April 26, 2006
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Formula One Grand Prix Driver’s Profiles
Driver Profiles Formula 1
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[2005 In Pictures]
Biography
At a time when drivers entering F1 seem ever younger, it’s worth noting that the Spaniard took part in his first kart event at the age of three!
By the age of seven he was a regular karter and by the age of twelve Fernando was Spain’s Junior Karting Champion, a title he held for four years in addition to winning the World Junior Kart Championship in 1996 at the age of 15.
Progressing to Inter-A Karting, Fernando won the Spanish (twice) and Italian titles before progressing to single-seaters, the Euro-Open Movistar Nissan Championship, which he won at the first attempt, winning 6 races and starting from pole on 9 occasions.
The following season, aged eighteen he graduated to F3000, finishing second in Hungary and first in Belgium and subsequently finishing fourth in the championship behind Junqueira, Minassian and Webber.
In 2001, at that time under the management of Benetton F1 boss Flavio Briatore, Alonso was signed to the Anglo-Italian outfit as test driver. However in a surprise move the youngster was loaned to Minardi with whom he made his F1 debut on March 4 at Melbourne, becoming the third youngest driver to start an F1 Grand Prix.
In hopelessly under-performing equipment the youngster was sensational, out-qualifying some of his more illustrious rivals. Sadly due to TV directors’ insistence on focussing on the front-runners, much of Fernando’s finest driving went almost un-noticed.
For 2002 Fernando returned to Benetton, now under the ownership of Renault, as test driver, and in mid-summer it came as no real surprise when it was announced that he would replace Jenson Button for 2003.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Fernando was the sensation of 2003, this came as no surprise to those who spotted his talent back in 2001, but made the rest of the world sit up and take notice.
Finishing third in Malaysia and Brazil followed by a fine second in his home race it was simply a question of when, not if, he would win his first Grand Prix. In Hungary the youngster went into the history books as the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix, having become the youngest pole-sitter at the start of the season in Malaysia.
For much of the early part of the 2004 season, Fernando was outshone by teammate Jarno Trulli, certainly in qualifying. Despite his undoubted bravery and ability, the youngster still has much to learn, namely his tendency to over-drive the car, in addition to his Latin temperament. One only has to look back to his 2003 accident at Interlagos which was totally needless.
Watching him, there are moments when one genuinely fears for him, hoping that he doesn’t have to learn his lesson the hard way. That said, his is an outrageous talent, and a wonder to behold.
Like Michael Schumacher, Fernando gets all he can out of a car, and often the end result flatters the machinery.
In spite of his (relative) failure in qualifying, his sheer speed, and the R24′s status as the ultimate in ‘getaway cars’, the Spaniard usually made up for his poor grid position at the start races, mixing it with the front runners by the time they reached the first corner.
Despite a strong start to the season, Renault clearly lost ground in the second half of the year, though at times it appeared that someone had forgotten to tell Fernando. Although it was Button, and of course Ferrari, grabbing all the headlines, the young Spaniard gave some bravura performances, Japan and Brazil immediately spring to mind.
It is well documented that the mainstream media – particularly in Britain – has a penchant for building up a person, be it actor, musician or sports star – then knocking them down. And there were times, especially towards the end of the 2005 season when it seemed as though this was the case with Fernando Alonso.
The young Spaniard had driven a superb season, yet it appeared that the media, and indeed many race fans, regarded him as the villain of the piece, and was cheering for Kimi Raikkonen. Indeed, at the end of the year it was the Finn who appeared to win the plaudits, continuously – even by Pitpass readers – being voted ‘Driver of the Year’.
However, it would be totally wrong to lose sight of Alonso’s achievements and to forget just how well he drove.
Yes, there were times in the latter stages of the season when he eased off, and settled for positions rather than going all-out for the win. But by then, the McLaren MP4-20 was the car to have, and the Spaniard, no doubt under advice from his team, opted for the safer, more cautious approach, forcing rival Kimi Raikkonen to do all the hard work.
Yet in China, having secured the Drivers’ title, Alonso was superb, delivering the killer blow that secured his team its first ever World Championship title.
Along the way there was another great performances, his raw speed in Malaysia and Bahrain, the way he soaked up the pressure from Michael Schumacher at Imola. At the Nurburgring, sensing that his rival had a problem, he relentlessly hounded Raikkonen until the result was inevitable. Then again, let’s not forget how he nurtured his Michelin’s at Monaco.
In late 2005 it may have become fashionable, for some, to knock the young Spaniard, but the reality is that his title is well deserved, as is the fact that he takes the mantle of ‘youngest champion’ from another great, Emerson Fittipaldi.
Though Fernando might not be the media, or indeed the fans’, favourite, he had clearly done enough to impress Ron Dennis, who pulled off the shock of the season when he snapped up the youngster for 2007. Clearly, ‘the Ronster’ hasn’t fallen for the media’s negativity and who would you trust when it comes to assessing talent?
Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers’ Titles: 1
Seasons in F1: 4
Grand Prix: 69
Wins: 8
Points: 247
Poles: 9
Fastest Laps: 3
Best result in 2005: 1st (7 times)
Best qualifying 2005: Pole (6 times)
Worst qualifying 2005: 16th (Japan)
Average grid position: 4.05
2005: Out-qualified Giancarlo Fisichella 14 times
2005: Completed: 1074 out of 1107 laps (97.02%)
2005: Finished 17 times from 18 starts (94%)
[Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –>
[2005 In Pictures]
Biography
Rubens made his F1 debut with Jordan in 1993, and remains the team’s longest serving driver.
A solid first season was marred by a string of technical failures, but Rubens went on to score his first points in Japan, finishing fifth.
1994 got off to a good start, with a fourth place in the opening race of the season followed by a first podium at Aida, but disaster was to strike at Imola.
A horrific Friday practice crash put Rubens out of the race, and was an indication of what was to come that fateful weekend. Barrichello’s countryman Ayrton Senna was killed during the San Marino GP and Rubens found himself carrying the hopes of Brazil on his shoulders.
It was a heavy load to bear, and Rubens struggled at times throughout the remainder of the year. Retirements continued to plague his races with Jordan, and he eventually moved to Stewart in 1997, scoring an impressive podium at the Monaco GP where he finished second.
Barrichello’s big break came in 1999 when he announced at the end of the year that he had signed to partner Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. Life with the Italian team got off to a perfect start for Rubens, who finished second in his first race for the team, but he was soon to discover the frustrations of being a number two.
Victory came in the 2000 German GP, and an emotional Barrichello sobbed his heart out on the top step of the podium.
Life at Ferrari was becoming difficult, and although Rubens was thanked for his part in helping the team achieve its two world championships, many insiders believed that the Brazilian’s contract would not be renewed at the end of 2001, but it was.
Ferrari again had cause to celebrate in 2001, but Rubens was angered by the decision to make him move over for his team mate during the Austrian GP, adamant that he could give Schumacher a run for his money if it were not for team orders. That said, Rubens was unable to match the pace of his partner for much of the season and was actually under pressure from Coulthard and the WilliamsF1 drivers, eventually finishing third in the championship, albeit it with less than half the points scored by his team-mate. That said the Brazilian suffered some appalling luck and more than his fair share of retirements.
2002 began with a string of retirements due to technical problems, that never seemed to afflict Michael’s car, and accidents. Ahead of the Austrian GP Rubens surprised everyone by re-signing with Ferrari for a further two seasons, but by the end of the weekend he was probably wishing he hadn’t.
Despite starting from pole and leading for most of the race, Rubens was ordered to hand the victory to his team-mate just yards before the finish-line. The incident caused outrage in the media and many fans and insiders to wonder at the Brazilian’s apparent lack of self-respect.
Rather than let its two drivers race, Ferrari issued team orders which favoured Schumacher, though the Brazilian was handed a couple of token wins.
Many will feel that 2003 was Rubens’ best ever season, the Brazilian taking a couple of very convincing wins in Britain and Japan. On the other hand whilst Schumacher seemed never to suffer mechanical failures – during races at least – Barrichello suffered a number of high-profile failures.
Rubens’ win in Japan was crucial for it secured Ferrari’s fifth consecutive Constructors’ Championship, somehow it seemed fitting that the Brazilian finally get his moment of glory having played such an important part in the team’s revival.
Despite talk that Rubens would be dropped for 2004 in favour of fellow Brazilian Felipe Massa, he retained his seat for a fifth season.
In all honesty, Rubens is a frustrating driver, and one wonders how, in years to come, he’ll look back on his F1 career, and in particular his time with Ferrari.
Certainly, he has been part of one of the most successful teams in the history of motorsport, but in many ways he’s similar to Brad Dexter in The Magnificent Seven. Everyone remembers him, but its Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn and even Eli Wallach, that everyone really remembers.
There were a few inspired moments for Rubens in 2004, not just the wins in Italy and China, but also qualifying at Indianapolis, when he out-paced his teammate, despite a heavier fuel load. However, for the most part it was business as usual, with Rubens playing support to the headline act.
There were many who hoped that in 2005, the popular Brazilian might step out of the shadows, and finally give Michael a fight, or at least be allowed to. That said, even though most F1 people are of the opinion that the German would beat his teammate nine times out of ten, the F2005, and Bridgestone, ensured that we never got to find out.
The season got off to a promising start when Rubens finished second to Giancarlo Fisichella in Australia, but in many ways this proved to be one of the year’s highlights.
There were good finishes in Europe and Canada, but despite what the statistics say, Indianapolis is where it all went wrong. The Brazilian was still smarting from a last lap attack from his teammate in Monaco, a move that many would put down to the German’s ‘never-say-die attitude, but Rubens’ believed was unnecessarily risky. Then came the near collision at Indianapolis, when, following his pit stop, Schumacher almost forced the Brazilian off track – this at a time when only six cars were racing.
A couple of months later, following weeks of rumours, it was officially confirmed that after six seasons, and nine wins, Rubens was leaving Ferrari and joining BAR, soon to be Honda.
2006 can go a number of ways for Rubens. He can collect the pay-check and opt to take it easy, or he can get to work and prove the critics wrong.
Having lived in Michael Schumacher’s shadow, it is unthinkable to believe that Rubens might opt to play a similar role to Honda’s ‘golden boy’, Jenson Button. He has a wealth of experience, and in (Sporting Director) Gil de Ferran, a close friend. When Rubens was recruited it was because he is a ‘proven winner’.
