69 replies to this topic

[AutoRacer5]

Senna, answer my question about Verstappen's lap.

[ButtonGod]

I think he is tired talking to you mate.

[AutoRacer5]

he's been doing it for over a year now, stop being a pessimist.

[jemstride]

The greatest opening lap was belgium 98!! What a crash!

[nojvnof1]

I still can't get over seeing Rosset just plunge into the middle of the pack at such a speed. It was carnage!

[Senna]

[F1 FANatic]

biggest crash i have see was Canada '99, i think at least thats what it was

[Wez]

Senna, on Dec 3 2005, 10:55 PM, said:

I downloaded the video of this the other day. It trully was a big one

[Senna]

Wez, on Dec 5 2005, 09:05 AM, said:

I downloaded the video of this the other day. It trully was a big one

Huge.

[pumpdoc]

Not as big as some of the Indy 500 1st lap crashes of the '60's.

[nojvnof1]

I like how Ralf just parked on the side (in the Jordan behind the McLaren of DC), waited for no-one to hit him, then engaged first gear when everything settled down. Very clever and mature.

[monza gorilla]

pumpdoc, on Nov 20 2005, 08:01 PM, said:

John Watsons start at the Long Beach F1 race was a sight to see, If I remember right from last to first(for the race) but on the first lap he was a demon.

I'd love to see that one again.

[Wez]

Actually South Africa's very own Jodie Scheckter caused an even bigger accident at Silverstone in the 70's.

[monza gorilla]

I remember that one. It was at woodcote, I think.

[Kopite Girl]

nojvnof1, on Dec 6 2005, 08:53 AM, said:

I like how Ralf just parked on the side (in the Jordan behind the McLaren of DC), waited for no-one to hit him, then engaged first gear when everything settled down. Very clever and mature.

I agree. Good recall, mate.  

[nojvnof1]

cheers.

[TripFontaine]

I just saw the video, it was awesome!  
Senna was the daddy on rain/wet tracks
I can't think of any recent (post Senna) driver that is/was as dominant as he was on such terrible conditions

AutoRacer5, on Nov 22 2005, 05:49 AM, said:

Can I get an opinion from Senna on this opening lap: Sepang 2001, Jos Verstappen in the Arrows A22 goes from 18th on the grid to 6th by the end of lap 1.

could you post the video?

Edited by TripFontaine, 29 December 2005 - 04:43 AM.

[Senna]

AutoRacer5, on Nov 27 2005, 03:28 AM, said:

Senna, answer my question about Verstappen's lap.

No.  Make me chump.

[AutoRacer5]

? All I request is an opinion.

[Senna]

AutoRacer5, on Dec 30 2005, 04:42 PM, said:

? All I request is an opinion.

I was joking young man.  This topic is about the great Brazilian and it shall remain on topic as long as there is air in my lungs and blood in my veins.

[funkejay]

AutoRacer5, on Nov 26 2005, 09:28 PM, said:

Senna, answer my question about Verstappen's lap.

ButtonGod, on Nov 27 2005, 10:26 AM, said:

I think he is tired talking to you mate.

AutoRacer5, on Nov 27 2005, 08:23 PM, said:

he's been doing it for over a year now, stop being a pessimist.

Senna, on Dec 30 2005, 10:46 AM, said:

I was joking young man.  This topic is about the great Brazilian and it shall remain on topic as long as there is air in my lungs and blood in my veins.

AR5, Senna won't answer because he's a coward, and knows whence not to step onto ground which does not favor him.

Nevertheless, you're clearly correct, Verstappen at Sepang 2001 was a blindingly brilliant lap, and required far more courage, commitment, and sustained skill to overtake that many cars in far more extreme conditions than Senna faced at Donington Park, but the myth makers and nostaglists among us insist on holding up a single event to immortalize the legend of Senna's great wet-weather triumphs.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting that Senna wasn't very likely the greatest wet-weather and/or dry weather driver in the history of the sport (in all likelihood he was), but Verstappen was also extremely well rated as a first lap phenom, and never-more-so than in terrible conditions such as they had in Maylaysia 2001. His opening lap that day outshines Senna's Donnington first lap for pure excitement and overtaking genius, but over the totality of their career, I think it is largely without debate that Senna was the greatest wet weather specialist that F1 has ever seen.

