Not Pure Ducati based I will grant you, but.. Discussion with friends the other night raised after yours truly made the point as to how disappointed and annoyed I was as to regarding the BBC sports personality of the year and also in the New Years honours list Danny Kent got all of a 2 second mention.. A Brit, the first since Mr Sheene, to win a World Grand prix motorcycle crown, worth little more than a brief .. "oh and by the way" ... The Discussion soon developed to who, in OUR opinion, were our greatest, heart and head, motorcycle, TT and GP championship along with F1 Champions ( not rallying) Mine.. M/C Heart.. Freddie Spencer, world champ at 250 & 500cc in same season.. Head.. Agostini .. Won at TT and GP multi world Champs I'm many classes. F1.. Heart.. Without any doubt... Gilles Villeneuve .. Head.. Jimmy Clark.. It turned out to be a great discussion/argument, with the normal faves mixed in with the slightly different ones .. For instance calls for.. Rossi, Senna and Shumi.. But then there were those that said No, because although they had won so many titles they were also at times known for doggy tactics... Then there were those that said... Dunlop and McGuinness.. .. But others opposed this by saying they couldn't do it on a short circuit.. The flip side was that Rossi and Sheene etc couldn't / wouldn't race at the TT... So who?.. Were your Heart and Head Motorcycle and F1 champs of all time..
F1 - Head - I get what you are saying about dodgy tactics, but for me, the greatest is still Senna. People remember taking Prost out at Suzuka on the 1st corner. But some of his drives were stunning, like Donnington in the wet. Heart - The driver I enjoyed watching the most, wasn't the greatest, didn't win the most titles, most races but was never dull and gave 100%. Nigel Mansell. These days, F1 is a parade. Mansell was just raw, and fast. Motorcycling - Head - Mick Doohan. 5 on the bounce in the top class (and 500's at that. Not mamby pamby 4 strokes) and would have been more if he hadn't almost took his leg off when he was in pole position to win his 1st title. A machine on a bike in his day. Heart - 'Fast Freddie' Spencer. Raw talent and to win the 250cc and 500cc in the same year is difficult beyond belief.
Fantastic hearts and heads mte.. Brilliant choices too... Errrr apart from one.. Nigel B....dy Mansell.. IMO what a Pratt.. Yes never gave up and had the heart of a lion.. But just seemed to crave attention, fainting on the podium etc.. I liked Ricardo Patrassi too, in that beautiful Parmalat Brabham.. Agree f1 is a yawn nowadays.. Used to be down too guts and talent .. Now it's mainly, IMO, down to best car and Stratagies...
Forget the head heart thing..... Bikes: Barry Sheene, IMO.........Just for the sheer doggedness of getting on with it, with half a ton of old iron inside him. F1: Grahame Hill......smooth fella, smooth driver.
Hailwood for me. 1966 tried for a triple 250,350 and 500 got the first 2 but 2nd in the 500 all done on a mixture of road and track. Then Rossi then Surtees then Doohan Cars would be Senna
Plus 1 for Surtees. Brilliant on bikes and in cars and a great human being as well, should also get his K for services to Britain and Sport. Joey D also for doing it himself and his work in Romania. A lot of the names mentioned were great in their own ways but all have there minus sides These two were the best (of course that's only my opinion but I guarantee I'm right!)
Out of the car I wouldn't walk across a crowded pub to have a pint with him, I would with a character like Gerhard Berger. But in the car, Mansell was a joy to watch.
I remember Berger hitting a barrier with his Ferrari and it exploding into a fireball.. That's what many youngsters (fortunate in a way) don't appreciate, everytime they stepped into a race car it WAS with their life in their, and their racemates, hands, the cars were flimsy and they were surrounded by racefuel.. Basically they sat and raced amongst a potential fireball.. I remember when Villeneuve died it was like I'd lost a Brother.. But, they were real heros back then prepared to risk it all for their love of the sport and speed.. Sad to have to say it cause you didn't want to see anyone get hurt or killed, but, the fear, was almost the drug.. I used to listen to Grand Prixs, bikes and cars on the radio.. At the time, it was totally addictive.. X
Jim Reman one of the best, he was the first to win three world championship races in tree different categories in one day. Hailwood and Senna, surtees, Phil Read I was fortunate to grow up watching some fantastic riders. Steve
I think Rossi let himself down this last year and he couldn't tame the Ducati.. Better than Ago! TT winner and Grand Prix World champion..
met and had a good chat with Phil Read at the ace cafe last year (or was it 14?) funny fucker he is. tbh not knowing that much about racing, i'd heard of him but wasnt aware of his achievements. looking at his book that he was selling he has quite a cv! i bought a copy which he signed for me and chatted bout all manner of bollocks for 20 mins or so.. he said he had to do a book as he was skint, having raced in an era where there was little money in it and spunking what little he did earn on booze and bikes. top chap! (havnt read the book yet!)
There are so many brilliant from every eara but for me Rossi, track Joey, road Lauda F1 and Loeb roads However my hero's Rossi, Shenne, Mansell, Senna,
My Favorite bike racer is Kim Newcombe, came 2nd to Phil Read in 1973 in the 500cc World champs after his death, probably would have won if he hadn't been killed with 2 rounds to go, at Stowe corner at Silverstone in a non championship event. He was great not just for his riding but because he developed, built, maintained and rode the Konig and challenged the dominance of the MV Agusta's which were virtually unbeaten since Honda left in 1967. He done it the Kiwi way, on a shoestring budget by the seat of his pants using anything he could afford, find, or steal. My favorite F1 driver was Bruce McLaren for much the same reasons.