No disrespect, but at Ferrari he lost that sparkle, he lost the edge, got lazy. Honda, and a young-ish ‘hot shot’ like Button might be just what’s needed to give the popular Brazilian a much needed kick up the arse, forcing him to demonstrate that he still has the hunger.
Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers’ Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 13
Grand Prix: 217
Wins: 9
Points: 489
Poles: 13
Fastest Laps: 15
Best result in 2005: 2nd (Australia and USA)
Best qualifying 2005: 6th (France and Britain)
Worst qualifying 2005: 20th (Canada)
Average grid position: 10.63
2005: Out-qualified Michael Schumacher 7 times
2005: Completed: 1122 out of 1180 laps (95.08%)
2005: Finished 17 times from 19 starts (89%)
[Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –>
[2005 In Pictures]
Biography
Jenson Button burst on to the Formula One scene at the start of the 2000 season, making his debut with Williams.
Frank Williams was heavily criticised for his decision to sign a relatively inexperienced 20-year-old to partner Ralf Schumacher, but Jenson soon silenced his critics with his performances on the track!
When Jenson scored a point in only his second race great things were expected from the young Englishman, and for much of that first season he delivered.
A string of strong drives saw him collect 12 points during his first year in the sport, while an impressive qualifying performance at Spa saw him line up ahead of hero Michael Schumacher on the grid for the Belgian GP!
Although Jenson had impressed team boss Frank Williams with his maturity, feedback and speed throughout the season, the team was already committed to providing Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya with a 2001 race seat, and as a result Button was ‘loaned’ to Benetton for two seasons.
His lack of experience meant he struggled to get to grips with the car during his second season, and while the B200 was far from easy to drive, Jenson failed to match the pace of team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella, ending the year with just two points to his name.
For 2002 Jenson stayed with Benetton, now re-named Renault following the French manufacturer’s purchase of the Anglo/Italian team. With Fisichella moving to Jordan, Jenson was joined by another highly successful former-karter Jarno Trulli.
Things got off to a difficult start for Jenson when he was ‘taken out’ at the first corner of the Australian GP though two weeks later he almost finished on the podium only to be passed by Michael Schumacher on the last lap when his suspension failed.
In Brazil Jenson was ‘mixing it’ with the McLarens but after that Renault seemed to lose its edge and began to slip further down the field. Button continued to score points, but like team-mate Trulli it was mostly the crumbs from the table when one of the ‘big three’ teams failed to get both its cars home.
When Renault announced that it was not going to re-sign Button for ’03 instead opting for former Minardi hot-shot Fernando Alonso, there were raised eyebrows along the pitlane. In the weeks that followed there was wild speculation as to where the youngster was heading until finally David Richards moved in and snapped him up for BAR.
Admittedly Jenson ‘lost the plot’ in 2001, but right from the outset in 2002 we had the highly motivated charger who’d thrilled us in 2000 with Williams.
The signing of Button to BAR clearly riled Jacques Villeneuve who had already seen his friend and mentor Craig Pollock dumped by the Brackley outfit in favour of Richards.
Villeneuve used the media to launch a war of words with Button, which thankfully, for the large part, the Englishman ignored. The Canadian claimed that Jenson had yet to prove himself and indeed compared the youngster to a ‘boy band’, style over substance.
Yet prove himself Button did, scoring all but six of BAR’s points in 2003. They were pretty evenly matched in qualifying, but in the races – despite Villeneuve’s unusually high number of retirements due to technical problems – it was the youngster that had the edge.
At season’s end Button found himself leading both the American and Japanese events, seemingly destined for his first F1 podium, but it was not to be.
Looking ahead to 2005, the question on everyone’s lips was; ‘can he deliver?’
They were referring to the fact that in the wake of Villeneuve’s departure, Jenson now assumed the role of team leader.
True, he had given some strong performance in 2003, but he had yet to record his first F1 podium, was this really the man to lead an F1 team?
The answer was a resounding yes.
From the outset, even though it was clear that the Ferrari’s were untouchable, BAR clearly had a great car, a fine engine, and in Button, a real team leader.
In Malaysia, the second race of the season he dealt with the first of the mental barriers, finally taking a place on the podium. Two weeks later he was back on the podium again, this time one step higher. By the end of the season, Jenson had visited the podium ten times, though never quite making it to the top step.
His best opportunity to win came at Monza, but then the Ferraris decided to show what they could really do. However, his finest performance came at Hockenheim, where, despite starting from 13th on the grid as a result of an engine failure, he worked his way up to second, giving some fine lessons in how to overtake, and proving that it can still be done.
Sadly, Jenson’s season was marred, and his image somewhat tarnished, by the failed move to WillliamsF1, an issue that dominated much of the summer. Leaving aside the rights and wrongs of the episode, it is to his credit that the behind-the-scenes goings on never affected his performance and he continued to give 100%.
Having made those first trips to the podium, and finished third in the drivers’ championship, albeit 63 points shy of Michael Schumacher, the big question heading into 2005 was could Jenson pick up where he left off in 2004.
From the outset, it was clear that it wasn’t going to be an easy year for BAR, and indeed Button, however, nobody could have predicted how bad it was going to be.
