1981: You're The Driver

[Aislabie]

Hello and welcome to You're The Driver, a series in which you will be taking on the role of an open-wheel driver in 1981 and trying to steer their career to glory.

In this series, you will not be in charge of a team. Instead, your goal will be to drag your driver to the very top of motorsports through a mixture of shrewd career moves, good RNG and general shithousery. The teams will initially try to follow their real-life trajectory, but will undoubtedly find themselves taking new paths as a result of the choices made by our cohort of drivers.

Whether you choose to try to make a big jump into F1 as a young and inexperienced phenom, or spend more time around F2 building up a strong CV is entirely up to you. There is no way of knowing which will create the best legacy possible. Or the funniest. I’m not going to tell you how to live your character’s life.

- - - - -

An Announcement Regarding Group 7 International Formula Racing

Beginning in the 1981 season, the Commission Sportive Internationale will recognise two international formula racing series with World Championship status. These will be contested according to the rules of Formula One and Formula Two.

The FIA Formula One World Championship will comprise the World Championship of Formula One Drivers, which replaces the previous World Championship of Drivers, and the World Championship of Formula One Constructors, which replaces the previous Internaional Cup for Formula 1 Manufacturers.

The FIA Formula Two World Championship will award the World Championship of Formula Two Drivers, and will replace the previous European Formula Two Championship. Major Formula Two races from outside of Europe will join the series, and will be announced when an official calendar is released in due course.

- - - - -



- - - - -

The races and gameplay of this series will likely get going after the 1990-91 off-season of Scrub Era F1; for now, I am gathering sign-ups nice and early so that I can work on the worldbuilding of real-life results that will be altered by the adoption of real drivers' careers.

[Aislabie]

Signing Up Your Driver

In addition to the Formula One and Formula Two World Championships, drivers in this series will also have the opportunity to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500. Their likelihood of being offered a drive will depend on their merits as a driver, any backing they may bring, and whether they match the traits of drivers their desired teams are looking to join.

That comes later though. First, let’s talk about driver traits:

Driver Traits

There are six preset driver profiles that will help to shape how they approach their careers. These six presets are:

Adventurer
+ Can commit to multiple series at once without a drop in stats
- This reduced focus means a lower maximum skill cap

Demanding
+ Demands dedication from team personnel, often helping chassis development
- Can be a divisive personality type, to the extent of a relationship breaking down

Manufacturer Backing
+ Guaranteed acceptance for a team that uses those engines; can bring engine supply
- This can rule them out of certain drives in teams backed by other manufacturers

Pay Driver
+ Financial improves odds of being accepted by most teams
- Lower starting ability range

Prodigy
+ Has a higher starting ability range
- Wider ranges for year-on-year driver evolution, including downwards

Vanilla
+ No perks
- No handicaps

Lucky Dip
+ Any one of the six perks (including no perk)
- Any one of the six handicaps (including no handicap)

To select your driver traits, fill out the following form:

Name: Luciano Sighinolfi
Nationality: Italian
Born: 1951
Trait: Adventurer

However, rather than the sport being flooded with rookies, there is also the option to Adopting a Career of a real-life driver. Not a World Champion or anything excessive, but any driver with one-or-fewer race wins across Formula One, Le Mans and the Indy 500. There is no restriction on Formula Two wins.

The fictional driver must be the same age and nationality as the driver whose career they are adopting, just to stop things from looking too alien.

Suggested Drivers (not exhaustive)
Vittorio Brambilla
Derek Daly
Bruno Giacomelli
Rupert Keegan
Jean-Pierre Jarier
Nigel Mansell
Hector Rebaque
Keke Rosberg
Patrick Tambay
Mike Thackwell

To adopt a driver’s career, please fill out the following form:

Driver Name: Robert Kagan
Career Adopted: Rupert Keegan

There is no need to follow the real life driver’s career once you have adopted their career.

[Aislabie]

My first driver will be:

Driver Name: Umberto Uccello
Career Adopted: Vittorio Brambilla

Yes, I am starting with an absolute old fart. Unlike Brambilla, Uccello is not content to fade into retirement at the end of 1980.

