15 replies to this topic

[mikedeering]

OK, another thread got me talking about Nannini, and I decided to start a thread for everyone to add their comments on this Italian.

Nannini proved to be fast at Minardi in 1986-1987 (against a certain AdeC in 1986). He joined Beneeton in 1988 and drove some quality races - 3rd at Britain was a real highlight, despite spinning twice IIRC!!!

He coped well in 1989 with being the Benetton #1 in a diificult car, and was rewarded with his only GP win in Japan, albeit in fortuitous circumstances. In 1990 he really came on strong as the B190 gave him a quality platform on which to perfom. He nearly won at Hockenheim after a great battle with Senna.

I recall it was rumoured he would go to Ferrari for 1991 to replace Mansell, with Alesi going to Williams, but he eventually resigned with Benetton. However, after the Spanish GP he was involved in a helicopter accident and lost his left hand - he would never F1 again, although did compete in DTM for Alfa Romeo in the mid 1990s.

How great could Nannini have been? The 91 Benetton was a bit poor (not helped by Pirelli tires) but from 92 Benetton really started to produce tidy cars, even if they lacked top end power.

Could Nannini have achieved more wins? I think so - although he would perhaps not have scaled the heights of MS at Benetton. And if he had raced in 91, what would have happened to Schuey?

One story I did hear was after Piquet's Indy smash in 1992. He suggested to Nannini they could race as one - with Sandro's legs and Piquet's hands! Not sure which one of them said this, but one agreed, providing they could use their head!

[josh.lintz]

It was sad to see him go; at least it wasn't racing crash that stopped his career. I heard he had a test with Ferrari in '92 (?), so at least somebody at the factory kept their word!

I think he would have won a few more races...if he survived the woeful '91 Benetton, his career would have progressed.

[Haddock]

Well he wasn't a great,. Boutsen and a somewhat past-his-best Piquet were able to keep touch with him, but he could certainly be quick on his day. He was very quick at Hockenheim in either 89 or 90, I can't remember. Certainly I doubt he would have been able to do anything about Schumacher in the Benetton, but then I'm not quite sure who would have been. A move to Ferrari in 1991 would have been 'right place: wrong time'. Ferrair were starting a long downhill slide in 1991.

As an aside, if he had gone to Ferrari in 1991, then Alesi might well have gone to Willliams. If that had happened, Mansell might never have returned there and the early nineties would have been very different indeed.

[Rediscoveryx]

I'd rate Nannini at about the same level as Giancarlo Fisichella - very good on his day, but perhaps not consistent enough to challenge for a WDC. He was one of my favourite drivers at the time, but I felt that he sometimes showed a bit too much respect for guys like Senna, Prost and Piquet when he was involved in "close combat". I could be mistaken, but that was the impression I got

[oldtimer]

Originally posted by Rediscoveryx
He was one of my favourite drivers at the time, but I felt that he sometimes showed a bit too much respect for guys like Senna, Prost and Piquet when he was involved in "close combat". I could be mistaken, but that was the impression I got

It would not be surprising if Nannini showed too much respect for Senna at close quarters, since Senna nearly tipped him on his head in one of Senna's 'the road belongs to me' moves.

[markie]

I vaguely remember a couple of drives for his where he was doing OK, but in the middle of the race he would just slow down, until someone started to catch him up, then he would speed up again and start catching people in front of him.

I think that was in Benetton?

My girlfriend at the time had a crush on him and it was great fun winding her during the races.

[GerhardP]

Originally posted by Rediscoveryx
I'd rate Nannini at about the same level as Giancarlo Fisichella - very good on his day, but perhaps not consistent enough to challenge for a WDC. He was one of my favourite drivers at the time, but I felt that he sometimes showed a bit too much respect for guys like Senna, Prost and Piquet when he was involved in "close combat". I could be mistaken, but that was the impression I got

In his rtoo big respect for the etablished stars, Nannini is comparable to Fisichella, I think. But in terms of consistensy, Fisichella is much better! As far as the lack of consistensy is concerned, Nannini was a bit like Larini, only better.
He was rated as a coming star and champion when he joined Benetton and had some good races, I remember, but that was a bit too early to say as it turned out.
I agree with most of you saying that he was good, but not a great.

[paparadiation]

I agree with what you written above and I must confess that I liked him at that time. But he was directly compared with drivers that were not gods, or they were past their best- and he was never dominant. Piquet was far more convincing in 1990 than Sandro and he was driving for his pension!

It was a shame that his career was cut short but if he had gone to Ferrari then it would be just another Ivan Capelli story. Pour Ivan was in the same situation as Nannini and after the Ferrari fiasco he just disappeared. He certainly was a fast driver and he proved it at the DTM but f1-wise I don't think of him in the same level with the very best of his era.

[dmj]

My girlfriend at the time had a crush on him and it was great fun winding her during the races.

When Sandro started to drive for Minardi I took a magazine with pictures of all then current F1 drivers to school. I asked all the girls in my class to pick up the best looking driver, and Sandro won by considerable margin!
By the way, boys in my class (including me, of course) also tended to look closer at Nannini family - his sister Gianna was a very popular singer, and really good looking girl. I didn't hear much about her lately but I believe she still sings.

[mikedeering]

I did the same "best looking" test of F1 drivers on the girls in my class back in 1991. Strangely, Roberto Moreno did not figure highly, but Olivier Grouillard did!!! Girls - go figure.

[SteveB2]

I also followed Sandro's career from the Minardi times. But 1990 was when he really impressed me. At Hungary, he was pushed off the road by Senna and IIRC expressed a fair amount of indignation at the expectation that he should give way to the Red and White cars whenever they appeared. The next race weekend, on his very old first set of tires, Berger, who had run through his second set, was coming up behind him. Berger tried to push through on the uphill after Eau Rouge. Sandro gave no quarter; there was contact, sparks and Gerhard had to pull back. He got past Sandro less than a lap later, but what a wonderful fight that was! Rare for that time.

Sandro had a fair amount of success in touring cars after he regained the use of his hand. I think he got the touring car ride somewhat on the basis of his test with Ferrari. The Ferrari test was available when they were the only car using the paddle shifters. I'm assuming this required less coordination for Sandro than a standard gear shift.

[Barry Boor]

I was a really big fan of Sandro Nannini. Why? I have no idea! I think it's just that I have always felt that Italy SHOULD have at least one top driver.

I was devastated when he had the accident that ended his F1 career.

[paparadiation]

I have heard that Sandro's DTM Alfa Romeo had a gear shift, especially designed for him.
Can anyone confirm it?
If so, then how it was working?

TIA, Jim

[italia]

Originally posted by paparadiation
I have heard that Sandro's DTM Alfa Romeo had a gear shift, especially designed for him.
Can anyone confirm it?
If so, then how it was working?

TIA, Jim

The car had two gear levers, one to shift up, and one to shift down. Both of them had to be pushed forward because his hand was not strong enough to pull the lever backwards..

[paparadiation]

Thanx very much Italia!
Maybe he could be back in a F1 team back then if semiautomatic gearboxes was used by more teams in the early 90s. Until '92 only Ferrari and Williams used them and that would be impossible to land such a seat!

[man]

Didn't Nannini test drive a Benetton in 1997 at Estoril? I think he put in some fairly quick lap times and there was talk of him going back to Minardi at around the same time. A decent driver, with charisma.