LM24 Race How evil is Anthony Davidson? (THREAD CLOSED)

**Adam43** · 13 Jun 2010, 11:39 (Ref:2710932)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6157

For me, it's one of the most disrespectful experiences I've ever seen from a race car driver.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio Le Mans

Davidson was driving like a dick

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiorentina 1

Anthony Davidson is a tool! Just because he's an ex-F1 backmarker, doesn't make him a Le Mans race winner. There are some guys that are capable of winning Le Mans by driving at 99% for 24-Hours and then there are guys like Davidson, Ayari & Lamy who can do a few fast laps but will always cross the line and go off. ...

Quote:

***** ***** **** *****

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ_N_09

I am so angry right now.

etc...

He was too aggressive when passing the Corvette (IMHO), but is he really the next BP, or is he a racing racing driver?

His reply:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/84435

Quote:

Originally Posted by AD

Everyone's blaming me, but it wasn't me at all - it was completely his fault, I was down the inside and there was no contact.
...
I'll take as many risks as I need to win the damn thing. They told me to push and I did. I drove every lap like a quali lap, even coming into the pitlane - I didn't come here to finish third.

A hot topic for discussion. Play within the rules.

**ghinzani** · 13 Jun 2010, 12:03 (Ref:2710974)

From what I hear he is on the same level as Ted Bundy, Caryl Chessman and Hitler. Thats what I hear though... In other news he is often known by his alter ego evil supervillain name of 'the Prawn'.

rdjones · 13 Jun 2010, 12:22 (Ref:2710986)

Quote:

From Oliver Gavin on Facebook - Just listened to Anthony Davidson's interview on Speed, staggered by his arrogance!!! He believes that we should just get out the way for him... It shows how little he understands about sportscar racing... There are 4 classes in this race, all individually as important as each other, no class has any more right than an...other. We all have to exist on track together. He said it's Manu's fault and deserved to go off!!!!

I like Davidson, but he has gone way in my estimation following his comment's this morning

marcosgt · 13 Jun 2010, 12:36 (Ref:2711000)

Some of his quoted comments seem a bit thoughtless, but I'm not sure he was as guilty as many are making out.

If there was contact, it was light - Looked more like the Vette driver saw him at the last moment and swerved to miss him.

His move on the Vette seemed more judged than Kristensen's determination to keep his foot hard in when Priaulx moved left, but I think questioning Tom K's driving is likely to get a fatwah issued on anyone doing so

Shame for the Vette team (Although was the engine failure REALLY directly attributable to the rear end shunt given that the other car had already lost its engine?), but the cause of the car's crash seemed much less clearcut than the Aston one last year that got the driver excluded (and that seemed heavy handed too).

I guess many will think Davidson got his just desserts anyway with his car expiring...

M

XJR14/WSC95 · 13 Jun 2010, 12:48 (Ref:2711014)

I think Davidson’s comments were not in keeping with good sportsmanship. But at the end of the day the pro American commentary on speed was far more over the top. I have never in the last 25 years of watching motorsport, have I heard a commentary team so one-sidedly blame a driver for an incident that contained no contact... After watching the replay that has been replayed a hundred times the Pug was all the way up the side of the vett well before the next left like a thousand other Proto on GT pass that have taken place all race. A driver of the experience of Manu's should have known to slow being that wide. Shore I think he was pushing extremely hard but that’s racing… There have been far more disgraceful maneuvers performed in this event and at other major events on both sides of the Atlantic this year.

EsbenT · 13 Jun 2010, 13:19 (Ref:2711042)

I agree completely with the previous two posts.

I mean, just put yourself in Collard's driving shoes for this one: You're in a GT2. You're leading your class comfortably (this one is important). You've got a Peugeot closing in on you. You're approaching the Porsche curves. What is the first thought that crosses your mind when I pose this scenario? Personally it's "That moron is going for the first gap he sees, and I should do anything I can in order to avoid anything stupid happening."

**FIRE** · 13 Jun 2010, 13:26 (Ref:2711050)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwCLnXOQ5n0

The Peugeot has the inside line and is alongside the Vette.

bdwoody · 13 Jun 2010, 13:26 (Ref:2711051)

arm chair racers again , race for 10 + hours and then make some comments. i think you may well say some things on the hoof that may well be taken wayyy out of context and or what you didn't really meen.thats racing folks !!

cptkablamo · 13 Jun 2010, 13:44 (Ref:2711065)

It's one of those things, whatever happened on track, he should have chosen his words better when being interviewed...

**GTRMagic** · 13 Jun 2010, 14:33 (Ref:2711110)

Interview with Davidson

About the Ferrari, sounding almost contrite!

gwyllion · 13 Jun 2010, 14:50 (Ref:2711126)

Don't forget that Collard has plenty of endurance experience, both in GT and LMP (e.g., Pescarolo, Porsche RS Spyder, Toyota GT-One). He knows how to pass slower cars and get passed by faster cars.

Bramzel · 13 Jun 2010, 14:57 (Ref:2711132)

Judging from the YouTub vid I can't say Davidsons to blame for this one, though an onboard shot would be better material to base an opinion on.

