Grand Prix Rejects

With arguably one of the biggest sporting upsets achieved in the football world, of a lot of possible sporting comparisons, no lists seem to feature Formula 1 (EG: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/36151505. So, I thought, why not ask fellow F1 fans? What do you think would be some of the greatest F1 stories and upsets? This can be for any reason, it doesnt just have to simply be because X won Y, and can be "mainstream" achievements in F1 or maybe less known to the casual fan. Its also to get some discussion going about something positive instead of the seeming talk in F1 of teams struggling or walkovers etc...

My initial story to open would be the Brawn story of 2009. To go from almost non-existance to winning both the drivers and constructors title, with very limited testing and development, and in the case of Jenson Button with just one chassis. All done with limited financial backing, and a former team who were known for throwing huge sums chasing mediocrity

(Also, if somebody has a better name for the thread please fire away and I will change it!)

I always think of Minardi getting a front-row start in Phoenix with Pierluigi Martini in ?'89/'90.

Yes Brawn is a good place to start. I will throw in that 'miraculous' Pastor Maldonado win which is a great story given Williams and Maldonado's stories before and after.

Brawn is the F1 version of Leicester... relegation form in 2007/8, Winners in 2009.

Although Jordan in 1999 would have been the proper equivalent had they been able to carry it off.

Three things came to mind instantly:

- Giancarlo Fisichella winning in Brazil in 2003
- Jos Verstappen grabbing provisional pole in France, same year
- Takuma Sato's 6th place with that overtake on Alonso in Canada, 2007

Wolf's incredibly succesful debut as a full constructor in 1977 is also considered one of the biggest surprises in F1 history. Though Wolf was by no means an underfunded team and did hire some former Hesketh personnel, their toe-in-the-water with Williams the year before was kind of rejectful. Hesketh on themselves were a bit of an upset too.

Of course, theres Johanssons podium place in that Onyx, Panis' win for Ligier and Morenos qualification in the Andrea Moda.

Keke Rosberg's championship in 1982 comes to mind, obtained by sheer consistency against the faster turbos. Of course, the nature of the season as an [annus horribilis] in Formula One history, with both leading Ferrari drivers having career-ending shunts (and one life-ending) does make this a real case of "what if?".

Kojima's 4th place in qualifying on the Japan 1976, impressive given it was only a local entry in their first race, with a rookie driver. Too bad the rest of the weekend didn't go as well...

Rosberg winning the 1982 season is a Leicester City moment for me in terms of stats

From my own memories- The 2003 brazilian gp, Vettels first win (at the time it was a wtf moment for f1), Brawn in 2009, The pastors victory in 2012 ( though I will repeat it until it I am blue in the face the FW34 was a fantastic car it just didn't have decent drivers in the car. Bottas might had been a contender with that car for the championship). Jules getting those 2 points in monaco 2014.

I think the greatest underdog performance ever is John Love's second place in the 1967 South African Grand Prix. He entered the race in a two-year-old car and would have won if not for a fuel pump problem. Sadly, I wasn't there to see it and have only read about it, but I think this is the most impressive unlikely drive ever. Honorable mention to the Leyton House one-two finish that almost was.

Edit: And how I did forget Damon Hill and Arrows in Hungary 1997? Really sad that all of my examples ended in second place and heartbreak...

Coloni getting 2 cars on the grid at Monaco must be right up there, surely?

Barbazza wrote:Coloni getting 2 cars on the grid at Monaco must be right up there, surely?

And the 15th qualifying spot for Moreno the same year! (was it in Portugal?)

Giancarlo Baghetti's victories in his first three races have to be up there, especially considering he had next to no success afterwards.

Some would say that by the time the French GP came around and he'd won his first two races, he would be a favourite, but I would disagree. His first two wins came in the Syracuse GP, a race not taken extremely seriously by the top teams, and the Naples GP, held on the same day as Monaco and therefore with a reduced field.

A couple of things come to mind

Leyton House in the 1990 French GP - Both cars failed to qualify the race before and a few other races that year had scored no point and yet come to Paul Ricard they were running first and second for a while in the race. Capelli only lost the lead 3 laps before the end of the race due to mechanical problems

Jean Alesi at the the USGP the same year

MInardi 1-2 during first qualifying at the 2003 French GP before Justin Wilson had his time deleted. The only time a Minardi ever topped an official session

The fact that Moreno actually got the Andrea Moda to the grid at Monaco

On a serious note, I don't think there is any "Leicester moment" more fitting in F1 history than Keke's 82 championship. A nobody of a driver, in a car with an obsolete engine grinding through the chaos to claim the title at the end. Nobody saw it coming. Considering Keke had all of 3 starts on the preceding season with a bunch of DNQ's to boot, it came totally out of the left field.

Also, I'm shocked nobody has mentioned Panis at Monaco 96 O_O

Mansall's win on debut for Ferrari. Car never even came close to doing a race distance in testing thanks to the semi-auto box, so Nige books a wicked early flight, expecting to be out by lap 10 or so. Car holds together and he wins.

Schumacher for Jordan at Spa as well. Everyone forgets he was outshined in the lower formula and was considered the lesser driver in the Merc sportscar teams....

From what I've seen so far, it seems that Keke's championship might be the only thing. But I doubt even that comes close to the 5000 to 1 odds given to Leicester. Anyone know or care to guess what odds were/would have been given to Keke that year? I would guess 500 to 1.