[Frentzen127]

Driver Name: Leandro Rodriguez-Ferry
Career Adopted: Ricardo Londoño-Bridge

He's an adventurous paydriver with a dip

[Frogfoot9013]

Driver name: Ernesto Armando Kellermann Althoff (Ernesto Althoff)
Nationality: Brazilian
Born: 21st March 1960, Agrolândia, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Driver Adopted: Ayrton Senna

The son of wealthy German-Brazilian landowners in Santa Catarina, Althoff has used his family's money to make the lengthy journey to the United Kingdom to pursue a motorsports career. Though has shown flashes of brilliance in karting, one wonders if making the big jump to Formula 2 so soon is a bit rash.

[Shawn040217]

Driver Name : Réné Decarié (FRA)
Adopted Driver : Richard Dallest (FRA)

Descriptions to be done later.

[Kinnikuniverse]

Driver Name: Mario Lafleur (CAN)
Career Adopted: Jacques Villeneuve Sr.

After impressing in one-make races across eastern Canada and the northeastern united states (mainly road america and watkins glen), Mario climbed up the american single seater ladder and won the formula atlantic title in 1980 with Doug Shierson Racing, earning him a sponsorship by Player's.

Seeing that Mario had potential, Player's is seeking to pay him a drive in Formula 2 in Europe, while Mario made it Clear that he also wants to compete in the Indy 500, be it with Doug Shierson or any other team willing to take him.

[Hermann95]

Driver name: Hermann Quester
Adopted driver: Jo Gartner
Trait: adventurer

Description: TBD

[Rob Dylan]

Driver name: Neil Maxwell
Adopted driver: Nigel Mansell
Trait: crowd favourite, unlucky, drama queen, journeyman (these do nothing, but you wanted flavour!). If I had to pick one that would reflect the real dude, I guess I would go with demanding?

Description: Born and raised in Leeds, he and his wife live on the Isle of Wight and he is a part-time ambulance driver - a job that allows him to drive really fast and not get arrested. Visually he is characterised by his mutton chops, which easily distinguish him from his fellow drivers.

He has got up through the ranks due to his talent more than his money, and his bubbling personality makes him a favourite of the British teams. A very hard worker, he's also a fan favourite due to the fact that things seem to constantly go wrong for him during a race weekend, making him an underdog.

[This Could Be You]

Driver Name: Arsene Senac
Adopted Driver: Alain Prost
Description: One of the most naturally talented drivers in Formula One, noted for both his prodigious qualifying speed and his uncompromising approach to wheel-to-wheel racing, always going for a gap that exists, however miniscule

[novitopoli]

Driver name: Edoardo Ferlaino (ITA)
Adopted driver: Elio de Angelis (ITA)

Description: Born and raised in Naples, Ferlaino is a nephew of SSC Napoli president Corrado Ferlaino, himself a former gentleman driver, who financed the early steps of his nephew's career. The talent shown in Formula 3 between 1977 and 1978 (as well as his uncle's hefty financial support) led to him signing with Shadow, where his racecraft shone to the point Colin Chapman gave him a chance at Lotus ahead of the 1980 season. Often considered one of the last "true gentleman drivers", Ferlaino is known outside the track as a soft-spoken, well-mannered young man with a charming Neapolitan accent.

[CarloSpace]

Name: MAX SPOED
Nationality: Zimbabwe (Rhodesia)
Born: 1954
Trait: Demanding

MAX SPOED #1 needs no introduction. A race winner in the enigmatic 1979 GPR rFactor Championshipand a former South African Formula Atlantic champion, SPOED is looking to make the jump up to the international stage - be it in F2 or a one-off appearance in Kyalami in F1 machinery.

[Aislabie]

My thanks to all of you who have so far submitted drivers.

Your drivers now all have profiles on the Wiki that you can view

Sign-ups are still very much open for those of you who've not submitted a driver yet

[Klon]

Driver Name: Donald Flanagan III (November 19, 1936 in Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA)
Career Adopted: Gordon Johncock

A legend of the American open-wheel racing scene whose accomplishments are nothing short of legendary, Growing up near the Asheville–Weaverville Speedway, he spend many a day in his youth watching tracks at the venue, before making his way into the sport himself.

Ever since his 1976 USAC Championship Car title, Flanagan felt he had nothing left to prove on the American continent and thus is looking to make a splash in the greatest European racing series. His advanced age may make the transition hard, but his talent is undeniable.

