Few names in Formula 1 invoke more presumptions and preconceptions than Yuji Ide’s. The Japanese driver came to the series with little to no international experience, driving for a brand-new backmarker team with limited resources, no testing, and a four-year-old car. Unsurprisingly, he floundered and
There is not yet any scientific evidence that genes have an effect on one’s racing talent. However, a famous surname can at least go a long way for support and connections. Jolyon Palmer was able to benefit enough from family backing and a great education
The racing world of the 1950s is full of hidden gems, to say the absolute least. The career lifecycle of drivers was perhaps even longer than it is today, even if the expected lifespan was shorter. Opportunities were endless to travel back and forth around
David ”Hobbo” Hobbs is a man of many talents. Part-time single-seater champion, part-time sportscar champion, part-time beloved colour commentator, part-time car dealership owner, and part-time F1 driver. Succeeding in just about every discipline he laid his hands on over a five-decade period, he is, in
Ricardo ‘El Colorado’ Zunino is as known for the events transpiring around him as he is for his own sake. Like Harald Ertl, he happened to be at the right place at the right time, regarding the very same man: Niki Lauda. Zunino’s last-minute replacement
While it is unlikely that racing ability is something that passes along in genetics, there are the occasional moments, be it the Schumachers, Rosbergs or Villeneuves, where more than one member of a racing family can possess boatloads of talent. One such example which is
Hideki Noda’s career is a strange one. Often grasping at the many opportunities which came his way, the Japanese driver was able to effectively buy his way through the junior ladder into a Formula 1 seat for a few brief races. Finishing none of them,
When it comes to Formula 1 and any other sport, not everyone is a Boris Becker or a Max Verstappen. Some are indeed late bloomers and take unusual paths on their way to the top. The following reject, the Italian Giorgio Pantano, was one of
Anonymity is a hard thing to achieve when you’re a racing driver in the premier motorsport series in the world. It’s a little easier when your career sees you shuffling between two backmarker teams without a single point to your name. With an average stint
André Testut is a driver little-remembered among the Formula 1 community, for his exploits in the series were hardly moments of legend. Monied and enthusiastic, Testut was a staple of the French racing scene outside of Formula 1 throughout most of the 1950s, though he
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