I know that the thread title isn't going to bring friendly faces in but really, I've noticed this a lot around the LFS forum and racing community in general. I mean, sure, you have F1 drivers like Nico Rosberg who had the $ to get into racing from daddy and Hamilton whos Ron's prodigy but really, I find it sick how people have this all-evil gaze or choice of harsh words towards these people. Personally, I don't have anywhere near the amount of money to even start karting. It obviously hurts for any passionate racer that it would seem so easy for some people but that doesn't deny the fact that those drivers are actually good drivers and that they deserve some respect, not contempt.

I mean, try and reverse the situation, if YOU had the money and someone else didn't, would you try and just earn money for the "slight" possibility of having enough money to compete or just start off with daddy's money to ensure that you can get into racing pretty much straight away and starting at a younger age, would provide with you a better opportunity of having a professional career in racing. Obviously, the first choice is a lot more noble, theres no question about that but in terms of the actual result, you may never be able to compete because you would be too old to start professionally or just simply run out of $.

At the end of the day, its a matter of whether you prefer to look noble in front of others or if your competitive drive is stronger and want the surest way to get into racing.

Personally, because I've loved racing all my life, I would definitely go for the second option.

I don't think anyone is slagging these drivers off. Just trying to dispel the myth that motorsport is a talent BASED sport which it isn't. If Wayne Rooney had to pay £1k-£5k for a weeekends football when he was a kid do you think we would even know who he was now?

I have tremendous respect for drivers who have the money, but still dedicate themselves 100% to maximise the oppurtunity they have. . That can be harder than anything else sometimes. Ayrton Senna was a rich boy, but is one of the greatest drivers in the history of motorsport. And money doesn't always buy results, not that you really need them anyway.

No one is saying they would take the noble approach, if someone offered me a few million to go race in the karting worlds I would bite their hand OFF!

mostly because those kind of drivers show time and again that all they are is spoiled rich kids who never had the need to develop any kind of maturity... eg your two examples last race in canada

One could say that if a driver got to the top because of money or name, they did not get there because of their skill or talent. For someone who wishes to see the best drivers duke it out on the track, it could be a letdown.

Well, I used to support Hamilton before that incident but since he never apologised properly to Raikkonen for it, I've lost a lot of respect for him. Still, even though it was a ridiculously stupid move by Hamilton and Rosberg, that only shows a lack in awareness and character, but doesn't mean that when it comes to actual driving ability that they're bad. Look at Alonso for example, nearly everyone hates him and with good reason too since he seems like a cheating-(email situation between him and Coughlin and DLR with Ferrari info) -huffy-b*stard, he won the championship twice and against one of the best F1 drivers of all time, Michael Schumacher so he is definitely a great driver. I don't support him but it would be unfair on him for me to say that he's a crap driver.

The driver that I find seems to be the fairest of all and a very nice chap too is Mika Hakkinen. He won his 2 championships fair and square and he always seemed like a nice guy outside the track too.

You have no idea what has been said in private between the 2 drivers.

And as you've said before, I don't think there are many F1 drivers or any other motorsport drivers where they will admit to making a mistake.

they did appear quite buddy buddy coming out of the Ferrari motorhome on Thursday

Jealousy.

Theres nothing wrong with your parents paying for it, as long as you are grateful and don't take it for granted.

I have respect for those rich kids who have their feet firmly on the ground, but I have no respect for the likes of Hamilton.

Once you get your hands on the cash, its very hard stay down to earth, power corrupts.

Quote from 5haz :

Jealousy.

Theres nothing wrong with your parents paying for it, as long as you are grateful and don't take it for granted.

5haz has knocked it on the head. I dont think its down to jealousy, or any of that, i think they just despise the people that are'nt grateful when other people have payed for there way in motorsport. I also think its down to age, and that if that said person is young, people jump to conclusions, even though they know nothing of that person's life. Due to my age, alot of people assume my parents (well, dad) has payed for my cars, or payed for my mini so that i can race it. The funny thing is that he has not payed for none of that. I have payed for it all myself, as i have with maintaining them. I think on that note, people need to take a step back, think, and then ask questions before making conclusions or accusations.

