Pantano's issue was that his big break fell apart (Indycar / Champcar) due to being misled by major sponsor and he spent too long in GP2 as a consequence.
As for Dinis, yes a pay driver yet let's remember he was a Marlboro driver which in the 80s and 90s was a exclusive sponsorship program for only a select few. He showed talent in Brazil and didn't have a bad first season in British F3. But his F3000 team wasn't good and that's who he took into F1.
myownalias wrote: ↑6 years ago
As pay drivers go, I didn't think that Palmer was that bad, he had bad races, but also had many mechanical issues.
Just a bit of background, I think much of the Palmer 'hatred' is inspired by a certain member here trolling his virtues beyond reality. That is not to say he ever deserved what was a better seat than he made it look. If that makes sense.
Yup, I got that from reading this and many other threads, my reading comprehension level is fairly good!
Pay-drivers to adore:
Gaston Mazzacane
Tarso Marques
Ricardo Rosset
Esteban Tuero
Giorgio Pantano (@MonteCristo is the chairman of the Pantano-fanclub).
Stick to these and you'll be fine as wine.
Bro's got something against South American drivers...
myownalias wrote: ↑6 years ago
As pay drivers go, I didn't think that Palmer was that bad, he had bad races, but also had many mechanical issues.
Just a bit of background, I think much of the Palmer 'hatred' is inspired by a certain member here trolling his virtues beyond reality. That is not to say he ever deserved what was a better seat than he made it look. If that makes sense.
Yup, I got that from reading this and many other threads, my reading comprehension level is fairly good!
Pay-drivers to adore:
Gaston Mazzacane
Tarso Marques
Ricardo Rosset
Esteban Tuero
Giorgio Pantano (@MonteCristo is the chairman of the Pantano-fanclub).
Stick to these and you'll be fine as wine.
Nah, that was @the_full_monty. I just love screaming PPPPAAANNNTTTSS every now and then.
Oscar Piastri in F1! Catch the fever! Vettel Hate Club. Life membership.
Antonov wrote: ↑6 years ago
Renault organised a touching goodbye to Jolyon yesterday morning, just prior to race.
The entire team lined up and sent him a moving farewell message.
Palmer had over 3 seasons of GP2 (3 full seasons plus 2 winter / Asia series, 70 races in total) to get used to the machinery before he paid for the best car and took the title. He hasn't had that luxury in F1, neither has he deserved to.
And now Carlos Sainz Jnr has announced he wants to try some rallying. I cant imagine Renault being too happy about that given previous experiences with Robert Kubica.
Mind you to be fair Carlos is not talking jumping into WRC car to do anything full on, certainly not at this stage in his career but it is an ambition. although he drove a Renault Megane Course car ahead of this years Monte Carlo and is scheduled to have another drive on on the Col de Braus powerstage on Sunday.
Carlos Sainz Jnr is planning more rally outings following a drive in a course car ahead of this years Monte Carlo Rally.
The Renault Formula 1 driver is set to drive a Renault Megane RS ahead of the World Rally Championship contenders on the Col de Braus powerstage on Sunday.
Though Sainz, whose father Carlos Sr won two WRC titles, said he had no imminent plans for serious rallying activities, he made clear he wanted to contest rallies in the future.
He regularly drives a rally car with his father on a stage close to his home in Spain.
“It’s too early in my career to go for a rally, but in the future I will do something for a hobby,” Sainz Jr told Autosport.
“I have done a lot of practice with my dad, we have a rally car at home in the countryside so we do a lot of dirt stages with the car and I keep learning quite a lot.
“My weakest point is to believe in pace notes – I’m a circuit driver, so I don’t have this experience and, even if he teaches me, it’s really hard to learn this.
“In terms of skill I learned a lot from him; we drove a lot in the snow and on the ice and some nice Tarmac stages.”
Sainz Sr won the Monte Carlo Rally three times.
“I’ve heard so much about it from my dad: how difficult the stages are, how the conditions can change in an instant from snow to rain or bright sunshine,” Sainz Jr added.
The elder Sainz switched to cross-country rallying after retiring from the WRC, and this year won the Dakar Rally for the second time.
Sainz Jr said he had similar ambitions.
“I fancy Dakar, even if my dad wouldn’t like if I do Dakar because he knows how risky and difficult it is,” he said.
“I really like this kind of adventure – it would be a huge challenge for me.
“I have none of the adventure and rally skills you need for Dakar but I would love to try it.”
* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left
“Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows!” (Walter Röhrl)
* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always