67 replies to this topic

[jjcale]

On the other hand, stewards seem afraid as well to apply proper penalties these days. I mean Vettel swore openly at the race director in the team radio few years ago and got away with it. Back in the 90's race bans were handed out sometimes several a year, nowadays it seems impossible to get a race ban unless your name is Grosjean and they would never dare to ban a Hamilton or Verstappen even for one race.

 

 

Only 3 race bans were ever applied in the 90s, and all 3 were for on track incidents in 1994. Irvine for the crash in Brazil, Schumacher for his various antics at Silverstone and Hakkinen for causing too many accidents.

 

The good old days always get better the further in the past they are ....

[NixxxoN]

What was wrong with how Eddie rolled? He was proper outspoken. When you don't care what or who you upset with your comments and don't pander to people so you can 'fit in'... that's when you're a unique and strong/abrasive character. You are loved and hated in equal amounts, perhaps much more of the latter actually. Smug? Nup, just didn't give a **** about people pleasing.

Who on the grid today is remotely like that exactly? Back then it was Eddie & Jacques and I wouldn't say anyone has fit that mould since. Additionally I actually think it was detrimental, at times, to their F1 careers and still - they never wavered and are the same to this day.

He had an ego like a mountain and didnt even bother hiding a bit. Mr "best driver in the world after Michael Schumacher"

[CL16]

A lot of fans don’t want drivers to have character. Max said he could be 2 tenths faster than Lewis if I’m the same car and the Max thread is full of people moaning that he said that. Maybe they just want a grid full of drivers happy to just participate

That’s not character, that’s just arrogance.

[beute]

The biggest effect of the modern world of media and the Internet is that something small or in the grand scheme of things something fairly trivial can be blown into a shitstorm because a few people throw a tantrum which is partly what you're saying

true, true!

the vast majority does not interact with social media, so whenever the "representatives" gather behind an issue without being too radical for the ordinary people to object to, then this group of representatives effectively carry the torch of "in the name of the people".

they are the biggest, outspoken, group and therefor get to represent the rest of the people, it doesnt matter if the rest has a a different opinion, it doesn't even matter if they all unanimously have the opposite opinion on the issue, if they judge the issue to be too unimportant to be bothered to speak up, then they basically vote 'yes' in favour of the outspoken minority.

that already sounds depressing, but the reality is even worse.
how else could you explain a certain 16 year old girl to gain so much attention? more so than actual experts on the issue...
looking at it consciously, with zero bias, with absolute sobriety, this leaves us with the question: what happened to the adults?

[Tsarwash]

generalizing a bit here.

A bit ? You may as well be shouting 'Get Of My Lawn.'

[PlayboyRacer]

He had an ego like a mountain and didnt even bother hiding a bit. Mr "best driver in the world after Michael Schumacher"

Eddie was making a point with that 'best driver after Schumacher' comment. That is - you want to win the World Championship - you need the best package over a whole season. Just like Hakkinen had, just like Villeneuve had, just like Hill had. As the Ferrari got better and better, Irvine actually was pretty competitive against Michael. So naturally he believed, in equal cars, he could push any other driver on the grid.

Accurate? Hard to tell. I don't think it's far fetched though. Irvine could hustle a car and, for example, I think he could have done as good a job (if not better) as Coulthard at McLaren 98-2000.

The guy might have a huge ego but doesn't mean there isn't some truth laced in his comments.

[Kalmake]

It's actually rare to hear an F1 driver admit they are second best to anyone. It's always "he did a better job today" or something like that. Irvine's comment was modest in a way.

[NixxxoN]

It's actually rare to hear an F1 driver admit they are second best to anyone. It's always "he did a better job today" or something like that. Irvine's comment was modest in a way.

 

Well, after such trashings in 1996 and 1997 even someone like Eddie would admit being inferior to MS, otherwise he would've looked like a complete fool

[ceesvdelst]

Sadly I was reading in the press this week that Lewis has made a fairly weird statement, mainly due to the Extinction reb stuff in London I think.

 

Odd that a man who has made tens millions from driving very noisy, polluting cares, that are made in immense factories consuming immense amount of raw materials, electricity,  in a world where excess is perhaps greater than any other feels the need to tell us all about the environment.

 

Is this character?  No it is simply vitrue signalling, probably managed by people who think it's the right thing to do. Very poor.

 

Character is not being outspoken, it is being truthful when it matters speaking out when no-one else does, being funny, not caring about Pr, marketing and all that nonsense.

 

People say Raikkonen is a character, he is, but he is also a very, very rude individual. 

[PayasYouRace]

All of those things are character, ceesvdelst.

 

This entire thread is based on drivers not having the particular character that the individual wants to see.

[danmills]

If social media was around in the 90s, it would have cut short the careers of many drivers.

Everyone is offended by something these days. And if you're not offended yourself, you can bet there's someone out that that can find something to be offended by on your behalf.

Were not allowed to have characters.

Ironic given the whole push for individuality and expressing yourself. To a list of dos and donts.

But that's a social debate for another place, not an F1 forum.

[jcbc3]

Nigel Roebuck who knows a thing or two about the past characters in F1 believe Magnussen is the closest to a throwback to those days.

[sopa]

Nigel Roebuck who knows a thing or two about the past characters in F1 believe Magnussen is the closest to a throwback to those days.

 

Doesn't seem like Magnussen is widely appreciated these days apart from his small hard-core fanbase. He sure seems to have a bit of a a-hole character, but I assume F1 never lacked these despite rose-tinted glasses about the past.

[F1 Mike]

I'd single out Button as one of the stand out personalities after Irvine.
They're completely different of course, but Jenson has always been very open and honest

[chrisj]

I'd single out Button as one of the stand out personalities after Irvine.
They're completely different of course, but Jenson has always been very open and honest

 

Interesting. I didn't think he had any personality, other than being a douche. Shows how subjective all of this is. I actually still think Jacques Villeneuve and Nelson Piquet have/had some pretty accurate opinions, but they're not very popular around here. Of the current guys, Vettel seems like a character, maybe Norris, too.

[pingu666]

firstly people have overlooked media training, these guys are much better at use of the media, because theres actually training and its pretty darn good. (i guess those who arent good at it, are more likely to fail.

 

kimi's monotone disinterest is possibly a front? he can be very different when he feels like it.

 

but yeah i can see people crave a "big" personality, but maybe sport(s) favour people with more small personalities now, theres so much going on to get the best out of athletes now, being moldable is probably a big asset to have.

[Currahee]

Because you are a character doesnt mean you have character.

[goldenboy]

Interesting. I didn't think he had any personality, other than being a douche. Shows how subjective all of this is. I actually still think Jacques Villeneuve and Nelson Piquet have/had some pretty accurate opinions, but they're not very popular around here. Of the current guys, Vettel seems like a character, maybe Norris, too.

I thought jenson was an interesting guy. Very British if that makes sense.

It feels to me like people are confusing character with being outspoken and controversial.