Quote from Nathan_French_14 :

5haz has knocked it on the head. I dont think its down to jealousy, or any of that, i think they just despise the people that are'nt grateful when other people have payed for there way in motorsport. I also think its down to age, and that if that said person is young, people jump to conclusions, even though they know nothing of that person's life. Due to my age, alot of people assume my parents (well, dad) has payed for my cars, or payed for my mini so that i can race it. The funny thing is that he has not payed for none of that. I have payed for it all myself, as i have with maintaining them. I think on that note, people need to take a step back, think, and then ask questions before making conclusions or accusations.

We are talking F1 drivers here. Racing Mini's is a lot cheaper than even a year of top flight Cadet karting in the UK so you don't require hefty financial backing! It's a different kind of motosport. We are taking a whole different ball game. If you wanted to compete on that level (Cadets UK Champs) you would need 15-20k a year AT THE VERY LEAST. That's just Cadets for actual children.. the first step on the road to F1!

I think some do have an attitude that every driver should have to 'work' for it. I don't agree. I would bite any ones arm off for a free drive in karting. But the point stands NONETHELESS you need SIGNIFICANT amounts of financial backing to get anywhere in motorsport. It's not a slur on the drivers tha 'make' it just recognising the reality of the situation.

I know were talking F1 here, but im also talking about how people can make accusations based on peoples age, so i was trying to make an example...

...I may have failed though...

Quote from Shotglass :

mostly because those kind of drivers show time and again that all they are is spoiled rich kids who never had the need to develop any kind of maturity... eg your two examples last race in canada

I wouldnt say it is a given, but unfortunately it happens more often than not that the drivers who have had a 'helping hand' to get to the top show a lack of appreciation for it, and that is what people despise.

If a driver tries their best no matter what their situation and prove themselves then I will have respect for them. If they show disrespect (such as Hamilton waving at people not letting him past when they had every right to race him) then that is something to despise imo!

All drivers have had a helping hand. Kubica did when he came to Italy, Kimi did, Massa, etc... you can't get to F1 on your own back. That is FACATMUNDO impossible.

I think the point is that in Club Racing there are a hell of a lot of drivers who only beat other drivers because Daddy spent £20k on their car last year etc...

of course, but some have a lot more than others, and it seems to me that the correlation between how much help they receive and the disrespect they show is directly parallel

... you can't help the fact some people have more money than others. I would say it is the attitude of those drivers that should be under scrutiny, not just the fact that they have more money.

Am I missing the point here completely?

Quote from Jakg :

I think the point is that in Club Racing there are a hell of a lot of drivers who only beat other drivers because Daddy spent £20k on their car last year etc...

who spends that much in club racing lololol????

Quote :

of course, but some have a lot more than others, and it seems to me that the correlation between how much help they receive and the disrespect they show is directly parallel

... you can't help the fact some people have more money than others. I would say it is the attitude those drivers that should be under scrutiny, not just the fact that they have more money.

Am I missing the point here completely?

HHmm.... If you saw how much money drivers have had spent on them in F1 through the 'ranks' you'd might be surprised. We just assume 'some' drivers have had it harder than others when the reality can be very different.

I think I recall a story about Kimi having to sleep in a van at the kart meetings as if that was running it rough.... but there isn't a self respecting kart driver on this earth that hasn;t had to sleep in a van once or twice in his career... the memories!

Even Kubica has had a FREAK load of investment.

Think of it this way - there are some people like 5haz and the guy with the MR2 (can't remember his name! Sorry!) who at age 16 obviously could never afford to run a track prepped car without the money they recieved from their parents, but the point is wherever possible they actually earnt the money, and really are grateful for what they got.

Compare this attitude to "mr nameless" who's really doesn't give a s*** about spending over £10k of his parents money and you can see which one is more likely to be despised.

I remember back when I was in a rental kart series (yes, a RENTAL Kart series - don't laugh! it was cheap fun!) there was someone like that - basically, his Dad was a shareholder in the track so he could get away with whatever he wanted, and acted like a smug bastard all the time. After very nearly flipping someone elses kart intentionally, he was eventually kicked out of the "club" and had to go somewhere else - at this time i'd already started to go somewhere else (as it was outdoor) and he still had the same mentality (although this time with a buch of 14-18 year olds, if you he nudged me, I nudged him back - he tried to take someone out and I think ended up in a wall :X).