RoeDent · 13 Jun 2010, 15:02 (Ref:2711139)

I've decided I don't like this guy. After his 'outburst' yesterday at being called a 'commentator' during an interview on Speed (talking about his BBC work), he went down in my book.

gwyllion · 13 Jun 2010, 15:10 (Ref:2711150)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bramzel

Judging from the YouTub vid I can't say Davidsons to blame for this one, though an onboard shot would be better material to base an opinion on.

I don't think people blame Davidson for the crash. His move was very optimistic to say the least. The main problem is his arrogance in interviews afterwards, stating that Collard "deserved it". No apology what so ever for ruining Corvette's race.

TRuss · 13 Jun 2010, 15:12 (Ref:2711153)

I was waiting for this thread. His behavior in and out of the car was clearly unprofessional all weekend. I used to think highly of the guy. The Corvette was not the only incindent he was involved with. Even public criticism of team mates. Possible Napoleonic complex? He would not return to my team.

gwyllion · 13 Jun 2010, 15:22 (Ref:2711162)

Wurz and Gene won last year because they drove safely. So if they see their new team mate getting airborne over the curbs on his in lap, I can imagine that they were not so happy with his driving style.

AndrewF31 · 13 Jun 2010, 15:29 (Ref:2711164)

If he ever races in slower cars and is leading his class or racing, period, he'll deserve the same treatment by a faster car.
Just because you're lapping another car, doesn't mean the other car needs to stop immediately and roll out the red carpet. Come on!
And only because this is a Peugeot, he wasn't black flagged. I wouldn't go as far to say as Eurosport said, to exclude him like Stuart Hall was, because Stuart had done this type of thing many times.

Shame these guys don't think before they talk, and shame their teams don't control these guys more. Those stupid interviews could have been avoided.

Fiorentina 1 · 13 Jun 2010, 15:32 (Ref:2711166)

He's a good driver, but he IS NOT an endurance driver. He is not a Le Mans race winning driver. He should go back to sprint races.

It doesn't matter what we think, or what the past class winning drivers at Corvette think or what the pros at Speed TV think; it matters what the Peugeot team thinks. I doubt very much he'll be in that car next year. I'd put Duval in the car with Gene & Wurz next season.

gwyllion · 13 Jun 2010, 15:35 (Ref:2711167)

For people who did not hear the interview. Just read http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/84435

Quote:

Everyone's blaming me, but it wasn't me at all - it was completely his fault. I was down the inside and there was no contact. They were in the lead and I didn't know that. When you're in the lead you take fewer risks, I was on a mission out there.

I ended up on the racing line, it was a passing move on the inside. The GT cars can make your life difficult there - they don't like you to pass them in the Porsche Curves - I know that because I was the same when I was in a GT car here. But they don't need to, we're so much faster and it's so easy to do, just stay on the outside.

I'm sorry for them, but I didn't even know he'd gone off because we didn't touch.

I'll take as many risks as I need to win the damn thing. They told me to push and I did. I drove every lap like a quali lap, even coming into the pitlane - I didn't come here to finish third.

He explicitely says that he would drive the same line in a GT car and still he expected Collard not to

rdt012237 · 13 Jun 2010, 15:48 (Ref:2711172)

The incident reminds me of the title of a book about Imsa racing in the early days "Fast guys,Rich guys,and IDIOTS.

tux1234 · 13 Jun 2010, 15:49 (Ref:2711173)

At the risk of being lynched i have to say after watching the accident multiple times i think everyone is being incredibly harsh to Anthony. He was alongside maybe even ahead of the Corvette turning into the left hand turn and there was no contact between the 2 cars.

cmk · 13 Jun 2010, 16:01 (Ref:2711182)

I've been watching in the incident in replays just now, having missed it happening live. The move was rather optimistic but there was no contact; it seemed that it could have been some combination of moving offline, air disturbance or maybe even a lift causing the back end to step out on Manu.

What I don't think is appropriate is saying he 'deserved it'. As far as I can tell, the Vette does move from the outside back towards the left while the Peugeot is alongside, squeezing him. I'm sure he either did not notice the Peugeot or was trying to maximize his grip in order to make the corner without lifting if, indeed, that could or did cause him to lose the back end.

Summary: Davidson's driving not that great, Davidson's microphone manner more questionable.

ensign14 · 13 Jun 2010, 17:51 (Ref:2711272)

Quote:

Originally Posted by tux1234

At the risk of being lynched i have to say after watching the accident multiple times i think everyone is being incredibly harsh to Anthony. He was alongside maybe even ahead of the Corvette turning into the left hand turn and there was no contact between the 2 cars.

Yeah, having watched that, the Vette lost it when Davidson was ahead...

JAG · 13 Jun 2010, 18:22 (Ref:2711307)

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwCLnXOQ5n0

The Peugeot has the inside line and is alongside the Vette.

I've just watched that for the first time.

The Corvette driver clearly lost it.

Bernard Bram · 13 Jun 2010, 18:24 (Ref:2711310)

The move was aggressive but acceptable imho. Typical racing incident. As to his comments, that's really uncalled for and he deserves the criticism he's got for that. Not for the move.

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