4 replies to this topic

[YOSSARION]

Reading the "suppose ww2 had never happened" thread again has got me thinking of another what if (as well as getting my mind whirring on the possiblities about 40's motor racing). What if, when re-introducing F2 and F3 in 1964, the c.i.s had set up world championships for these series running concurrently with the F1 WC (in much the same way as bikes have various classes). Would drivers that had success in lower formulae be given more respect for their achievements? Would some drivers have wasted the majority of their career driving second rate machinery in F1 instead of staying in the lower formulae?
Angel Nieto had almost all of his successes on 125cc and lower but is regarded as a master of his art, it is not held against him that he did nothing in the 500cc class.
So would the likes of, say, Ghinzani have dropped out of F3 after 1979 had there been a wc? Would Lammers have had a dismal F1 carrer or a fantastic record in F3. Would Surer have swapped a works March-BMW for an ATS.
Who do you think would have stayed in F2/F3 and would have been succesful?

[Liam]

In the 60's the F1 drivers also did F2 and some F3 races anyway. Jin Clark was killed at an F2 race, driving a works Lotus with Graham Hill as his team mate, just like the F1 team.
I doubt it would have made any real difference.

[Frank de Jong]

... but that's in line with motorcycling in the past as well. Some drivers were entered in more classes too (and people like Agostini were champions in more than 1 class in a single year).
The idea isn't bad really. I'm sure that we would have had a few jockey-type champions in the lower ranks.

[fines]

Originally posted by YOSSARION
Angel Nieto had almost all of his successes on 125cc and lower but is regarded as a master of his art, it is not held against him that he did nothing in the 500cc class.

That is exactly the point: Contrary to popular belief, Nieto did compete in the 250cc and 500cc classes (not sure about 350cc right now), even on works bikes, and achieved nothing. I would never consider him to be in the same league as Gary Hocking, Franco Uncini or Libero Liberati etc., not even with Bob MacIntyre, Reg Armstrong or Ray Amm! We should all be glad that there isn't the plethora of World Championships in car racing as there is in bike racing, it only confuses the issue! I once did a count and, if I recall correctly, came up with about eighty (!) World Champions in bike racing in just one year!!! There was only one World Drivers Champion until 1977, I think, when the World Rally Championship for drivers was introduced. And that was a GOOOOOD thing!

[kabouter]

The World Rally Championship for Drivers was only introduced in 1979. And I believe as well that it is a good thing to have only one clear World Champion for each discipline. Although sometimes more attention could be given to great performances in lower classes, there's still a lot of talent there. But one World Champion is how it should be, in my opinion.