I think he now has his own car in some second-rate club-series where he probably still drives like a cock, because Daddy can just buy him more bumpers...

Thats nothing to do with being a daddy's boy at all! I know tons of drivers who have HEAVY investment from their parents and aren't like that AT ALL! In fact sometimes self paid drivers can be AS bad!

Those two things don't correlate in my experience.

Quote from Jakg :

I think he now has his own car in some second-rate club-series where he probably still drives like a cock, because Daddy can just buy him more bumpers...

Very true, reminds me of a certain driver in Ginettas last year, at Donnington this certain person has an ECU problem and the engine is running ridiculously rich and drowning in petrol, so his engine has about 20hp and hes driving around at 55mph, he was waving people to overtake him to the left and then swerving over on them. I had to drive across the grass at Macleans in order to pass him!

His attitude was completely reckless, he was involved in several rather large smashes and eventually had his liscense taken away at Pembrey when he allegedly spun and then moved into the path of another car.

This person was related to a big figure in motorsport, and so they had millions to put the car back together, he even got his lisence back when anyone else probrably wouldn't.

It's people like him, who take things like racing and cars for granted, who I despise, especially when for people like me a big accident could mean we couldnt afford to repair the car.

TBH I think that if you have a budget larger than a certain size you should be forced to pay for some of the damage you cause in accidents.

Quote from Nathan_French_14 :

5haz has knocked it on the head. I dont think its down to jealousy, or any of that, i think they just despise the people that are'nt grateful when other people have payed for there way in motorsport. I also think its down to age, and that if that said person is young, people jump to conclusions, even though they know nothing of that person's life. Due to my age, alot of people assume my parents (well, dad) has payed for my cars, or payed for my mini so that i can race it. The funny thing is that he has not payed for none of that. I have payed for it all myself, as i have with maintaining them. I think on that note, people need to take a step back, think, and then ask questions before making conclusions or accusations.

That's actually good to know as i honestly thought your dad had paid for it all, was a bit confused about you having an M3 at 17 or 18 and thought that was the only way, proved me wrong and good on you. My dad has money but doesn't really buy anything for me and most times im glad he doesn't as spoilt kids never really turn out too good.

Nobody has an issue with it if the driver has real talent and has earnt it, like Nico Rosberg. But when you see drivers like the Mansell kids (who were lucky to get into the top 10 in most races) getting promoted up the ranks ahead of guys with actual talent, just because of their surname and money, its hard to take for the fans and drivers.

Quote from Shotglass :

mostly because those kind of drivers show time and again that all they are is spoiled rich kids who never had the need to develop any kind of maturity... eg your two examples last race in canada

Yes, the link is clear now, you've explained it all... Teach me master how to be as clever as you

Quote from Shotglass :

mostly because those kind of drivers show time and again that all they are is spoiled rich kids who never had the need to develop any kind of maturity... eg your two examples last race in canada

So name the drivers that got a job at 6 years of age that could pay for their tens of thousands € per season karting. The fact is that nobody who races professionally got there without loads of money from other people. Sometimes it maybe isn't the parents but what does that really change?

Personally I just accept it as a fact of motorsports that a very minuscule percentage of potentially talented people will ever even go one meter in a racing vehicle. Doesn't mean I don't respect the ones competing at the top levels. Although I do feel that the ruling bodies could do a lot more to help young drivers. Just think how many drivers could be funded from karts all the way through to F1 from the 100 million dollars that McLaren were fined.

Quote from J.B. :

So name the drivers that got a job at 6 years of age that could pay for their tens of thousands € per season karting. The fact is that nobody who races professionally got there without loads of money from other people. Sometimes it maybe isn't the parents but what does that really change?

of course there arent any... but if you put spoiled kids in f1 cars you sure as heck wont end up with a bunch of gentlemen racers

I would also have to say, that I've known some piss poor kids in my time and just because your poor does not mean you'll respect the items your given any more. Some kids no matter how rich or poor they are will simply not respect the situation they are in. It's not the money, it's the parenting, or lack there of.