The bottom 10 F1 drivers: Shortlist
30th May 2008, 15:00 by Keith Collantine 32 Comments »
Two weeks ago we began compiling the list of the bottom 10 F1 drivers of all time – the 10 worst F1 drivers.
Here’s how the shortlist stands at the moment along with some of your remarks. Is there anyone missing from it? And who doesn’t belong there?
In alphabetical order…
Philippe Adams
Giovanna Amati
Michael Andretti – “11th in the championship in 1993, in the same equipment that Senna took to second place” Scootin159
Enrico Bertaggia
Andrea de Cesaris – “You can’t say he didn’t have opportunities” D Winn
Pedro Chaves
Jean-Denis Deletraz
Pedro Diniz
Johnny Dumfries
Bernie Ecclestone – “Attended the 1958 Monaco and British rounds but didn’t qualify.” Ratboy
Jean-Marc Gounon
Yuji Ide – “He only lasted three races before the FIA took away his superlicence.” Francois
Taki Inoue
Ukyo Katayama
Rupert Keegan
Claudio Langes
Giovanni Lavaggi – “Would still have been infamously bad in a decent car.” Robert McKay
Perry McCarthy
Tarso Marques – “He was always off pace, he was always in trouble.” Daniel
François Migualt
Rikky von Opel
Massimiliano Papis
Al Pease – “Only driver to be black flagged for driving too slow.” Chalky
Hector Rebaque
Ricardo Rosset – “At the Spa 98 mass pileup he drove full speed into the wreck like some kind of computer game.” TommyB
Otto Stuppacher
Esteban Tuero
Alex Yoong
Alex Zanardi
(NB. Chanoch Nissany not included because he was never entered entered for a race)
To get things start I think Diniz, Dumfries, Katayama and Zanardi don’t belong on the list:
Pedro Diniz did a respectable job alongside Damon Hill in 1997. Johnny Dumfries wasn’t hopeless but he was, as Clive James said, in a team “where even the Portaloo was set up for [Ayrton] Senna.” Katayama had his days and some of Zanardi’s drives for Jordan and Lotus in his pre-CART/Williams days showed the raw talent that F1 never tapped into.
Who else would you add, and who else would you take off?
Read the original discussion on the bottom 10 F1 drivers
Fernando said on 30th May 2008, 15:04
Ralf Shummy
Juan Pablo Montoya
Takuma Sato
Scott Speed
Keith Collantine said on 30th May 2008, 15:07
Care to offer any reasons for those choices Fernando?
Fernando said on 30th May 2008, 15:24
Ralf Shummy – Just never could get out of his brothers spot light… I love Toyota and all, I own 2 but he just made it seem like as if those Toyo’s were horrible, I mean they are not great but his driving made them horrible.
Montoya – His driving was fair at best, he was a mistake prone idiot that made McLaren’s look like Super Aguri’s. Now he’s in NASCAR doing OK because, IMO even the best NASCAR drivers would be last place finishers in F1.
Sato – I think speaks for himself not much explaining to do here.
Speed – Pretty much the same as Montoya in my eyes goes to NASCAR and does OK.
Pete Walker said on 30th May 2008, 15:41
It seems a bit unfair having Perry McCarthy on the list, he never had the chance to show his F1 credentials in the farce that was Andrea Moda. Had some promising test runs though.
Montoya? Ok, he had lacklustre days, but he also had days where he was nigh on untouchable. There’s no way he should be on this list.
Incidently, there’s a well known website that might help add to the list: http://www.f1rejects.com/
Fernando said on 30th May 2008, 15:50
Ok maybe Montoya was not as bad I make him out to be, but there was just something about him I didn’t like, and with the machinery he had at his disposal I would think he should of been better. I mean come on 5 RET in 2006 and he only raced half the season.
Pete Walker said on 30th May 2008, 15:50
…which was mentioned in the previous post. I wish you could edit these damn things!
Keith Collantine said on 30th May 2008, 15:54
It should go without saying that drivers who’ve won races don’t belong on this list.
How about Jean-Louis Schlesser? Two participations, one DNF, in the second he was 1.4s slower than his team mate and collided with the leader while being lapped.
Or Ricardo Zunino? Another of Nelson Piquet’s team mates who probably didn’t belong in F1. At Monaco in 1980 Piquet was fourth on the grid and Zunino didn’t even make it into the race.
TommyB said on 30th May 2008, 16:39
Montoya could have been world champion in 03! Saying hes the worst driver in history is a joke
Kris said on 30th May 2008, 16:40
I was about to post asking Diniz to be removed, but I see you beat me to it. Zanardi had a specific problem braking, if I recall correctly, which is hardly the same as being rubbish.
As for the winner, from recent years I’d look no further than Ide, Im afraid I’m a little young to comment on past atrocities.
Dan M said on 30th May 2008, 16:47
Scott speed wasn’t great, but he wasn’t the worst driver out there either, for the most part he and Luizzi has similar lap and qually times…
I’m by no means a Nascar fan, but just because drivers chose Nascar does not mean they cannot turn right, they just make more money turning left.
Montoya DNF’ed so much in his final season because he lost interest in F1. He had already had a deal to race in Nascar the following year.
underdog said on 30th May 2008, 17:01
Besides those in the list, the worst driver that I can recall at the moment is Mazzacane.
DanielPT said on 30th May 2008, 17:15
Zsolt Baumgardtner – Scored a point (lucky guy, due to attriction) but was particulary hopeless and was there because of the money.
Keith Collantine said on 30th May 2008, 17:15
Ah yes, Mazzacane:
Grands Prix started – 21
Best race classification – 8
Best grid position – 19
Qualified last for 13 of the 17 races in 2000. Dropped by Prost four races into 2001.
James B said on 30th May 2008, 17:23
I think Toranosuke Takagi should be on the list.
He took out both Minardi’s in separate accidents in the 1999 Italian GP, and managed to continue, before spinning out on his own.
Other than that, his career never really got going.
James B said on 30th May 2008, 17:36
Marco Apicella.
He holds the record for the shortest Formula 1 career, (about 800 metres) and that was his only appearance in F1.