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[onelapdown]

I'm looking to do a series of articles on cult F1 drivers and I'm looking for nominations. The criteria are that the drivers have not had any major success but have one or two defining features or anecdotes that mark them above the average also-ran. My list as it stands is as follows:

Taki Inoue (18 races 1994-95)
Andrea De Cesaris (208 races 1980-94)
Lella Lombardi (12 races 1974-76)
David Purley (7 races 1973-77)
Mike Hailwood (49 races 1963-74)
Giancarlo Baghetti (21 races 1961-67, 1 win)
Perry McCarthy (0 races 1992)
Prince Bira (19 races 1950-54)
Alfonso Antonio Vicente Eduardo Ángel Blas Francisco de Borja Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton aka Alfonso de Portago (5 races 1956-57)
Vitorrio Brambilla (74 races 1974-80, 1 win)
Innes Ireland (50 races 1959-66, 1 win)
Chris Amon (96 races 1963-76)

Any suggestions, additions, subtractions, etc?

[7UpJordan]

Here's some suggestions

Jos Verstappen (1994 - 2003)
Olivier Panis (1994 - 2004)
Jacques Laffitte (1974 - 1986)
Roberto Moreno (1982, 1987 - 1995)

[texasmr2]

Jacques Laffitte is my choice. I was crushed when he hit the barricade at Brands Hatch subsequently ending his F1 career.

[Sam-KK24]

Mika Salo
Mark Webber

[7UpJordan]

Jacques Laffitte is my choice. I was crushed when he hit the barricade at Brands Hatch subsequently ending his F1 career.

He was well into his 40's by then and was still scoring lots of points and podiums too, wonder how many more years he would have gone on? Infact would he still be racing today and keeping Ligier alive? Probably not today as he's 64.

[Lem]

Ukyo Katayama

[texasmr2]

Yes Jacques was still very competative in his early 40's yet what I liked about him the most was his attitude and love for life. The commentator's would ask him "So Jacques how are you feeling and what is your outlook for the race"? His reply 99% of the time be "Well Alain and I had a great round of golf yesterday after qualifying, Jacques and Alain own or owned a golf course together, and I'm very relaxed and just enjoying life and F1"!

His smile was alway's from ear to ear and imho his was one of the LAST true gentlemen in F1.

[7UpJordan]

Yes Jacques was still very competative in his early 40's yet what I liked about him the most was his attitude and love for life. The commentator's would ask him "So Jacques how are you feeling and what is your outlook for the race"? His reply 99% of the time be "Well Alain and I had a great round of golf yesterday after qualifying, Jacques and Alain own or owned a golf course together, and I'm very relaxed and just enjoying life and F1"!

His smile was alway's from ear to ear and imho his was one of the LAST true gentlemen in F1.

And he also turned up to race day in Dallas in his pyjamas! Imagine if anybody did that today? Superlicence revoked by Mad Max? Bollocking from Bernie? Front-page-of-the-Sun scandal?

[onelapdown]

I think Laffite's in then. Can't believe I didn't think of him originally...

Any other ideas?

[McLaren Fan]

Martin Brundle: he was pretty good in the lower Formulae, was not very good in terms of managing his career in terms of what teams to sign for, and when he finally looked to be going somewhere, he had a horrible crash, and he was back where he started. Another driver like that would be Johnny Herbert. Also very good drivers were Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger. Derek Warick and Thierry Boutsen also spring to mind.

[texasmr2]

Also we cannot forget about Marc Surer! I saw some spectacular speed from him and fell out of my chair watching the rally where he crashed ending his motorsport's career.

[onelapdown]

Ah yes, Christian Danner - the first F1 driver to wear an earring...

[EwanM]

Aguri Suzuki

Don't forget Johnny Dumfries

[texasmr2]

Don't forget Johnny Dumfries

Ah yes the Earl of Dumfries I liked him.

[Denthúl]

I agree with the suggestions of Brundle, Alesi and Salo. But what counts as major success?