Jean Alesi - how many F1 races could he have won?

[x_dt]

Jean Alesi ultimately won just one Grand Prix (Canada 1995) and that was because Michael Schumacher was unlucky that day. The question is how many races could he have won if things had gone his way (what if???)? Surely at least quite a few.

Certainly he was unlucky not to win the following:

> Belgium 1991 - pulling away from a gearbox-troubled Senna when his car broke.

> Monza 1994 - in a race of his own until he failed to rejoin after his first stop.

> Monza 1995 - late race wheelbearing failure whilst leading comfortably.

> Nurburgring 1995 - notwithstanding an excellent comeback drive by Schumacher.

> Monaco 1996 - car failure with the race in the bag (OK by right this race should have gone to Hill but Alesi was on course for an easy win at the time he hit trouble)


There are others as well but they are left open for debate - the above were the races that sprung to mind.

Alesi should surely have won more races than he did but at least he did get one win thus avoiding the comparison with Chris Amon.

[Andyc]

Am I right in thinking that Alesi was going to go to Williams for 1991, but Ferrari offered him a drive before he signed for Williams. How history could have changed.

In reply to your questiom, yes he should have won more, but the Ferrari let him down many times.

Also he should have won at Monza in 1997, when a slower pitstop cost him the lead.

[Fish_Flake]

This makes me ask the question again: Who was better, Jean Alesi or Johnny Herbert?

[Kex]

Monza '95 summed up Alesi's career.

[alfasud]

Alesi had the misfortune to join Ferrari at the wrong time. Amon left at the wrong time. I'm told that Amon saw early tests of the flat-12 boxer engines self destruct and decided they wouldn't be any good and that was one of the reasons he left. Ferrari fixed the problems and other drivers went on to win races and championships.

[RWC]

Interesting question flake.Leaving aside their common trait of bad luck, i'd imagine that alesi had more talent(..but what about herbert's early days)and johnny was perhaps more consistant(?)

[Lee Janotta]

Watch Pheonix 1990. Alesi was better.

[Fish_Flake]

I always thought Alesi was, but there are plenty of people (typically Brits) who feel otherwise. Alesi, in my perspective, was an Amon-like driver, who was at the level of the very best, but always had something that kept him from being on of the greats. Herbert, on the other hand, was a very lucky driver whose three wins were taken only when all the other contenders eliminated themselves.

[f1manoz]

Alesi had bucketloads of natural talent and wore his heart on his sleeve. But he made some very poor decisions and often let his temperament stand in his way.

On talent alone, Alesi should have won many, many grand prixs, but poor decision making robbed him of probable wins and possible championships. I think it's a tragedy that in the record books, under wins next to Alesi it only has that solitary victory.

Sometimes the statistics are just unfair.

[corkholio]

Alesi was the best pure racer I have ever seen (though I have not seen that many drivers in my lifetime). Just watch the way the guy drove in the rain. Herbert was more of a smooth driver, but when given the right car in the right conditions, Alesi could have beaten anyone, including Senna and Schumacher. Trouble is that rarely happened for him. He won one and that's the way it will stay.

Even Michael holds him in high regards.

[jiminee]

He actually had a signed Williams contract in his briefcase but then Ferrari offered him the drive, he spoke to Frank Williams and asked to be let out of his contract, Frank agreed if Jean agreed to give him the car at the end of the season or something, which is why there is a Ferrari in the Williams museum, it really stands out to!
I think that is about right, bar a few minor details, if he had not gone to Ferrari ( I assume an emotional rather than a racing decision) who knows what could have happened!

[MiniMe]

One of the best F1 duels ever was Alesi v Senna, methinks it was Monaco early 90s (but I'm usually wrong) where Alesi was leading, Senna did a brilliant overtaking maneourve to pass Alesi on the tight circuit, and Alesi got him back again on the very next corner! Even Senna praised the young Alesi.

One of the most embarrassing F1 moments ever was Alain Prost being interviewed on the pit wall with Alesi doing a pit stop in the background - methinks in Prost's last year as a team (but I'm usually wrong). Prost was saying how well he thought his team was doing when behind him, Alesi stalled it and the look of horror/disgust/shame/anger on Prost's face was priceless.

Those two moments in Alesi's career define him for me - a brilliant start full of promise but too many fluffed and missed opportunities. Yes I suppose Alesi could have won more GP, but he didn't.

[x_dt]

Suzuka 1995 was vintage Alesi - despite a stop-and-go and a spin when trying to pass Pedro Lamy he was back on MS's tail until the driveshaft broke (possibly as a result of the Lamy spin).

Surely, therefore, if Alesi hadn't picked up the penalty he would have been looking good for the win.

If only.....