But just don't expect "our" Senna to engage in any debate he might risk losing - his ego simply couldn't take it.........

Edited by funkejay, 30 December 2005 - 07:11 PM.

[Senna]

funkejay, on Dec 30 2005, 07:08 PM, said:

AR5, Senna won't answer because he's a coward, and knows whence not to step onto ground which does not favor him.

Nevertheless, you're clearly correct, Verstappen at Sepang 2001 was a blindingly brilliant lap, and required far more courage, commitment, and sustained skill to overtake that many cars in far more extreme conditions than Senna faced at Donington Park, but the myth makers and nostaglists among us insist on holding up a single event to immortalize the legend of Senna's great wet-weather triumphs.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting that Senna wasn't very likely the greatest wet-weather and/or dry weather driver in the history of the sport (in all likelihood he was), but Verstappen was also extremely well rated as a first lap phenom, and never-more-so than in terrible conditions such as they had in Maylaysia 2001. His opening lap that day outshines Senna's Donnington first lap for pure excitement and overtaking genius, but over the totality of their career, I think it is largely without debate that Senna was the greatest wet weather specialist that F1 has ever seen.

But just don't expect "our" Senna to engage in any debate he might risk losing - his ego simply couldn't take it.........

Senna, on Nov 20 2005, 11:28 PM, said:

I have reservations over this topic.  Firstly, if we are to discuss it seriously we should start an entirely new topic.  Secondly, it is a dubious matter.  How are we to decide which is the best start?  Is the best start the one in which the most cars were overtaken?  If so, we must look at a situation where a top driver in a top car found himself at the back of the grid and quickly made up places.  That would seem reasonable.  However, is that really a great start?  For we must surely consider why the driver was at the back in the first place and also assess the quality of opposition in terms of man and machine he faced in such a lowly, unnatural position.  Then if we go to the other extreme we might say that a clean start from pole is the greatest.  However, this hardly seems satisfactory either.  We could consider endless permutations or dismiss the subject entirely.  The later option seems more sensible.

Edited by Senna, 30 December 2005 - 08:34 PM.

[AutoRacer5]

Avoiding the issue...figures...

[Senna]

AutoRacer5, on Dec 30 2005, 09:30 PM, said:

Avoiding the issue...figures...

Read my post again.  I am not avoiding the issue at all.  I simply don’t think it’s possible to determine what the best ever start in F1 history was and it seems a rather futile activity anyway.

[AutoRacer5]

All I want is an opinion on how you think Verstappen did on that lap, im not asking you to determine if it is the best lap ever.

[Senna]

Yes, a very impressive start but Fizzy is forced to start from the back of the grid as he didn’t correctly take his grid slot on the initial start. Montoya stalls and starts from the pit lane in the spare car.  Raikkonen has transmission failure and doesn’t make it off the grid. All of these drivers qualified ahead of ‘The boss’ but were quickly eliminated so there were three less cars for him to overtake at the start.  Furthermore, Joss also collided with Eddie Irvine in the Pangkor Laut chicane so it was far from a clean start.  He then successfully capitalised on the mistakes of other drivers to overtake them, e.g. Rubens Barrichello.  Jos was very impressive.

[AutoRacer5]

Thank you!

[funkejay]

Good on you Senna for replying to the boy!!!!

Edited by funkejay, 31 December 2005 - 08:29 PM.

[Senna]

I’ve just watched the video again – amazing stuff and I must have seen it a hundred times or more.  For Ayrton Senna to overtake drivers of the calibre of Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Prost (not forgetting the far less talented Karl Wendlinger) in a vastly inferior car, in under a lap, in atrocious conditions, after making a poor start, with traction control available to all…amazing.

[Moose11]

The wet weather is the great equaliser in F1 and Senna showed how great he was on that occasion.  It is an awsome display of driving ability.