What qualities make an F1 driver special?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11117061

That had to be the worst thing I've ever seen.

"Professional drivers are better because they carry more corner speed."

facepalm

that guy did pretty good for only having a little kart experience and then going up against a former F1 driver in an identical car. i wonder how much better he'd get if he was able to tail the F1 guy around the track for a while?

z31maniac wrote: "Professional drivers are better because they carry more corner speed." *facepalm*

Yes, but the magnitude of the difference in their lap times is what I found interesting. The difference between F1 drivers was estimated to be .4 seconds off the pace. The amateur racer was 4.5 seconds off the pace. That's 11.25 times the difference.....

I thought the answer was arrogance.

The are all skinny midgets. That helps.

I thought it was knowing you have a crew of dedicated mechanics in the pits who can usually put humpty dumpty back together again if you run out of skill mid-corner

in all seriousness though, I think it's down to bravery. basically, being able to push until you see jesus, back it down a half a tenth, and stay there the whole lap without soiling yourself

I think the reporter just didn't "go deep enough" into some of the realities of our sport. Hell, If I knew my own lap times were going to be compared to someone who'd been in "The Show", I'd at least get a weekend worth of school with the car beforehand, just to get familiar enough with it to launch it without a stall. But of course, that takes money...

Still bet he woulda been a little closer than 4.5sec if he'd had a little more time in the car.

Otherwise, hearing Davidson say, "This is the moment every driver dreads.." when they went to look at the telemetry was great!

Ability to generate revenue via driving skill and/or sponsorship.

Parents that would take them karting since they where 4?

I watched the IRL race. Now those guys have got some cojones. Racing three abrest into the corner at 200 mph. How many GP drivers can do that ?

I thought the report was decently informative for what it was. That is, an info piece aimed at the masses.

iceracer wrote: I watched the IRL race. Now those guys have got some cojones. Racing three abrest into the corner at 200 mph. How many GP drivers can do that ?

i think that's a penalty in F1- especially if one of the drivers involved is the current F1 golden boy superstar.

The real answer: A serious bankroll behind them.

ArizonaGT wrote: The real answer: A serious bankroll behind them.

Like toyota?

:)

Kendall_Jones wrote: Like toyota? :)

LOL...

I meant the individual drivers, not the teams. Although the teams do have some pretty serious driver-development and scouting programs, racing and performance driving of any sort is an expensive endeavor, so the drivers and their families have to foot the bill until the driver is lucky enough to get a ride...and even then that doesn't mean they're not paying out-of-pocket to be there.