Giancarlo Fisichella

[HForce]

I don't think it's because the top teams have ignored him or don't rate him, remember he has driven for Benetton & Jordan both teams are/were Grand Prix winning teams.

He's been in a team at wrong team time

Plus I believe he has bad management - advising him to make bad decisions

[BootsOntheSide]

He hasn't made many decisions over the eyars - he's just taken whatever drives were on offer. Switchign from Jordan to Benetton for 1998 was correct, he got fired by Flavio for 2002 so Jordan was his best option, and Sauber's a decent step up for 2004.

One glance at Giancarlo's records against his team-mates tells you his natural talent is impressive - he destroyed Wurz's career, hammered Sato, severely damaed Button's reputation, and had the better of Ralf Schumacher at Jordan. You don't do that without talent. However, his raceday showigns occasionally lacked gusto, and he's made some bad mistakes at times.

A top drive for 2005 could be the making of him, as the motivation would instantly return. However, with so many great young drivers on the way up,a dn the increasingly tendency to sign drivers for the long haul, will he get the chance?

[darcym]

Fisco scine mid/early last year is managed by Enrico Zanerini (Irvines manager - not the change of Vidal Sponsor ship from Irvine t0 Giancarlo) I think this can't be a bad thing.

Irvine made stacks of money, and after getting with Enrico he moved to a top jap 3000 team, into Jordan, from Jordan to Ferrari, came runner up in 99, and then made a stack of cash at Jaguar.

Either way, he made money, drove for a top team, and had his chance. Things look like they could be moving that way for fisco.

[Snrub]

I find it strange how people take the Brazil result down to "it rained and there was a river on the track so the result doesn't matter." But if a driver wins a race because the car was 95% of the factor then they are a great driver. Makes sense.

I think HForce is exactly correct in his assessment.

[Bononi]

It was a great race and a great win.

Just remember that Jean Alesi won only one race and it was highly ranked, but never a champion.

[avsfan733]

Snrub is right....Fisi didn't spin off, he kept his compusure unlike half of the grid and finished the race. He has seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time a lot and keeps getting passed over for top spots because of the general opinion that he is a midpack driver which i think is unfair

[Smokey 6 litre]

I've been watching F1 for at least as long as Fisi has been in it, and for some reason i dont rate him, its something i cant really state (i normally do have a reason for disliking drivers) I dont think he has the 'spark' that it often visbale in the great drives on the grid (kimmi, JPM and TGF especially) and i think he's doomed to midfield teams until he retires.

[climb]

he probably is, but let me say that, from an italian point of view, it's annoying to see drivers like DC get a prime seat and keep it for years, whwreas a bloke like Fisi, who's certainly not slower than the scot, stuck in the midfield.

[GP Racer]

I think if Fisi doesn't really turn it on this season, it maybe time for him to look to another series for a number 1 seat. Because this has got to be a do or die year for him.

[Inigo Montoya]

If its do or die in a Sauber, then he will die.

[Bononi]

I think you're right. It's do or die, and the chances are for dying.

[Jordi]

I for one think that Fisichella will be much better than Massa. Of course that depends on how the C23 goes, but he'll have the best engine of 2003. If Sauber do a decent car, I'm sure Fisico will drive the wheels off it and score regularly.

[santori]

He's spent most of his career being either overrated or underrated. F1 Racing voted him 3rd best driver in '97 which I thought was just silly. But then in the late-nineties he began to be written off before becoming the next big thing again before opinions sinking a bit again more recently.
(Incidentally, Trulli's reputation almost always swings the other way. Now, just as people seem to be less impressed with Fisi, Jarno's reputation is better than it has been for a couple of years).
I've never been a huge fan - some have compared him to H2F but I don't think he has ever had as good a season as Heinz did in '95 or '99.
The fact that he isn't in a top team needn't be held against him though, for one because in the fairly static F1 market, lesser drivers hang on to top seats for far too long. And for another because he has been chosen for a top seat - when he went to Benetton it was still a major team.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Jordi
I for one think that Fisichella will be much better than Massa. Of course that depends on how the C23 goes,

Are you saying that Fisi will only do better than Massa if the car goes well? :confused:

Imo, no matter how good the car is, he has to do better than Massa or he's finished

[Wrex]

Agreed with that V.