Aside from the fuel tank saga, which got his team disqualified from one race, and suspended from a further two, there was the BAR 007′s, poor aero package, which resulted in woeful lack of grip. By the end of the season, the Honda was probably the most powerful engine out there, but the BAR couldn’t handle it.
However, Jenson Button had his own problems, and for the second year running was involved in a high profile, and rather ugly, contract battle. Trouble is, this time instead of trying to get out of a contract with BAR and move to WilliamsF1, he was attempting to wriggle out of a contract with WilliamsF1 and remain with BAR. Confused? We were.
In all honesty, there must be times when even Jenson must be wondering whether it was all hype. There were occasions when he was outstanding, however, there were many more when he was simply average. Furthermore, he can no longer rely on the ‘youngster’ label, at 26 he is two years older than the World Champion.
There is no doubting his raw pace, however, one cannot help but feel that Jenson is carrying just a little too much ‘baggage’. At Imola he surrendered far too easily to Michael Schumacher, while in Canada he crashed out following a needless error.
As we said, there were some very good performances, but on the whole, and despite the limitations of the BAR, Jenson was a shadow of the driver we saw in 2004.
After 100 Grands Prix, it is clear that many of those that previously championed him are beginning to lose patience.
Honda has paid an extortionate amount of money to secure his services for five years, leaving many F1 insiders scratching their heads in disbelief.
In 2006 he is partnered by Rubens Barrichello, a man, despite the fact that he is eight years older, who still looks likely to add to his tally of nine wins.
It wouldn’t be overestimating the situation to say that 2006 is ‘make or break’ time for Button. Either he gets down to it and proves that he is a winner, or plays up to the ‘playboy’ image that the media has of him. The choice is his and his alone.
Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers’ Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 6
Grand Prix: 100
Wins: 0
Points: 167
Poles: 2
Fastest Laps: 0
Best result in 2005: 3rd (Germany and Belgium)
Best qualifying 2005: Pole (Canada)
Worst qualifying 2005: 13th (Europe and Turkey)
Average grid position: 6.17
2005: Out-qualified Takuma Sato 15 times
2005: Out-qualified Anthony Davidson 1 time
2005: Completed: 871 out of 963 laps (90.45%)
2005: Finished 12 times from 16 starts (75%)
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[2005 In Pictures]
Biography
Felipe began his racing career in karts at the age of nine, competing in national and international championships for seven years.
He won the Italian and European Formula Renault championship in 2000, before progressing to the Formula 3000 Euro-Series for the following year. He won the championship after winning six of the eight races, and was soon behind the wheel of the Sauber C20 at Mugello.
Having impressed the Swiss team with his feedback and speed, Massa was signed for the 2001 season, and the twenty year old made his Formula One debut as partner to Nick Heidfeld.
Depending on how you looked at it, Felipe Massa was either the biggest revelation of 2002 or the biggest disappointment. Ever since Kimi Raikkonen, another Sauber discovery, came into F1, there has been concern within the sport that some of the youngsters coming in haven’t served the correct ‘apprenticeship’. Certainly, some of Felipe’s performances in 2002 gave such critics some useful ammunition.
Basically the Brazilian, though talented, was just a little too wild, getting into all manner of incidents, many of them unnecessary. At one race he span so many times that he admitted to giving himself a headache. As the season went on it was clear that he was getting on the nerves of his rivals, his team-mate, and more importantly his boss. Therefore it wasn’t too surprising when Sauber decided to drop him in favour of Heinz-Harald Frentzen for 2003.
Sauber was keen to retain Felipe as test driver but the Brazilian wanted to race. As the number of vacant seats diminished it looked as though the Brazilian was out of luck, then suddenly he was being linked with the second seat at Jordan. However just as it seemed the deal was done, it all fell through and Ralph Firman took the final ‘free’ seat.
Then, twenty-four-hours before Ferrari was due to launch its 2003 contender, the Italian team revealed it had signed Felipe as test driver, somehow nobody seemed surprised. The Brazilian saw regular action throughout the year and was acknowledged by the Scuderia as having made a major contribution to its fifth successive Constructors’ Championship and Michael Schumacher’s record sixth title.
Throughout the year there were rumours regarding Felipe’s F1 future. Some had him replacing Rubens Barrichello while the more fanciful had him taking Michael Schumacher’s place should the German have opted to retire.
Ahead of the Japanese GP Sauber finally confirmed what many had believed all along, namely that Massa was returning to the Swiss team where his F1 adventure had begun, to link up with Giancarlo Fisichella.
Although the year with Ferrari appeared to have smoothed away some of the rough edges, it was clear that Felipe still had a lot to learn.
Admittedly the ‘mistake-count’ was down but the Brazilian still appeared to be ‘on the edge’ a little too often. As the season progressed however, Felipe appeared to re-discover himself, possibly the result of realising that he was constantly being outshone by his teammate.
At Monza he gave a strong performance, though the loss of a front wing following a collision with Nick Heidfeld saw him finish a lap down, while at Interlagos he was again on tremendous form.
In 2005, Felipe remained at Sauber, where he was to be partnered by Jacques Villeneuve, in what (on paper) was clearly one of the most tantalizing partnerships on the grid.