[Dom_Wings]

Driver name: Terry Johnson
Adopted driver: Mike Thackwell
Trait: Prodigy

Born: 30 March 1961, Perth, Australia

Description:
Born in Australia, Terry and his family moved to Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand when he was six years old. Later on he began his racing career and showed incredible potential behind the wheel and by 1978 he moved to Europe full-time to pursue his career further. His meteoric rise continued as he finished third in both Formula Ford and British F3 in consecutive years before making the step up to Formula 2 in 1980, finishing eighth overall with a podium to his name.

After a couple F1 outings in 1980, he will instead be concentrating fully on his sophomore campaign in F2. It remains to be seen whether Terry will become New Zealand's newest racing champion, but at his young age, sky's the limit.

[DigitDan7]

Driver name: Roque Araya Campos (26 January 1961, Jaén, Spain) (Roque Araya)
Adopted driver: None
Trait: Vanilla

While most of Spain looks towards motorcycle racing, Roque has his sights set on F1. He's looking for a F2 seat in 1981 in order to gain valuable experience.

[Aislabie]

FORMULA ONE | FORMULA TWO
FIA confirms strict grid sizes for full-time entrants

In an unprecedented move to professionalise Formula One and Formula Two, the FIA has today announced strict grid size restrictions for the top single-seater series.

From the 1981 season onwards, the two World Championship series each will be contested between a grid of 26 full-time entrants, comprising 13 teams of two drivers each. Those thirteen teams will be committed to provide two cars to each round of their respective series except in cases of force majeure, or else will not be eligible for prize money.

This is expected to have some impact on Formula One, where some teams ran with only one car and others as many as three. However, its biggest impact will be felt in Formula Two where grids have historically changed considerably from weekend to weekend.

The FIA was at great pains to stress that it would still consider entries from part-time teams if they were willing to make such a commitment without any chance of Championship prize money; early sources suggest that this is more likely to occur in Formula Two, where prize money comes more from individual events than it does from the overall Championship.

How this will affect teams' preparation for the coming season remains to be seen.

FORMULA ONE
Team ATS merges with Ensign; headquarters to remain in Staffordshire

As a direct result of the recent announcement that all full-time entries to the Formula One World Championship must comprise two cars, two of the series' one-car operations have announced a merger with the intention of keeping their team names in the sport.

It is understood that Mo Nunn of the Ensign Racing team approached the notorious Gunter Schmid with a proposal that would see the German team's name remain on the grid, and the British team's name remain on the car. The result will be known as Unipart Team ATS, and will be providing two upgraded N180B cars for the new season.

It remains to be seen who will be behind the wheel in South Africa, though Jan Lammers and Marc Surer are seen as the incumbent drivers.

FORMULA TWO
Formula Two just got a lot more international

One of the many changes for 1981 was the upgrading of Formula Two from a European Championship to a World Championship, and the effects of that change are exceedingly visible on the calendar that has been announced by the FIA.

Following a lengthy European leg that runs from the International Trophy in late March to the Scandinavian Grand Prix in September, the Formula Two series then takes in three prestigious races in the eastern hemisphere with the Japanese, Australian and Macau Grands Prix rounding off the calendar.

It will be interesting to see how some of the grid's smaller teams cope with the logistics of such a voyage, although there are reports that logistics will be partially subsidised for these events.

[Aislabie]

It's time for you all to find a drive! These are the full-time seats available for Formula One and Formula Two:


LINK IN CASE

• You can apply for any seat on the grid of either series.
• Incumbent drivers are included only to give you a feel for the level of drivers a team expects.
• Drivers may also apply for part-time drives if they are able to find or invent willing part-time efforts in either Formula One or Two.
• You may also apply to drive in the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans if either interests you.

Please use the following form:

Code: Select all

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: Yes / No

Team Preference 1:
Team Preference 2:
Team Preference 3:

========================================
FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: Yes / No

Team Preference 1:
Team Preference 2:
Team Preference 3:

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: Yes / No

Team Preference 1:
Team Preference 2:
Team Preference 3:

========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: Yes / No

Team Preference 1:
Team Preference 2:
Team Preference 3:

All seats will be subject to RNG. You will be able to change your drive mid-season if you are feeling particularly Italian, and some teams may choose to replace you if your contributions are particularly lacking.

