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xpensive wrote:I beg to differ CMSMJ1, I believe the situations were at least somewhat comparable, when Cevert joined Tyrrell in 1971, Stewart was WDC (1969) and Cevert an F1 rookie with F2 experience. Hamilton was an F1 rookie in 2007, while Alonso was double WDC on the trot(2005 & 2006).
I think the point is, that McLaren as a team would most probably have been better off if Hamilton had agreed to play second fiddle.
If this would have been right or wrong to either driver is a different matter.
I see where you are coming from - but Hamilton was the incumbent at McLaren and so it was more a cse of the established WDC coming to the rookies team.
A totally different dynamic.
The Stewart/Cevert partnership was a great one indeed..
Even if their egos were not as big, the Alonso-Hamilton relation would have never worked as the Stewart-Cevert one because of their age. If I'm not mistaken, Stewart was already in his thirties and saw a successor in Cevert.
Alonso is still in his mid-twenties and wanted(wants)to continue is "reign" over F1 for a long time. Cevert was also older than Hamilton. They say age gives wisdom. He was smart enough to benefit from Stewart's experience.
Somewhat out of the F1 circus but the pairing of Alex Zanardi/Jimmy Vasser comes to mind driving for Chip Gannassi in CART. This pairing led to multiple championships for the team. They continue to be very close friends. In fact, after Zanardi's failed foray in Formula 1, both were in the running for a ride with Mo Nunn's (I think) team. Their conversations at that point were, "I'm not going to take it if you want it", going both ways. Personally, I think they are both very classy people...
I'm just wondering where the next evolution is going to come from. Schumacher rought the fitness, modern science brings the FEA diet (Alonso), what is the next dynamic that will be pushed to the next level?
Thanks guys for the info from years gone by, I knew that there would have been examples of both good and bad teammates, but was more interested in the good. If I were a driver, and I had a teammate that was very competitive, but in a friendly way (without serious --- talking, I hate that!), and we reached levels that far surpassed any other duo in the pitlane, you would be damn sure that I would do whatever I could to keep that teammate until we either got behind, or he wanted to move on.
Maybe this is the ultimate place for the proverbial "Gentleman's Agreement". I think that the Webber/Vettel combo is going to reach super-synergy, and I cannot wait to see what it results in on track!
Heydont forget, he humbled the arrogant Bourdais last year too!
Berger-Senna was a great one too. They we're more "college buddies" with all the pranks and what not. Altough Senna achieved more success, Berger could have been a serious rival. And we know how Senna felt uncomfortable with someone who could rival him in the same team.
I believe that the teams will start a nº1 and nº2 driver policy. The first driver being a WDC contender a the second one a perhaps more experienced driver or "setup driver" but who would still have what it took to be a frontrunner and collect points for the WCC.
An experienced/rookie team would perhaps be more fruitful for a middle-back grid team wanting to move up.