James Allen has decided to chip in: http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2016/05/s ... ess-story/

I always considered Ligier's double podium at the 1994 German Grand Prix a rather unexpected result. And all the results at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix (including Damon Hill's winning margin of 2 laps) must have been unforeseen, with long odds.

If one of N'Golo Kante or Riyad Mahrez move up to a really huge club at some point in the future, and go on to win the CL there, it'll mirror precisely the 2008 Italian GP. A team with a long history as a minnow has its day of glory, with one of the key ingredients of the victory (Vettel) moving on to a larger team and winning the biggest prize.

Brawn reminds me more of Northampton Town this season, winning the title in fairly commanding fashion after coming back from the brink of oblivion.

Maldonado Spain 2012

Row Man Gross-Gene wrote:From what I've seen so far, it seems that Keke's championship might be the only thing. But I doubt even that comes close to the 5000 to 1 odds given to Leicester. Anyone know or care to guess what odds were/would have been given to Keke that year? I would guess 500 to 1.

500 to 1 seems still excessive considering Reut was damn near the champ in 81. Keke may only have been tenth or so in pre season rankings, but the field was so close and constantly evolving that it cant have been higher than 30/1

Izzyeviel wrote:Brawn is the F1 version of Leicester... relegation form in 2007/8, Winners in 2009.

Although Jordan in 1999 would have been the proper equivalent had they been able to carry it off.

I see Jordan more like Newcastle United. Up there and then were just blahhhhh.

Brawn is the real answer in terms of winning the crown.

No one has mentioned the 1999 European GP. Herbert scores the unlikely win.

How about March in 1970- turned up , added cars to the grid , won a race, ran at the front early season ..from nowhere really .
Not as good as Brawn though..

Benetton wrote:No one has mentioned the 1999 European GP. Herbert scores the unlikely win.

on par with Wigan winning the FA Cup. good, but not quite Leciesteresque (that needs to be a proper word)

Peter Gethin's win at the Italian GP in 1971 was a shocker considering how short his career was. He never finished higher than 6th, before or after, and never led a lap in his entire career. Depending how you look at the results, this would be the closest finish in F1 history. Not only that, but he held the highest average speed in F1 until 2003.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx-lopdB9bU

I think Olivier Panis winning the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix in the poor Ligier-Mugen-Honda was brilliant, Jules Bianchi scoring points at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix in his Marussia-Ferrari and Pastor Maldonado winning the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix for Williams-Renault.

And there was Bruno Giacomelli who in 1990 qualified the... oh wait, nevermind.

Ayrton Senna's 2nd place at Monaco in 1984 for Toleman springs to mind. Debut season, mediocre team, out of nowhere podium.

Jenson Button at Canada 2011. From last to first in half a race, tell me that's not an upset

How about Vittorio Brambilla at the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix? Even he was so surprised he crashed the car when he crossed the line!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlJD6jW-jMY

golic_2004 wrote:And there was Bruno Giacomelli who in 1990 qualified the... oh wait, nevermind.

Maybe we need an Aston Villa-themed F1 thread here.

Regenmeister94 wrote:Maybe we need an Aston Villa-themed F1 thread here.

Immediate first post for the Aston Villa thread: anyone racking up a DNQ while the current World Champion. So that's Jody Scheckter and Nelson Piquet for starters...

Regenmeister94 wrote:

golic_2004 wrote:And there was Bruno Giacomelli who in 1990 qualified the... oh wait, nevermind.

Maybe we need an Aston Villa-themed F1 thread here.

McLaren surely??

dinizintheoven wrote:

Regenmeister94 wrote:Maybe we need an Aston Villa-themed F1 thread here.

Immediate first post for the Aston Villa thread: anyone racking up a DNQ while the current World Champion. So that's Jody Scheckter and Nelson Piquet for starters...

Anyone who was champion a while back and then proceeded to struggle whilst being unable to shut the bathplug up about it.

Villa fans will take any opportunity to mention their European Cup win in 1982. My Villa supporting friends do it despite being born in 1992-3.

Sounds like Jacques Villa-neuve to me.

I think, even with the strategic orchestration, Max Verstappen's win today really has to count as an upset victory.

FullMetalJack wrote:

dinizintheoven wrote:

Regenmeister94 wrote:Maybe we need an Aston Villa-themed F1 thread here.

Immediate first post for the Aston Villa thread: anyone racking up a DNQ while the current World Champion. So that's Jody Scheckter and Nelson Piquet for starters...

Anyone who was champion a while back and then proceeded to struggle whilst being unable to shut the bathplug up about it.

Villa fans will take any opportunity to mention their European Cup win in 1982. My Villa supporting friends do it despite being born in 1992-3.

In fairness we do not mention our Super Cup win the year after against Barcelona much or only winning the league in 1981 using 14 players all season.
I am sure when you guys have some success you can go on about it as much as you like.
Wouldn't we be more like Ferrari in the early 90s or Williams in the late 2000s? Few glimpses of promise but ultimately not much to show?

sswishbone wrote:Jenson Button at Canada 2011. From last to first in half a race, tell me that's not an upset

Considering how the race unfolded it was, but thinking before the weekend or race itself, it was not a major surprise to see Button winning.