Winning Personalities

Nice guys finish last, according to a popular racing aphorism.
The theory is that to achieve the thrill of victory and avoid
suffering the agony of defeat requires ruthless, selfish and
aggressive behavioural traits that are considered anti-social in
civilian life.

"The best Grand Prix drivers," according to Frank Williams, "are
driven, motivated, pushy, won't accept second best, immensely
competitive people. This is what makes them good, because
they're bastards!"

The Williams team boss speaks from personal experience, having
employed several belligerent champions, beginning with Alan Jones
in 1980. The rugged Aussie personified the belief that when the
going gets tough the tough get going. Williams: "In a way Alan
spoiled my relationships - my attitude - to subsequent drivers
because he was a man's man. He never needed propping up mentally,
because he was a very determined and bullish character. Jonesy
didn't need any babysitting or hand-holding and that's the way it
should be. It shouldn't be necessary for me to ask a driver if
he is happy, or if he needs his underwear changed."  

Keke Rosberg, who won the 1982 driving title with Williams was
a bad loser. "Show me a good loser," Keke opined, "and I'll show
you a loser. Period."

Nelson Piquet, the 1987 champion for Williams, was never popular
and couldn't care less. "I don't want to make friends with
anybody," he said. "I don't give a shit for fame. I just want to
win."

Frank Williams admits Nigel Mansell's constant complaining could
be "a pain in the arse" but when the chips were down the
bellicose driver with the chip on his shoulder won the 1992
championship.

Jacques Villeneuve, whose 1997 driving title was the most recent
won by a Williams driver, was adored by his boss who believed he
had all the right stuff. The hard-headed daredevil won his
championship despite his title rival Michael Schumacher's worst
efforts to ram him off the road in their showdown race. "I was
expecting him to try it," JV said of the sport's most successful
driver, whose record-breaking repertoire included infamous
instances of employing fiendish tactics that marked him as a
dastardly villain.

Villeneuve always said exactly what he thought, and still does.
He thinks the current crop of drivers ("corporate robots") are
far too nice. JV: "They are all lovey-dovey. They are all best friends.
There are no gladiators. When I watch racing I want to see real
battles - gladiators going at each other hard. I am not saying they
should try to kill each other, but they should want to outperform the
others in a hard way."

One of the fiercest ever gladiators was Tazio Nuvolari
(considered by many, including Enzo Ferrari, to be the greatest
ever driver), whose career ended before F1 officially began.
The tiny man with the huge talent was relentlessly aggressive
and above all ruthless. "I will do anything to win," Nuvolari
said. "Anything, anything, anything. I waste no time being
sporting. Win first and let them lodge their objections after.
That has always been my code."

In these kinder, gentler times the current championship protagonists
Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso are regarded as winning
personalities in the sense that their public persona is generally
pleasant and personable. But both have also demonstrated outbursts
of old-fashioned road rage and attacks of red mist that could
influence which of them will become a triple world champion. In
the final analysis F1 can be an often brutal examination of human
nature that puts character - the combination of personal traits
and qualities that distinguish personalities - to a supreme test.

"Motor racing, as in life, favours those with the greater
strength of character," said Juan Manuel Fangio, the legendary
driver whose winning personality was admired by all, including
his peers. His team mate and friend Stirling Moss explains:
"Of course he was by far the best driver of us all," Moss admits.
"But as impressive as he was, Juan was the nicest guy imaginable.
Most of us who drove quickly were bastards."

 






Fangio, the nice guy who didn't finish last
(portrait: dianefineart.ca)





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