In the first few races, the Brazilian out-classed the former world Champion, to such an extent that certain sections of the (British) media were claiming that the Canadian might not see out the season, possibly to be replaced by Anthony Davidson, who according to one magazine was (seemingly) having seat fittings on a daily basis.
The truth is that other than the fact that the C24 was a poor car, Villeneuve was hindered by set-up problems, with the team refusing to allow the Canadian to have his own way. However, once the team relented, and the car was set-up to his liking, Villeneuve’s performances improved.
Nonetheless, this shouldn’t take anything away from Massa, who was one of the true ‘finds’ of 2005. Set-up or no set-up, the fact is that he out-qualified his illustrious teammate thirteen times.
Then there were the drives, particularly his progress through the field in Canada, where he finished fourth, despite the best efforts of Mark Webber.
His average qualifying position was eleventh, which totally flatters the car. Sadly, he was rarely able to convert his grid spots to points finishes, though this was not for want of trying.
The year with Ferrari did him well, for in 2005 it was clear that the Brazilian has matured, has learned from his mistakes, and basically lost much of the ‘wildness’. Therefore, it came as no real surprise when he was called back to Maranello to replace Rubens Barrichello for 2006.
Felipe’s deal with Ferrari is for just one season, however, with at least fourteen drivers’ contracts due to end later this year, the Brazilian shouldn’t be too concerned. In Michael Schumacher, the Brazilian will have the perfect racing role model, and providing the car is competitive, 2006 should see the youngster progress to the next stage.
When he first appeared in 2002, there were moments when the youngster brought back memories of the legendary Gilles Villeneuve. Time will tell if he’s the ‘real deal’. In the meantime, as Ferrari searches for a successor to Schumacher – and the Villeneuve legacy – this could be the ideal opportunity for Felipe to prove himself.
Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers’ Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 3
Grand Prix: 52
Wins: 0
Points: 27
Poles: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
Best result in 2005: 4th (Canada)
Best qualifying 2005: 8th (3 Times)
Worst qualifying 2005: 20th (Australia)
Average grid position: 11.6
2005: Out-qualified Villeneuve 13 times
2005: Completed: 1019 out of 1107 laps (92.05%)
2005: Finished 16 times from 18 starts (89%)
[Driver Website] .. to Driver Website here –>
[2005 In Pictures]
Biography
Like many drivers, David began his racing career in karts, before graduating to Formula Ford in 1989. He then enjoyed seasons in F3 and F3000 before being appointed Williams’ test driver in 1993.
Although he began the 1994 F3000 season, David was promoted to a Williams race seat following the death of Ayrton Senna at Imola. The Scot impressed the team by his performance under difficult circumstances, and although he was replaced by Nigel Mansell for the final races of the year he finished 8th in the Drivers’ Championship and was kept on for the following season.
His first victory came in the 1995 Portuguese GP, and he went on to end the year third in the championship.
Coulthard moved to McLaren for the 1996 season, and has remained with the Woking team ever since.
Although he has impressed at various stages during his F1 career, Coulthard has so far failed to demonstrate the consistency required to take the drivers’ crown. A strong start to the 1998 season saw him fight his team mate Mika Hakkinen before dropping back in to a support role, while a string of strong drives during 2000 put him back in with a chance of championship glory, before he dropped back to end the year in third.
2001 saw him claim the runner-up spot behind Michael Schumacher, but technical failures and some far from inspiring performances meant that the title was never really within his sights.
Following the departure of long-term team-mate Hakkinen, David found himself lining up alongside another ‘flying Finn’ in 2002, the highly rated Kimi Raikkonen. Having played what some might consider a support role to Hakkinen, David was determined that it wouldn’t happen again.
In the opening GP at Melbourne the Scot narrowly out-qualified the Finn, but it was the newcomer that scored the points the following day. It’s to his credit that other than WilliamsF1′s Ralf Schumacher, David was the only non-Ferrari driver to win a race in 2002, the Scot taking a popular win at Monaco, a track he enjoys.
Following the joy of Monaco, David took another 6 points in Canada, however the rest of the season was spent hoping that the Ferraris would slip up, or at least miss a beat, which they rarely did. The MP4-17 wasn’t a classic car, and its tendency towards oversteer was definitely not to David’s liking, while the Mercedes power-plant was never likely to worry the Ferraris or the WilliamsF1s.
Much like the sound of the first swallow heralds the arrival of Spring, so each season seems to begin with Coulthard announcing that ‘the gloves are off’, the ‘Mr Nice Guy’ image has been dropped and that this will be his year.
2003 got off to the perfect start when David took a convincing win in Australia, while Raikkonen’s win in Malaysia seemed to indicate that the McLaren was finally in a position to challenge the Ferraris, albeit with a modified 2002 car.
Unfortunately David wasn’t to climb on the podium again until the German GP – eleven races later – when he finished second, rounding off the season with another podium in Japan. Eventually finishing seventh in the Drivers’ Championship, this was DC’s worst result since joining McLaren in 1996.
In all fairness the new ‘hot lap’ qualifying format didn’t suit the Scot and as a result he regularly found himself starting from the middle of the grid. In addition Raikkonen – almost nine years the Scot’s junior – was on outstanding form.