This is his last chance. If Massa cleans him up, he's in trouble. If he smokes Massa, he may not get the Ferrari gig, but neither will Massa.

[GT-Vixen]

I never thought that much of him, couldn't really understand the hype from some people at all. Personally I would think drivers like Kimi, Alonso, and Jenson deserve the hype more. The above three have all made me go wow, some more then once...Fisi has never made me go wow.

[deeks6]

I think a few people are being cruel to Fisi here. He has'nt exactly had any rocketships to drive in his career yet he has still managed to finish in the points almost a third of his races. Regardless of the circumstances, his drive in Brazil was great and wet is a great leveller.

In a decent car, he would be as good as someone like Barrichello for instance.

[Inigo Montoya]

Originally posted by Wrex
Agreed with that V.

This is his last chance. If Massa cleans him up, he's in trouble. If he smokes Massa, he may not get the Ferrari gig, but neither will Massa.

But what reason do we have to believe he won't smoke Massa? He's beaten every other teammate he's had, some of them fairly highly touted.

http://f1-facts.com/statistics/team-mates/Fisichella

Look at the Comparison points.

He will beat Massa, but it won't make a difference. Ferrari have other plans. Read my signature. It can still happen.

[Inigo Montoya]

Originally posted by GT-Vixen
I never thought that much of him, couldn't really understand the hype from some people at all. Personally I would think drivers like Kimi, Alonso, and Jenson deserve the hype more. The above three have all made me go wow, some more then once...Fisi has never made me go wow.

Alonso and Kimi had fast cars. When you are talented, its easy to make someone go "wow" if you have a fast car. Surely you can see that. Button? Were you going "wow" when he was being beaten on a regular basis by his teammate Fisichella. Have a look at the link in the post above, Fisi was a +22 in comparison points (+1 every time he outqualified, outclassified, or had a faster lap than your wow boy Jense)

[GT-Vixen]

Originally posted by Inigo Montoya
Alonso and Kimi had fast cars. When you are talented, its easy to make someone go "wow" if you have a fast car. Surely you can see that. Button? Were you going "wow" when he was being beaten on a regular basis by his teammate Fisichella. Have a look at the link in the post above, Fisi was a +22 in comparison points (+1 every time he outqualified, outclassified, or had a faster lap than your wow boy Jense)

Fast car aspect aside, the driver talent alone made me go wow. I bunch of times aren't going to change my wow factor dude.

[Wrex]

Alright Inigo, settle down

IMO, he will beat Massa. However, I dont think that means much because I think Todt is the only one in pitlane that really rates him.

And even you have to agree bud, he should have blown Firman away much better than he did. He got lazy and disinterested in 2003, which heads him in Villenueve's direction, not Michaels.

[BootsOntheSide]

Fisichella hasn't wowed you? What about Brazil this year, when he kept in on the road when Michael and Button (also on Bridgestones) couldn't?

Belgium 1997, where he qualified fourth adn was the only man who could live with Schumacher's stunning wet-weather display?

His fight to fifth in the inferior Jordan at Austria 2002?

Belgium 2001, where he took the Benetton to third, and even ran second for several laps, holding off much mroe established drivers in better cars?

I'd call those pretty imrpessive moments?

[f1manoz]

Fisichella is far superior to that over-rated Masseur? Massor? Massa? fellow...

And I don't think one poor season (2003 - in which he took his first VICTORY) should count against him when you look at the previous six seasons.

If there was any justice, he'd be in the Williams seat right now.

[GP Racer]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
Fisichella hasn't wowed you? What about Brazil this year, when he kept in on the road when Michael and Button (also on Bridgestones) couldn't?

Belgium 1997, where he qualified fourth adn was the only man who could live with Schumacher's stunning wet-weather display?

His fight to fifth in the inferior Jordan at Austria 2002?

Belgium 2001, where he took the Benetton to third, and even ran second for several laps, holding off much mroe established drivers in better cars?

I'd call those pretty imrpessive moments?

Those were impressive "moments", but almost any driver thats been around as long as Fisi, has had some impressive "moments", and some good races to look back on.

[Inigo Montoya]

Well if you guys don't believe statistics against teammates, the best measure there is of performance, and if you don't believe what Murray Walker, and Eddie Jordan, and all of his fellow drivers say, then - I give up.

EERO - you called me into this thing. Where are you?