[racer69]

Came close at Monza in 1997 as well

[krt917]

Think you do sum up Jean's career pretty well MiniMe, though the Alesi-Senna duel was at Phoenix - cheeky move that was. He did also hve a good race at Monaco, I think he was second between the two McLarens (though he had caused an accident at the first start that brought out the red flags - though am not sure on that one, better get the video out).

He definitely should have won more, though - as has already been said - at least he did get one. What about poor old Martin Brundle: Senna's main opposition in F3, fantastic Sportscar career, but only one year (1992) in a trully decent car and that year he had two problems:
1. Williams FW14B
2. His team-mate - anyone remember who that was?!!!

[BootsOntheSide]

Had he got better machinery throughout his career, Jean would've won at least 10 races - once in a top team, tehy wouln't've axed him, and if the team ceased to be competitive, another would've beat a path to his door. Unfortunately, he made his own mistake when choosing the Ferrari drive.

Even within Ferrari and Benetton over those years, he should've won at least 5, so he's certainly a lost talent.

Herbert was a little different - in the grand scheme of things he was unlucky with mechanical failures, but he was lucky to get a season in a competitive Benetton, and each of his 3 wins were quite lucky. How good he could've been if he hadn't've had the F3000 crash (which was basically his fault) is another matter.

[Kex]

If Alesi had joined Williams for 1991, they wouldn't have bothered trying to get Mansell out of 'retirement'. And he (Mansell) probably wouldn't have won the title. At least as dominantly as in 1992.

Alesi had the potential for many wins, especially in a Williams...couldn't say how many though.

[Daiboy]

Alesi had bad luck and guidence throughout his career. Regretably not driving for Williams, which would have seen him dice with The Great Senna many times. Then letting his heart rule in deciding to join Ferrari, which by all accounts was a poor team back then. And then joining Benneton, who were expected to achieve, but began to slip away. I guess its all about timing. But none the less, im glad his career path took those turns, that made him a hero, a fighter, he never really had it easy, never had the fastest car, and thats what (i think) made him try harder than anyone else, you could really see him, try. The guy made a fortune, gained tremendous support, and because of this will be remembered as a Great himself. 10 wins + i reckon, but im just glad i know how good he was having seen him drive, and therefor need no stats book to tell me otherwise.

[Dick Spanner]

Hmm, I agree that on the right day in the right circumstances Alesi was a brilliantly gifted driver but a lot of his bad luck was of his own making. Remember the race whilst with Benneton when he repeatedly drove past the pit lane despite the team frenzedly waving the FUEL pit board at him and subsequently running dry? My brother was heavily involved in the building of Benneton's wind tunnel at the time when Alesi and Berger were there and the general consensus was that Berger was cruising and Alesi was just plain thick. Example, while testing JA came on the radio saying the gearbox was no good. When he got into the pit's one of the engineers asked "How bad is it Jean?" He replied "It's like a green banana". The prosecution rests.

[Ralf's Girl]

I voted 2 or 3 race wins. He obviously had the potential to be a great driver and win races, but IMO it's his own fault that he didn't. A sensible driver would have gone to Williams in the early 90s when given the chance and he chose the lame donkey that was Ferrari at the time. He was always one of those drivers who drove against the car, fighting it when he didn't need to. And I agree with the point that he often brought his problems on himself.

Not really a winner - good entertainment, certainly what you'd call a "real driver" and not one of these automated PR robots, but with the way the cars have become recently a driver has to use his head, which Alesi never seemed to.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Fish_Flake
I always thought Alesi was, but there are plenty of people (typically Brits) who feel otherwise.

I think it's fair to say that "typical" Brits have a strong feeling towards Johnny, but wouldn't necessarilly put him better than Alesi, however, had Johnny's accident at Brands never happened in 1988 then that might have been a different thing, it's worth noting that, yes, Williams had a contract ready for Alesi, but, Frank Williams was at Brands that awful weekend with a contract for Johnny to sign too.

[ASCII Man]

Thank god he signed Mansell then...

[DNQ]

Based on -

Battling wheel to wheel with Senna in a Tyrrell...
Putting a Tyrrell second on the grid at Monaco...
Qualifying the shocking AP03 Prost 6th at Monaco...
Scoring several points for Prost the next year...

I have voted for at least ten.

[Spudgun]

It's all about being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately Jean didn't have this through circumstance and his own decisions.

I always wished Jean well and I was very happy when he did well.

Given if he was in the right car, at the right time and in the right place I'm sure he could have become WDC.

[Apexx]

I'm not sure about the following,but..

When driving for Renault,(year/race?) Alesi ran out of fuel on track while his team were begging him to pit for a number of laps?

I still think he could have and should have won the F1 championship at some point in his F1 career. Team choice is paramount.

I would have loved to see Herbert go to a better ride than Jag so we really could have seen what he so obviously has!