Bernie Ecclestone suggested that Coulthard should move from McLaren, that a change of scene would revitalise him, while many thought that the Scot’s career was coming to an end, particularly at a time when Juan Pablo Montoya was being linked with a move to Woking.
Over the course of the Hungarian GP weekend McLaren announced its 2004 line-up and David Coulthard was confirmed for a record ninth season. However, it wasn’t long afterwards that McLaren announced its 2005 line-up, with Montoya joining Raikkonen.
DC started the 2004 season knowing that if he was to remain in F1 in 2005 he needed to make a good impression, therefore we can only begin to imagine how frustrated he felt on discovering what a dog of a car the MP4-19 really was.
That said, while Raikkonen was retiring with various problems, usually engine related, the Scot at least managed to bring his car home, often in the points. However, the MP4-19 didn’t give him the opportunity to demonstrate that he still had the potential to win races, and thereby impress potential employers. It says much for Coulthard’s character that he persisted, a point here, a point there.
Behind the scenes his manager, Martin Brundle, was trying to secure the Scot a seat for 2005. McLaren had said there was a (test) role for him at Woking, but David wasn’t interested, he wanted to race.
The big teams already had their 2005 line-up arranged, and it was only when WilliamsF1 announced the signing of Mark Webber, that Brundle closed in on the Jaguar seat.
By all accounts the deal was almost done, with the Scot lined up to lead the American-owned British team, sorted. Then came the devastating news that Ford was pulling out of F1 and putting the Milton Keynes outfit up for sale.
Despite the obvious disappointment, Coulthard stuck at it, taking points whenever he could, hoping that someone, somewhere was watching.
At season end – he finished tenth in the drivers’ championship, his worst result since entering F1 – it looked as though it was all over for the Scot. The only seats remaining being those at Minardi and Jordan, while Jaguar’s fate, like DC’s looked bleak.
Salvation appeared to be at hand, when, in November, Red Bull stepped in and bought Jaguar Racing, however, the door appeared to slam back in Coulthard’s face, when Red Bull owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, announced that the Scot was “not an option”.
Imagine everyone’s surprise – possibly even DC’s – when a few days later, Mateschitz had a change of heart and said that Coulthard was the man to lead Red Bull in 2005.
On December 17, Coulthard got the perfect Christmas present when he signed as number one driver for Red Bull Racing.
In previous years we had all grown sick of the endless “the gloves are off” and “this is my year” soundbites, though if the truth be told with the emergence of Jenson Button, a man forever promising that ‘this will be the year I win my first race’, the Scot had eased off.
Freed from the corporate shackles that were the norm at McLaren, at Red Bull, Coulthard clearly thrived, he became a different person. He grew his hair, stopped shaving, and even dished out the banter to journalists – all that appeared to be missing was the mockney accent.
Whereas, at Woking DC had to epitomise the McLaren and Mercedes corporate image, at Red Bull the Scot was allowed to be full-on rock ‘n’ roll, indeed, it was encouraged, and David rose to the occasion.
Thankfully, this transformation wasn’t restricted to the paddock, on track also, the Scot appeared to have rediscovered his real self.
At Melbourne, the Coulthard revival got off to the best possible start when the Scot took fourth place, giving his team a massive morale boost exactly when it needed it.
Points finishes followed in Malaysia and Bahrain, proving the Australia result was no fluke.
As the season progressed, the weakness of the RBR1 and the Cosworth began to show, and the team struggled. However, that didn’t prevent further excellent performances from Coulthard, most notably at the Nurburgring, where a drive-through penalty ended his hopes of a podium finish. At Monaco, a circuit where the Scot has enjoyed several fine wins, he was looking good for a points finish until a coming together with Michael Schumacher.
By the time the 2006 season gets underway, the Scot will be 35, which makes him the second oldest driver on the grid. That said, after Schumacher, in terms of wins, he remains the most successful driver.
We can be thankful that DC didn’t retire at the end of 2004 and that the Red Bull drive came about. However, as we look ahead to the new season it appears that all is not well with the RBR2, with some members of the Milton Keynes based outfit fearing a slide down the grid.
That said, with Adrian Newey on board, Coulthard, who has previously worked with the Englishman at both WilliamsF1 and McLaren, can already begin looking forward to the RBR3, providing that he continues to perform and that Red Bull is willing to take full advantage of his experience.
Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers’ Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 12
Grand Prix: 193
Wins: 13
Points: 499
Poles: 12
Fastest Laps: 18
Best result in 2005: 4th (Australia and Europe)
Best qualifying 2005: 5th (Australia)
Worst qualifying 2005: 16th (USA and Brazil)
Average grid position: 11.26
2005: Out-qualified Christian Klien 7 times
2005: Out-qualified Tonio Liuzzi 4 times
2005: Completed: 878 out of 1107 laps (79.31%)
2005: Finished 14 times from 18 starts (78%)
[Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –>
[2005 In Pictures]
Biography
In the last week of November 2003 when Christian Klien stepped into the Jaguar R4 at Jerez for one of the final tests of the season, there were a number of people asking ‘who he?’.
As is often the case these days F1 drivers seem to suddenly appear as if by magic, rather than in the old days when we watched them gradually progress through the ‘lower formulae’. In recent years we have seen drivers such as Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa take their places on the F1 grid after just a handful of previous single-seater outings.
