Best driver who didnt become champion

[TheViewer]

I don't really see how Montoya can ever be seriously mentioned in the list. The season he came closest was 2003 but he only won 2 races, and didn't have the performance to win the championship. The most races he won in a single season was 3, comparing to 7 won by Raikkonen. Obviously to win 7 races out of 94 starts isn't bad, but never did he show pace or consistency throughout an entire season, which is how you win championships. Drives like Germany 2003 were stunning, but he couldn't do this for the whole season. For most of his career he drove cars that could win races and he had the chances to win the championship, and therefore I believe he can't be considered the best driver not to win the championship.

[Totopupu]

I don't really see how Montoya can ever be seriously mentioned in the list

WHAT ?!?!?

2001: He make a great season and he was almost winning at Brazil 2001. In Japan, his battle with Barrichello was fantastic. He make a fantastic race at Hockhenheim too and a great move on Trulli in Imola.

2002: He is the unique driver to try to attack Schumacher. I remember Australia, start of Malaysia and Brazil, Silverstone under rain, Canada but he had an engine failure, ....

2003: a lot of engine failure and amazing race, a brilliant move on Schumacher at Nurburgring, he could also win the championship without a penality in USA, and an engine problem in Japan

2004: good season with a victory in his last race with Williams.

2005 and 2006 were not good for Montoya



======Montoya is the best driver who didnt become champion

[TheViewer]

ok I'll tell you why I conclude differently.

I agree with what you say in your last post. Those were impressive things. But why I conclude differently is because of the things that he didn't do, but others did do:

2001: Schumacher won 9 races (more than Montoya in his entire career)

2002: Schumacher won 11 races

2003: Montoya beaten by both Schumacher and Raikkonen in the championship when arguably he had a car which could win the championship.

2004: Good season? I'm not so sure, he didn't seem to have much motivation and do very well, but anyway Schumacher had a better season.

I think Schumacher deserved to win the championship more than Montoya because over the entire season he did better.

2005: Montoya was beaten by Raikkonen. If you can't beat your team-mate then you can't be the best, can't be the champion.

On his day Montoya was the best. But he was never good enough over the whole year which is why I don't think he was the best driver not to win the championship.

[phil1993]

ok I'll tell you why I conclude differently.

I agree with what you say in your last post. Those were impressive things. But why I conclude differently is because of the things that he didn't do, but others did do:

2001: Schumacher won 9 races (more than Montoya in his entire career)

2002: Schumacher won 11 races

2003: Montoya beaten by both Schumacher and Raikkonen in the championship when arguably he had a car which could win the championship.

2004: Good season? I'm not so sure, he didn't seem to have much motivation and do very well, but anyway Schumacher had a better season.

I think Schumacher deserved to win the championship more than Montoya because over the entire season he did better.

2005: Montoya was beaten by Raikkonen. If you can't beat your team-mate then you can't be the best, can't be the champion.

On his day Montoya was the best. But he was never good enough over the whole year which is why I don't think he was the best driver not to win the championship.

true, he had incredible drives like Germany 2003 where no-one could catch him, but other days where he was c**p and not champion material.

[JoostLamers]

I saw a documentary about Gilles Villeneuve the other day. Including the accident it was terrible, and the worst part is that it could have been avoid! Man-o-Man! He was just thrown out of his car! Really terrible. He was not dead immediately, he was in coma, but he would have died when coming out of the coma, his neck was destroyed; horrible!
Who was the driver involved? A German I thought? He was also in the documentary; he has a trauma of that incident. His son is a young driver, don't know which series he's in. But he once had to drive on Zolder; after the race his dad fell into his arms, he was so happy his son 'survived'. A very impressive documentary.

[swca92]

It was Jochen Mass driving a March. He also had a massive accident at Paul Ricard that year which could have killed several hundred spectators. I feel desperately sorry for him, it was a racing accident that wasn't really his fault and another driver's dead.

[Senninha25]

Gilles Villeneuve for sure. He had the talent and the b*** to challenge for the championship. If it wasn't for his fatal crash, he would've probably wound up being a champion sooner or later in his career. There was no driver who pushed their cars more than Gilles Villeneuve. He drove his car with a rear-tyre puncture and in another grand prix he drove with a broken front-wing.

I saw a documentary about Gilles Villeneuve the other day. Including the accident it was terrible, and the worst part is that it could have been avoid! Man-o-Man! He was just thrown out of his car! Really terrible. He was not dead immediately, he was in coma, but he would have died when coming out of the coma, his neck was destroyed; horrible!
Who was the driver involved? A German I thought? He was also in the documentary; he has a trauma of that incident. His son is a young driver, don't know which series he's in. But he once had to drive on Zolder; after the race his dad fell into his arms, he was so happy his son 'survived'. A very impressive documentary.

