Hamilton deserves more respect

Agree about Alesi. He was pretty impressive in his first year and no denying he didn’t have the best cars but my lasting impression of him is all the negative comments that came out of Benetton after he and Berger replaced Schumacher in ‘96. Must have been a proverbial shock to a team used to Schumacher.

I don’t remember who from Benetton said it but the comment was “never again”. This article pretty much sums up the feeling towards Alesi and Berger. BTW, I suspect the mystery mechanic is Steve Matchett.

https://www.unracedf1.com/working-within-benetton-during-the-1990s/

 

+1

 

Thanks fot the link, LMAO.
Despite what anyone says, to me Jean was just amazing, his 95 japanese g.p was just out of this world, the way he dispatched Hill in that Williams was just...embarassing...and spain 1992, Monza 89, monaco 89, Phoenix 89, Argentian 95, and so many other races! Sure he could do some stupid things, but i guess he just became frustrated, but i'm convinced if he had landed on a Williams he would have won a couple of titles easily. Michael, Alesi and Mika were on another level compared to the rest, Michael was the best, Mika was blinding fast and Alesi had unmbelievable car control...he just hadn't any luck on his side.

 

And so what if he does? We could say the same about you and Lewis...

 

Jean is sincere about Ferrari.
Maybe he’s secretly sorry he didn’t go to Williams in '91, but I’m not sure.
His unwavering love for Ferrari forces respect anyway.

 

Very interesting, thanks.
I have to admit, I have my doubts about what’s being said about Berger. I can’t imagine Ron Dennis supporting this type of dilettantism for years. (Montoya for example).

 

Had he honored his commitment to Williams he would have won multiple WDCs.
_

 

Broken radio ?

I thought only Mercedes did those, and only for special occasions !

 

Possibly. But I'm not so sure.

Alesi was mostly about raw speed, but it takes more to be a regular winner.

 

That is the opinion of Nigel Roebuck.

Yes it takes a dominant car to be a regular winner.

 

Agree
he has already proved to be able to win championships.( French F3, F3000).

 

It was Williams who didn't honored the agreement, not Jean.

 

I don't think so.

 

There are plenty of stories about fast drivers that were called too irregular to ever be World champions...many say the same about Gilles, yet they forget that when he had a car as competitive as the erst in f.atlantic he won every single race (bar one because the engine failed due to a mistake by his pit crew). And he won it again the next year, when the team was not as good, beating keke. Put Gilles in a reliable and fast car and he would smoke the entire field all day long! Heck he managed to do it a couple of times with the worst car on the grid anyway!

 

Again there are plenty of wrong ideas about Jean, in 96 he was the most regular and reliable driver on the grid, he barely made any mistakes, and only lost Monza because Ferrari were faster than benetton during the pit stops, so it's a bit rich from them to talk crap about Jean.

 

Perhaps he was spectacular... I just don't remember him that way. I remember Alesi as kind of taking up room... over promising and under delivering. He should have stayed with Tyrrell an other year and then gone elsewhere than Ferrari - but even then I'm not sure he had what is needed to win consistently. He thought way to emotionally... and at Ferrari that is not a good recipe. I cant think of 1 "emotional" driver that has won a championship??? I guess Senna could be called emotional but he was also cold hard and concentrating... Alesi in my opinion did not have that. He had a raw talent that was unrefined. Ferrari is not a team for someone with raw talent ... Leclerc is the outlyer ... but even then his talent has been refined over the years .... at Ferrari you have to hit the ground running immediately or else you are done. Look at: Amon, Ickx, Reggazoni, Reuteman, VIlleneuve, Tambay, Arnoux, Alboreato, Johannsen, Berger, Alesi, Capelli, etc... all these guys were top of F3000, F-3 etc... got to F-1 and were sensational and then went to Ferrari to languish.

 

Can't make lemonade without lemons, that's motorsport, no matter how good you are, you can win a couple of races in an inferior car, but if it's bad, you can't be champion.

 

Villeneuve, yes, I agree. had he survived it seemed that 82 or 83 he could have been champion. However, he was still making emotional decisions... that ended up taking his life - to prove he was faster than Pironi, because he was slighted by Pironi at Imola.... When clearly the 126C2 was THE car in 82 - had he kept developing it... this is where people like Lauda, Prost, Senna, Schumacher, Stewart, etc... excel. they don't let others get in their head...they instead keep the pressure on others, including the team. Villeneuve was probably the very last "gentleman" driver. He could be ruthless with the car but not as much with others. Had he had that killer instinct he could have been Champion in 79 - easily by passing Sheckter in several races where he held station. To me, that is what I admire is his loyalty to others and his skill.... but sadly F-1 was changing and he did not recognize it in time.

 

Yes, i know about "les guignols", usualy a bunch of useless ignorants talking about something they know nothing trying to ridicule someone with true talent...

 

Yes, Gilles could have beat Jody in 79, but would that made him a better driver to our eyes? Not to me, not one bit.
I'm pretty sure he would have won it easily in 82 and again in 83. he didn't need to prove he was faster than Didi, his advantage in 82 over Pironi was more than a second in qualifying...not bad if you consider many saw Didier as the second fastest driver!

 

yes, I remember being in his uncles restaurant in Chamonix = they had a huge wall full of his pictures and trophies etc... He just did not learn from Prost like people thought ... i think mostly because Prost was one of those ruthless drivers who takes but does not give back ... but does it so well you don't see it.

Remember that Ferrari at this time was pretty rudderless... Enzo dies in 88, Piero was pushed out in 86-87, and Fiat was constantly shuffling leadership at the F-1 team... this is the same Ferrari that fired Prost for speaking the truth. the 643 drove like a truck. There was no way Alesi was going to do well in that atmosphere, he had no experience of how to survive ... and those that were "looking out for him" were just using them to stay in their positions.

he was a good driver, with lots of natural talent... but he failed to mature. That can only be his fault. BUT he had a good career, and is widely known and respected he made it out alive and is living to tell about it.