In reality although still only 20, Christian has served quite a long single-seater apprenticeship, at least by contemporary standards, and come to F1 a proven winner.
Following the inevitable kart career the young Austrian switched to single-seaters in 1999 aged 16. Competing in the Formula BMW ADAC Junior Cup, Christian won his debut race and went on to take three more wins resulting in him finishing fourth in the championship.
In 2000 he moved up to the Formula BMW ADAC Championship, finishing tenth overall and third highest placed rookie. The following year he finished third in the championship courtesy of five convincing wins.
For 2002 Christian switched to Formula Renault competing in the German Championship and the Eurocup. Five wins and five pole positions meant the German Championship was in the bag, while the youngster finished fifth in the Eurocup and best rookie.
In 2003 the Austrian moved to the F3 Euro Series where four wins, seven poles, four fastest laps and nine visits to the podium resulted in the runner-up position, though the twenty-year-old was awarded ‘rookie of the year’ title.
Along the way Christian also found time to dominate the prestigious Marlboro Masters event at the legendary Zandvoort track.
Making his F1 test debut with Jaguar in late 2003, Christian impressed the Ford-owned team: ‘Christian was in as much control of himself as he was the car,’ said Jaguar Racing boss David Pitchforth. ‘He was extremely calm, composed and didn’t seem remotely fazed by his first ever experience with a Formula One car. His technical feedback was excellent and there is no doubt in our minds about the potential of this exciting new young talent. Our decision to employ him as a race driver was based on merit, potential and speed.’
That said, it is well documented that money changed hands and that Klien was, in effect, a ‘pay driver’, even though he personally wasn’t picking up the tab.
The shortcomings of the R5, not to mention Jaguar’s off-track problems, hardly allowed Christian to show his true potential, however if Ford hadn’t pulled out of F1 it is unlikely that the Austrian youngster would have been retained.
That said, he picked up three points in Belgium, and usually brought the car home, though he was roundly beaten by teammate Webber in qualifying.
Following Red Bull’s purchase of the Jaguar Racing team, Christian was quickly signed up, as were David Coulthard and 2004 F3000 champion Vitantonio Liuzzi.
One can only hope that Red Bull’s decision to ‘share’ the second seat between Klien and Liuzzi made sense to someone within the Austrian organization, because to the rest of us it made no sense.
Although Christian drove the majority of the races (14), the uncertainly over the drive wasn’t good for either him or his teammate.
That said, the Austrian delivered a couple of fine performances, most notably his convincing fifth place in China. There were also a number of very impressive qualifying performances also – helped, of course, by David Coulthard’s unease with the ‘hot lap’ format.
In 2006, with Red Bull now able to spread its drivers across two teams, Christian looks set to partner David Coulthard full-time.
Let’s hope that the stability of a full-time drive will enable the young Austrian to give more performances like that witnessed in Shanghai.
Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers’ Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 2
Grand Prix: 32
Wins: 0
Points: 12
Poles: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
Best result in 2005: 5th (China)
Best qualifying 2005: 4th (Japan)
Worst qualifying 2005: 16th (Canada, France and Belgium)
Average grid position: 11
2005: Out-qualified David Coulthard 8 times
2005: Completed: 641 out of 842 laps (76.13%)
2005: Finished 11 times from 14 starts (79%)
[Official Website] .. to Driver Website here –>
[2005 In Pictures]
Biography
Inspired by his father, Montoya began racing at a young age, and claimed his first karting championship at the age of six. Juan Pablo went on to win a number of Colombian championships before moving to compete in the US at the age of 17.
In 1996 Juan Pablo competed in the British F3 championship, and it was here that he began to get himself noticed. One pole and three victories helped him earn an F3000 drive for the following season, and Juan Pablo came second in the championship at the end of his first year!
1998 saw him crowned F3000 champion, and he was signed as a test driver for Williams, gaining his first experience of F1.
After losing out on a race seat with Williams in 1999, after the team signed Alessandro Zanardi, Montoya switched his attentions to the US, making his CART debut with Chip Ganassi Racing. It was an impressive first season, with the Colombian winning his third race and going on to score a total of seven victories to win the championship at the first attempt. He stayed in America for another year, and proceeded to win the Indy 500, becoming the first rookie to do so for 34 years.
Montoya finally made his F1 debut in 2001, replacing Jenson Button at Williams, and demonstrated his ability from the off.
An impressive move on reigning World Champion Michael Schumacher in Brazil saw Juan Pablo take the lead in only his third race, and the Colombian was heading for victory before a mistake by Jos Verstappen saw the pair collide, forcing Montoya to retire.
It was not long before Juan Pablo stood on the podium for the first time; a second place in the Spanish GP proved to be the first of four visits in his debut season.
An argument with Jacques Villeneuve during the Canadian GP weekend earned Montoya harsh words from team boss Frank Williams, and the Colombian appeared to take the lesson to heart, improving his qualifying performance and scoring two points finishes in the following three races.
A well-deserved victory came at Monza and Juan Pablo went on to out-perform his German team-mate for the remainder of the season.
In 2002 despite starting from pole position seven times, Juan Pablo was unable to convert any of these into victories, team-mate Ralf Schumacher meanwhile took a well earned win at Sepang.