[Aislabie]

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: Yes / No

Team Preference 1: Alfa Romeo
Team Preference 2: Osella
Team Preference 3: ATS Ensign
Team Preference 4: Self-funded privateer drive in old Alfa Romeo, San Marino and Italy only

========================================
FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: Yes / No

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: Yes / No

========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: Yes / No

[Kinnikuniverse]

MARIO LAFLEUR (CAN)

1980 FORMULA ATLANTIC CHAMPION

BRINGS PLAYER'S SPONSORSHIP

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: Yes, a one-off at the Canadian Grand Prix

Team Preference 1: Osella
Team Preference 2: Ensign
Team Preference 3: RAM/March

========================================
FORMULA TWO
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Do you wish to race in F2: Yes , in all races except the nurburgring and Mantorp Park.

Team Preference 1: Onyx
Team Preference 2: Schafer
Team Preference 3: Minardi

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: Yes

Team Preference 1: Pat Patrick
Team Preference 2: Jerry O'Connell
Team Preference 3: Alex Morales

[Hermann95]

Jo Gartner's bids:

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: No
========================================
FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: Yes

Team Preference 1: Onyx Racing Team
Team Preference 2: Maurer Motorsport
Team Preference 3: Bertram Schafer Racing

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: No

========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: Yes

Team Preference 1: Jean Rondeau
Team Preference 2: WM AEREM
Team Preference 3: Würth Lubrifilm Team Sauber

[Rob Dylan]

Neil Maxwell

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: Yes / No

Team Preference 1: Brabham
Team Preference 2: Lotus
Team Preference 3: Tyrrell

========================================
FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: Yes / No

Team Preference 1:
Team Preference 2:
Team Preference 3:

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: Yes / No

Team Preference 1:
Team Preference 2:
Team Preference 3:

========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: Yes / No

Team Preference 1:
Team Preference 2:
Team Preference 3:

[Klon]

Donald Flanagan III

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: Yes

Team Preference 1: McLaren
Team Preference 2: Arrows
Team Preference 3: Fittipaldi

========================================
FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: No

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: Yes

Team Preference 1: Patrick Racing
Team Preference 2: Penske Racing
Team Preference 3: Chaparral Cars

========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: No

[Frogfoot9013]

Driver:Ernesto Althoff

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: No

========================================
FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: Yes

Team Preference 1: Colin Bennett Racing
Team Preference 2: Betrtram Schrafer Racing
Team Preference 3: Self-funded

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: No
========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: Yes

Team Preference 1: Any gigascrub team

[Shawn040217]

Driver : Rene Decarie

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: Yes

Team Preference 1: Arrows
Team Preference 2: Ensign

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FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: No, but can be considered if F1 drive is not secured

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: No

========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: Yes

[Dexter249]

Driver Name: Jean-Luc Gagnon
Career Adopted: JP Jarier

[Dexter249]

Jean-Luc Gagnon

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: No.

Gagnon is dropping down to F2 for this season.

========================================
FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: Yes.

Team Preference 1: Bertam Schafer
Team Preference 2: Colin Bennett

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: Yes.

Team Preference 1: Patrick Racing
Team Preference 2: Penske
Team Preference 3: O'connell Racing

========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: Yes.

Team Preference 1: Lancia
Team Preference 2: Porsche
Team Preference 3: Rondeau

[CarloSpace]

MAX SPOED #1

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: Yes but only the South African round if it's one the calendar

Team Preference 1: Whatever teams wants a one-off driver
Team Preference 2: Privately entered old Williams

========================================
FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: Yes

Team Preference 1: Onyx
Team Preference 2: March
Team Preference 3: Horag Hotz

========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: No

========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: No

[novitopoli]

Driver: Edoardo Ferlaino

FORMULA ONE
-----------
Do you wish to race in F1: Yes
Team Preference 1: Lotus
Team Preference 2: Brabham
Team Preference 3: Tyrrell

========================================
FORMULA TWO
-----------
Do you wish to race in F2: No
========================================
INDY 500
--------
Do you wish to race at Indy: No
========================================
LE MANS 24H
-----------
Do you wish to race at Le Mans: Yes (as far as it does not clash with F1)

Team Preference 1: Porsche System
Team Preference 2: Martini Racing
Team Preference 3: Mazdaspeed