The german driver is Jochen Mass, former McLaren driver and GP Winner.

[blizzard]

I saw a documentary about Gilles Villeneuve the other day. Including the accident it was terrible, and the worst part is that it could have been avoid! Man-o-Man! He was just thrown out of his car! Really terrible. He was not dead immediately, he was in coma, but he would have died when coming out of the coma, his neck was destroyed; horrible!
Who was the driver involved? A German I thought? He was also in the documentary; he has a trauma of that incident. His son is a young driver, don't know which series he's in. But he once had to drive on Zolder; after the race his dad fell into his arms, he was so happy his son 'survived'. A very impressive documentary.

Ok thx for the info, didn´t know that.

Jochen Mass was a TV commentator in 96 and 97, when talking about Jacques Villeneuve, there wasn´t any change in his voice and he never mentioned Gilles. So I always asked myself: Doesn´t he care about the accident or what?

I also didn´t know that he wasnt dead immediately. I alaways thought he died instantly from the impact against the fence. Did he die the same day or later? They should have tried to get him out of the coma, if he was still alive. Remember Christopher Reeve the Superman actor, he suffered a broken neck but lived another 10 years or so in a wheelchair.

[dweller23]

I saw a documentary about Gilles Villeneuve the other day. Including the accident it was terrible, and the worst part is that it could have been avoid! Man-o-Man! He was just thrown out of his car! Really terrible. He was not dead immediately, he was in coma, but he would have died when coming out of the coma, his neck was destroyed; horrible!
Who was the driver involved? A German I thought? He was also in the documentary; he has a trauma of that incident. His son is a young driver, don't know which series he's in. But he once had to drive on Zolder; after the race his dad fell into his arms, he was so happy his son 'survived'. A very impressive documentary.

Ok thx for the info, didn´t know that.

Jochen Mass was a TV commentator in 96 and 97, when talking about Jacques Villeneuve, there wasn´t any change in his voice and he never mentioned Gilles. So I always asked myself: Doesn´t he care about the accident or what?

I also didn´t know that he wasnt dead immediately. I alaways thought he died instantly from the impact against the fence. Did he die the same day or later? They should have tried to get him out of the coma, if he was still alive. Remember Christopher Reeve the Superman actor, he suffered a broken neck but lived another 10 years or so in a wheelchair.

Mass had really bad time after that crash, a lot of people blamed him, but it wasn't his fault. As he said - last time he saw Villeneuve behind him, he was in his left mirror, so he moved right (might say wrong wrong directions, could be right mirror and moving to left) and then the crash happened as Villeneuve moved that side as well...

[nickel]

Gilles Villeneuve got my vote without a doubt, but I'd like to nominate Heinz-Harald Frentzen to the list as well. The guy was just too mild mannered...

[Haukinen]

G. Villeneuve.

He would have taken the title in 1982...

And BTW: Barrichello still owns the chance to become one

[phil1993]

YUJI IDE

[JoostLamers]

I saw a documentary about Gilles Villeneuve the other day. Including the accident it was terrible, and the worst part is that it could have been avoid! Man-o-Man! He was just thrown out of his car! Really terrible. He was not dead immediately, he was in coma, but he would have died when coming out of the coma, his neck was destroyed; horrible!
Who was the driver involved? A German I thought? He was also in the documentary; he has a trauma of that incident. His son is a young driver, don't know which series he's in. But he once had to drive on Zolder; after the race his dad fell into his arms, he was so happy his son 'survived'. A very impressive documentary.

Ok thx for the info, didn´t know that.

Jochen Mass was a TV commentator in 96 and 97, when talking about Jacques Villeneuve, there wasn´t any change in his voice and he never mentioned Gilles. So I always asked myself: Doesn´t he care about the accident or what?

I also didn´t know that he wasnt dead immediately. I alaways thought he died instantly from the impact against the fence. Did he die the same day or later? They should have tried to get him out of the coma, if he was still alive. Remember Christopher Reeve the Superman actor, he suffered a broken neck but lived another 10 years or so in a wheelchair.

He died on the way to the hospital. But he would have died immediately, the moment he was taken out of coma: His neck was ripped apart from his back, it was still attached to eachother, but only with flesh..

It was the best and most impressive documentary of all subjects I have ever seen!

[sejtur]

Gilles! It was probably the documentary on Belgium television that you saw?
Amazing documentary.

[blizzard]

Gille´s drive at Long Beach 1979 was worthy of a great champion. Brilliant drive, showed his talent that day and used his brain.