Although the BMW engine was possibly the class of the field, the FW24 didn’t do it justice, then again that doesn’t fully explain Juan Pablo’s failure to win at least one race.
In the opening races the Colombian tended to race with his heart rather than his head, and as the season progressed there were some silly clashes with his team-mate, though often it was the German at fault.
Whereas Ralf is a thinker, Montoya is a racer’s racer who tends to drive through problems. Some of his qualifying laps were sensational and consequently some of those pole positions were against all odds.
At Monza Montoya made history when he posted the fastest qualifying lap in F1 history. Ahead of the 2003 season much was expected of both Montoya and the BMW-WilliamsF1 FW25, however after just a couple of races BMW was publicly criticising its technical partner whilst McLaren and Ferrari built a comfortable championship lead.
With BMW appearing to hesitate regarding the signing of a new contract, WilliamsF1 pulled out all the stops and suddenly the FW25 was the class of the field.
In the press room at Monte Carlo, Montoya got a standing ovation for a fine victory, the second win of his F1 career, in Germany he took another impressive victory, beating Schumacher in his ‘home’ race.
The Colombian looked set to take the title fight to the wire, until a ‘coming together’ with Rubens Barrichello at Indianapolis resulted in a ‘drive-thru’ penalty. The penalty couldn’t have happened at a worse time for it had just started to rain and Juan Pablo was on the wrong tyres. This meant that in addition to the ‘drive-thru’ he also went off – due to the conditions – thereby losing valuable positions and indeed the World Championship.
Montoya and indeed most F1 fans and insiders feel that the stewards’ decision that day robbed F1 of an epic duel at Suzuka, a three-way title fight.
Montoya was clearly maturing, though there were still moments when his Latin temperament rose to the surface. In addition there were a number of silly mistakes, some he got away with, some he didn’t.
When, in November 2003, McLaren revealed that it had signed Montoya for 2005, there was widespread speculation that the Colombian would either join the Woking outfit a year early or be sent on ‘gardening leave’ by the Grove team. Yet at the launch of the FW26 there was Juan Pablo as large as life, looking relaxed and confident.
Anyone who had any lingering doubts as to his commitment will surely have appreciated Juan Pablo in 2004.
Almost from the outset it was clear that the FW26 was no championship winner, far from it.
As ever however, he continued to delight and infuriate in equal measure, making a ludicrous mistake one minute, then a ball-breaking manoeuvre the next.
What happened in the tunnel at Monaco was stupid, though Michael Schumacher must accept some of the blame. Then again, there was that wonderful move on the world champion at Spa, the ultimate racer’s circuit.
It seemed like ironic justice that he signed off at WilliamsF1 with a win in Brazil, the last race of the season.
Free of WilliamsF1, where he didn’t appear to be happy, especially alongside Ralf Schumacher, we expected to see the real Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren in 2005.
Unfortunately it was much of the same thing, brilliant one minute, dreadful the next.
Entering the lion’s den at Woking, where Kimi Raikkonen was clearly the favourite son, was never going to be easy. But why oh why did Juan Pablo make it so difficult for himself?
Hardly had the season begun, and the Colombian was forced to miss two races as a result of a mysterious tennis accident.
Granted, there were problems with the MP4-20 at the beginning of the season, furthermore it took the Woking outfit time to get used to the Colombian’s temperament and gradually reign him in. However, by the end of the season there were clear signs of improvement.
Mind you, along the way we’d had to endure the madness at Monaco when he deliberated ‘brake tested’ his former teammate during practice, and consequently got himself demoted to the back of the grid.
There were also clashes with Tiago Monteiro (Turkey) and Antonio Pizzonia (Belgium), which despite the protestations, and typical Latin bravado, Montoya was not blameless, far from it.
Then again, Juan Pablo was badly let down by his team in Canada when it made a strategic cock-up, resulting in Ron Dennis having to apologize to the Colombian.
When he’s bad he’s a nightmare, but when he’s good he’s brilliant, witness the wins at Silverstone, Monza and Interlagos, not to mention the fight back at Hockenheim, having spun off in qualifying.
With Fernando Alonso heading to Woking in 2007, McLaren has yet to decide who will partner the highly-talented Spaniard, that’s assuming that the two current drivers wish to be considered for the role.
Ahead of the 2006 season, Juan Pablo has made it clear that he wants to know what is happening re 2007, and has already made noises about talking to other teams.
Whether he is to stay at McLaren or move on, 2006 is a vital year for the Colombian. It is a year in which he must ensure that the good times outweigh the bad. It is a year in which he must seize every opportunity and re-establish himself as a potential world champion.
That means fewer mistakes, no dumb-ass brake tests, and no more ‘injuries’ on the tennis court.
Statistics – Prior to 2006 Season
Drivers’ Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 5
Grand Prix: 84
Wins: 7
Points: 281
Poles: 12
Fastest Laps: 12
Best result in 2005: 1st (Britain, Italy and Brazil)
Best qualifying 2005: Pole (Belgium)
Worst qualifying 2005: 19th (Germany)
Average grid position: 7.76
2005: Out-qualified Kimi Raikkonen 5 times
2005: Completed: 827 out of 988 laps (83.7%)
2005: Finished 11 times from 16 starts (69%)
