F1 drivers that you think get too much hate

[LellaLombardi]

I agree, and hate is too strong a word. There are a few drivers who I think are a bit of a cock, but I am always prepared to change my opinion of them if they prove themselves. I really disliked Alonso a few years ago, especially after his temper tantrums at McLaren and I still don't believe he had nothing to do with crashgate. But I really have to admire what he is doing with the Ferrari this year, and how he has conducted himself there generally.

Also drivers, like everybody else, change over their careers. Lewis Hamilton is showing a more mature attitude, and the article on this site about Jenson Button and his playboy lifestyle written in 02-ish is particularly interesting. It's why I find it slightly annoying when people keep trotting out things that Schumacher did 15+ years ago. I would hate to be judged for who I am now on things I did 15 years ago because everyone does stupid things sometimes!

[aliefbielefeld]

i think Takuma Sato is a decent driver especially after those incredible laps he did in this year Indy 500 before bathplug Franchitti closed the room and crashed.
I was so pissed off by that because i think after 6 years in F1(ex 2003) he deserved better luck in F1, maybe he could've done better in F1 if he isn't a Japanese driver. Why ?? because he i think is continually pressurized by Honda who backed his career all the time and being the only Japanese driver in the F1 field is i think quite hard for him

[dr-baker]

It's why I find it slightly annoying when people keep trotting out things that Schumacher did 15+ years ago. I would hate to be judged for who I am now on things I did 15 years ago because everyone does stupid things sometimes!

Alas, it isn't just what Schumi did 15+ years ago that annoys me about him (Adelaide '94, Jerez '97) (although it did cloud my judgement of him). You can add Canada 1998, Austria 2002, Monaco qually 2006, Hungary 2010, plus USA 2002. None of these incidents warmed me to him. And these are throughout his career, not all in one cluster of his career.

[Sunshine_Baby_[IT]]

It's why I find it slightly annoying when people keep trotting out things that Schumacher did 15+ years ago. I would hate to be judged for who I am now on things I did 15 years ago because everyone does stupid things sometimes!

The thing which annoys me more about Schumacher, is that is full career is often judged from certain facts as Adelaide 1994 and Jerez 1997, and forgetting or not considering nothing about all the other more than 150 grand prix he raced.

i think Takuma Sato is a decent driver especially after those incredible laps he did in this year Indy 500 before bathplug Franchitti closed the room and crashed.
I was so pissed off by that because i think after 6 years in F1(ex 2003) he deserved better luck in F1, maybe he could've done better in F1 if he isn't a Japanese driver. Why ?? because he i think is continually pressurized by Honda who backed his career all the time and being the only Japanese driver in the F1 field is i think quite hard for him

I agree. Sato was often described during his F1 time as the worst driver racing in F1 or the worst driver ever...
He naturally wasn't. Right, he wasn't the best, but except his horrible season in 2005, his career was not so bad. He had some good results in the previous season and later at Super Aguri. He didn't get any point in 2006, but it was because he was driving the worst car on the grid. In 2007, when the car was at least decent, he had a good season and was the only Super Aguri driver ever finishing in the points, and he did it in two races (overtaking Alonso in Canada - one of best moment in F1 history). I'm pleased to see that his Indycar results are not so bad.

[dr-baker]

I agree. Sato was often described during his F1 time as the worst driver racing in F1 or the worst driver ever... He naturally wasn't.

You only need look at his previous teammate, Yuji Ide, to know that he was, by a long way, not even the worst driver to have come out of Japan!

[CoopsII]

You can add Canada 1998, Austria 2002, Monaco qually 2006, Hungary 2010, plus USA 2002. None of these incidents warmed me to him. And these are throughout his career, not all in one cluster of his career.

They cannot all be pinned on him though can they? Its like making Hockenheim 2010 (Can-You-Confirm-Gate) a black mark entirely on Alonso.

[dr-baker]

You can add Canada 1998, Austria 2002, Monaco qually 2006, Hungary 2010, plus USA 2002. None of these incidents warmed me to him. And these are throughout his career, not all in one cluster of his career.

They cannot all be pinned on him though can they? Its like making Hockenheim 2010 (Can-You-Confirm-Gate) a black mark entirely on Alonso.

But the fact that there are that many incidents which include him means you can't entirely rule him out either. But as I said earlier, if if he is innocent, the earlier 'incidents' do cloud a person's judgement and the latter incidents do not help to shift those pre-existing preconceptions of the driver, it is sad to say.

[Sunshine_Baby_[IT]]

I agree. Sato was often described during his F1 time as the worst driver racing in F1 or the worst driver ever... He naturally wasn't.

You only need look at his previous teammate, Yuji Ide, to know that he was, by a long way, not even the worst driver to have come out of Japan!

For sure. Compared Japanese drivers who competed in F1 before Super Aguri withdrew (so not considering Kobayashi), I don't say that Sato is for sure the best of them, but I suppose he could be considered as one of the best Japanese F1 drivers.

[Salamander]

I agree. Sato was often described during his F1 time as the worst driver racing in F1 or the worst driver ever... He naturally wasn't.

You only need look at his previous teammate, Yuji Ide, to know that he was, by a long way, not even the worst driver to have come out of Japan!

For sure. Compared Japanese drivers who competed in F1 before Super Aguri withdrew (so not considering Kobayashi), I don't say that Sato is for sure the best of them, but I suppose he could be considered as one of the best Japanese F1 drivers.

I'd say Sato was probably one of the best Japanese drivers in F1, up there with Katayama and Satoru Nakajima.

[Sunshine_Baby_[IT]]

You only need look at his previous teammate, Yuji Ide, to know that he was, by a long way, not even the worst driver to have come out of Japan!

For sure. Compared Japanese drivers who competed in F1 before Super Aguri withdrew (so not considering Kobayashi), I don't say that Sato is for sure the best of them, but I suppose he could be considered as one of the best Japanese F1 drivers.

I'd say Sato was probably one of the best Japanese drivers in F1, up there with Katayama and Satoru Nakajima.

I agree with you.

[CoopsII]

Alas, it isn't just what Schumi did 15+ years ago that annoys me about him (Adelaide '94, Jerez '97) (although it did cloud my judgement of him). You can add Canada 1998, Austria 2002, Monaco qually 2006, Hungary 2010, plus USA 2002. None of these incidents warmed me to him. And these are throughout his career, not all in one cluster of his career.

Sorry to drag this up again but having looked at your listed examples I think a couple of them are quite poor examples. Canada 1998 was hardly on a par with Adelaide 1994, if being given a penalty makes him a wrong 'un then nearly all of the F1 drivers are too. Equally, Austria 2002 was a team decision, hardly MSC at his moustace-twirling worst, wheras Monaco 2006 clearly was, although how dumb do you have to be to think no-one would notice what he was trying to do? Hungary 2010 (That-Was-Horrible-gate) I agree was Evil-MSC, although I personally doubt Rubens' life was in peril. And USA 2002 was, again, a team decision (in Barrichellos favour this time).

I think his actual Bad Deeds have meant that minor ones (the sort that other drivers could do) automatically are perceived as worse than they are, theres no smoke without fire etc.

For the life of me I dont know how I seem to have morphed into Defender Of Schumacher I'll stop now

[dr-baker]

I think his actual Bad Deeds have meant that minor ones (the sort that other drivers could do) automatically are perceived as worse than they are, theres no smoke without fire etc.

For the life of me I dont know how I seem to have morphed into Defender Of Schumacher I'll stop now

The point you made here is the point I have been trying to make all along!