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Who's the best driver not currently racing in F1?


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#101 KWSN - DSM

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Posted 06 June 2023 - 19:32

Not that I see in that comment.

 

The p.... attitude from some posters never seize to amaze, I have removed it not to offend your sensitive feelings over having someone disagree with you.



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#102 Bliman

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Posted 06 June 2023 - 19:37

The p.... attitude from some posters never seize to amaze, I have removed it not to offend your sensitive feelings over having someone disagree with you.

ok. Weird.

#103 Dara

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Posted 06 June 2023 - 19:39

Stoffel is a great driver. When alone on track. When he has to battle other drivers, he somehow fails te deliver.
I truly believe if he would make the move to Wec, he would be one of the fastest drivers on track.

#104 TheFish

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Posted 07 June 2023 - 06:20

Is that your criteria? If that is the case then he much more deserved it than DeVries. Because Stoffel was better in all the seasons he was paired with him.

This year he switched teams and is against Vergne who has stayed at the team and Stoffel has been faster than him the last couple of races too.

And mind you that lad had won the FE last year.

 

I mean, De Vries is stinking the place up right now, like Stoffel did when he was in F1. Hardly a shining beacon to aspire to.



#105 ARTGP

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Posted 06 July 2023 - 22:52

I am absolutely convinced shane van gisbergen is a world class top draw talent who'd have done brilliantly in f1. Likely too late now but he can flat out drive at 10 tenths.

 

 

Apparently, he just smashed the Nascar field at the Chicago road course race. 


Edited by ARTGP, 06 July 2023 - 22:53.


#106 Seanspeed

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Posted 06 July 2023 - 23:16

I dont know, but I do know whoever it is(if we're talking potential in F1), that person is definitely not in NASCAR.  



#107 Henri Greuter

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Posted 07 July 2023 - 07:35

Can Alex Palou be considered since he dominates Indycar or is the quality of the overall field ranked too low for such a nomination?



#108 southernstars

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Posted 07 July 2023 - 07:57

I dont know, but I do know whoever it is(if we're talking potential in F1), that person is definitely not in NASCAR.  

 

Shane van Gisbergen is fast in anything on four wheels. He's won on debut in rallying, drifting, sprintcars and NASCAR, and he's a three time Supercar champion. He wouldn't disgrace himself in an F1 car; I daresay he'd be very competitive. His problem would be fitting into the car, as he's rather tall and, unlike tall open-wheel drivers, is no waif.



#109 Beri

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Posted 07 July 2023 - 10:21


Can Alex Palou be considered since he dominates Indycar or is the quality of the overall field ranked too low for such a nomination?
 
I dont think Palou will do worse than, for example, De Vries, Latifi, Schumacher (Mick) or Magnussen. That being said; he is no Verstappen, Hamilton or Alonso either. So why bother scooting over to F1 if you only are there to fill up the grid when you got a super hero status on the other side of the pond?


#110 Muppetmad

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Posted 07 July 2023 - 10:25

This is the issue: if you dominate outside of F1, then the perception is that the rest of the grid was simply of too low a quality. We end up in that bizarre situation whereby if Palou was doing worse, the rest of the field would look better, so he'd look better too.



#111 Rediscoveryx

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Posted 07 July 2023 - 10:31

This is the issue: if you dominate outside of F1, then the perception is that the rest of the grid was simply of too low a quality. We end up in that bizarre situation whereby if Palou was doing worse, the rest of the field would look better, so he'd look better too.

Yes, this is the old paradox of domination.

It was the same during the Schumacher years in F1. People were questioning his skill as he was perceived to be so much better than the rest of the field that surely, it was the field that was poor, not Schumi that was great? Same thing goes for the domination of the Sebastian’s in WRC.

…another example would be Hamilton. I think you can make a very strong case that losing that one title to Rosberg actually increased the validity of Hamilton’s claim to greatness in the public eye, as that suddenly meant that all the other titles he took (with Nico as team mate) were won against a WDC-calibre team mate.

Edited by Rediscoveryx, 07 July 2023 - 10:33.


#112 juicy sushi

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Posted 07 July 2023 - 13:53

I think the answer is increasingly clearly Palou, although raw talent would suggest SVG as well and a few others.  But since F1 isn't about raw talent as much as a particular driving style and approach to work, Palou seems to be the clearest match.  As to why he would want to jump into F1 if he couldn't be a champion, while he could be a god elsewhere; the substantial increase in pay is nice.  Also, he might very well in his mind believe he could be a champion.  And intends to try it until that is proven otherwise.  He will likely have no trouble whatsoever finding employment post-F1, regardless of the results he has while there.



#113 KWSN - DSM

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Posted 07 July 2023 - 13:59

I think the answer is increasingly clearly Palou, although raw talent would suggest SVG as well and a few others.  But since F1 isn't about raw talent as much as a particular driving style and approach to work, Palou seems to be the clearest match.  As to why he would want to jump into F1 if he couldn't be a champion, while he could be a god elsewhere; the substantial increase in pay is nice.  Also, he might very well in his mind believe he could be a champion.  And intends to try it until that is proven otherwise.  He will likely have no trouble whatsoever finding employment post-F1, regardless of the results he has while there.

 

I think we have seen with Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Schumacher, Drugovich the drivers want to race F1 more than anything - Hulkenberg hung around for years and was rewarded, Magnussen left a plum seat as factory driver for Peugeot to race on a 2 year contract with back of the grid team.

 

If Palou could get a confirmed seat with any F1 team, I think he would jump in a minute - They all see themselves as the best driver in the world, they all want to measure themselves against the best drivers in the worlf, beating Herta, Newgarden, Ericsson, Rahal, Rossi in Indycar mean nothing, when you can pit yourself against Old Garde, and new up and coming - Beating Sainz, Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Piastri, Gasly, Albon, Stroll - Snapping at the heels of Leclerc, Russel, Norris

 

THAT is what a driver like Palou wants.



#114 Sterzo

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Posted 07 July 2023 - 19:28

They all see themselves as the best driver in the world, they all want to measure themselves against the best drivers in the world

Exactly so, and I'd even argue that drivers who don't choose to pitch themselves against the best, are missing an essential ingredient and could never be considered the best in the world. Someone may be born with more talent than any other human in history, but if he lacks that racer mentality, the obsessive need to beat the best, then he's not the full package.



#115 KWSN - DSM

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Posted 07 July 2023 - 20:22

Exactly so, and I'd even argue that drivers who don't choose to pitch themselves against the best, are missing an essential ingredient and could never be considered the best in the world. Someone may be born with more talent than any other human in history, but if he lacks that racer mentality, the obsessive need to beat the best, then he's not the full package.

 

To an extent how I look at Montoya, had absolute loads of talent, but never seemed to truly embrace it through the hard work needed to become the WDC I think he were as likely to become as Button.