[Tim Murray]

This recent thread may be of interest:

Tommy Byrne's "career management"

[john aston]

Indeed - and , by the way, the answer is 'no' , obviously . But even if the question had.  been 'could he have been ..? ' that 'd be a no too, unless speculation is substituted for fact . TB was quick in F3 (as have been any number of drivers who stalled in F1) ; he was unremarkable in unremarkable cars in F1  and he impressed at one F1  test - which some see now as evidence of the second coming. The End

[Michael Ferner]

Amen. Let's move on.

[Vitesse2]

Amen. Let's move on.

Indeed. Locked.