Most disliked racing drivers?

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Carbonox

Carbonox

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Carbonox
We all have our favorites, and many also have least favorites in the racing world. Why don't we list some of the latter over here, without forgetting to list the specific reasons for why you dislike them. Let's try and not make this a bashing contest.

Also, active or recently active drivers only preferably, as for dead ones - why not, just show respect where it's due.

Here's mine, not really in specific order:

Joey Logano: Dishes it out but can't take it. His behavior makes me wish he was never picked up by Penske in the first place.
Kevin Harvick: Nothing he ever does can redeem the fact he cheated to advance in the 2015 Cha$e by causing a wreck that endangered other drivers.
Clint Bowyer: Still hasn't paid off all his negative karma from Spingate, watching him whine and moan endlessly in a terrible car does feel oddly satisfying however.
Danica Patrick: Self-explanatory really. Not the least talented driver in the world, but certainly the worst in a loooooong time to step into a top-tier NASCAR ride, and keeps producing zilch. The attitude of everything but a racing driver doesn't help either.
Pastor Maldonado: I'd say he's my clear number 1 in this regard. It's not enough that his reckless driving has nearly killed a marshall in Formula Renaults and endangered other drivers throughout the years since then (bad enough as it is) but he's also a proud supporter of Venezuela's piece of 🤬 government that is to blame for the country not being able to afford practically anything, and formerly friend of the late Hugo Chavez. Nice connections you got there to help you into the highest tier, Pastor.
Johnny Cecotto Jr: Disgrace to his dad's name, kept wrecking so many other drivers that no one remembers him for his GP2 wins.
Sergio Canamasas: Even more talentless than Cecotto, and even more dangerous to other competitors.
Sean Gelael: Completely talentless, and has done a good job inheriting Canamasas' status in GP2.
Francesco Dracone: IndyCar seat waster from 2015 who doesn't even care he sucks. Has probably the worst attitude of this lot.
Sage Karam: How could I forget this idiot? I don't know what's worse, causing a wreck on the first lap of the Indy 500, spinning the same driver twice at Detroit in a very intentional-looking way, or deliberately causing a caution at Mid-Ohio to take points away from Montoya. You choose.
 
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Not a driver but a team owner but I haven't liked Jack Roush since he accused Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham of cheating during their Nascar dominance in the late 90's.
 
Liam Doran. I want to like him, and I still support him as a driver, but his personality is 🤬. I've met him twice and both times he came across as incredibly rude. He's a terrible loser as well. A shame really, because his dad, Pat Doran, is a really nice guy.


*Patiently waits for the endless mentions of Ken Block*
 
Matt Neal / Jason Plato

I've actually always quite liked Jason Plato (Renault Laguna days) but between the two of them they have demonstrated horrible, dirty and disrespectful racecraft which has almost irreversably set back driving standards in the BTCC.
 
Why would dead drivers be off limits? As long as a person is respectful and objective with their reasons, there shouldn't be any reason someone couldn't give reasons why they didn't like someone who happened to have died, either as a result of racing or not
 
Liquid
Matt Neal / Jason Plato

I've actually always quite liked Jason Plato (Renault Laguna days) but between the two of them they have demonstrated horrible, dirty and disrespectful racecraft which has almost irreversably set back driving standards in the BTCC.
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Which is ironic, as they are both reasonable and amiable in their television roles: Plato when he was on Fifth Gear and Neal in the WTCC commentary booth opposite Martin Haven.
 
I can't say I dislike drivers but these are my leats favourite.

F1 - Massa

Nascar - Kenseth

V8 Supercars - Todd Kelly

WRC - Richard Burns

MotoGP - Lorenzo
 
Jarno Trulli

Remember the Trulli train?

First_lap_2001_Canada.jpg


He infuriated racers and spectators alike by becoming arguably the hardest slow person to pass in the history of motorsport this side of Andrea De Cesaris.
 
twitcher
Why would dead drivers be off limits? As long as a person is respectful and objective with their reasons, there shouldn't be any reason someone couldn't give reasons why they didn't like someone who happened to have died, either as a result of racing or not
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I didn't explicitly say mentioning dead drivers is banned, though now I think about it, I suppose fair criticism doesn't hurt anyone, as we already saw above in Richard Burns' case.

TenEightyOne
Probably my least favourite driver ever, compounded when he killed himself, his friend and his friend's son by simply showing off. Sad.
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And his own son
 
Ayrton Senna: Reckless driving endangered other drivers throughout the years. Propagated idiocy such as: "if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver..."
Dale Earnhardt: “You know what I think of all those drivers who think racing is too dangerous? I think they all ought to tie a kerosene rag around their ankles so the ants don’t crawl up their leg and chew their candy asses off.”
Gilles Villeneuve: In addition to being a reckless dangerous crasher on track, he was a terrible father off it. Well known to have spent his free time on his yacht rather than help raise his children. It's unfortunate how poorly his son Jacques turned out.
 
I've raced cars and karts for over 40 years, so I've known a lot of racing drivers.

Most of the personality types attracted to racing have a very healthy ego, to put it mildly. Alpha males, often they are mildly to strongly antisocial, are highly motivated and focused, and won't give a rat's ass about anything other than their own concerns, and will not suffer fools well at all. There are of course exceptions and professionals go out of their way to cultivate polish and civility, especially when seeking sponsorship.

There is truth to the statement "Nice guys finish last."
 
Nico Rosberg for me. He's clearly a capable driver but I find him the most incessantly annoying, entitled, whiny sounding driver since I started watching F1 a few years ago.

He always seems to have a lack of genuine excitement or joy over the team radio when he wins, and his complaining and condescending tone when things aren't going his way really bothers me. He also seemed to need quite a lot of assistance driving and operating his car back when the teams could give more input over the radio and he was constantly losing to Lewis.
 
wolfsburgraz
Nico Rosberg for me. He's clearly a capable driver but I find him the most incessantly annoying, entitled, whiny sounding driver since I started watching F1 a few years ago.

He always seems to have a lack of genuine excitement or joy over the team radio when he wins, and his complaining and condescending tone when things aren't going his way really bothers me. He also seemed to need quite a lot of assistance driving and operating his car back when the teams could give more input over the radio and he was constantly losing to Lewis.
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Suddenly started winning when the team couldn't give assistance. Now, how does that work?


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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. aka Wrecky Spinouts. Has been a career wrecking ball, aside from the year that he won the (insert title sponsor here) Series before being moved up to Cup, where he regained his wrecking ball form.
 
I've never liked Lewis Hamilton. Ever since he joined Mercedes, I've found him quite egotistical and someone who thinks he's "it", especially when he bagged two titles. I've always felt he needs to be put in his place on track.
 
Marco Andretti

Met him, along with most of the other drivers, during the fan sessions in IndyCar's return to Pocono. Was an ass to me, most of the people I was with, and a number of other fans. Skipped him the two years after the first one, will do so again this year.
Mario, though, he had a smile on his face throughout the entire event (I didn't get to meet him, sadly...)

Others have previously mentioned my least favorites (Logano) and there are numerous cans of worms I don't want to open (Lorenzo/Marquez) but I absolutely despise Jason Plato when he's behind the wheel of a race car. When he was with Fifth Gear as a presenter, he was fantastic.
 
wowbaggerBR
I'm amazed that nobody mentioned Nelson Piquet Jr.
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I agree about Piquet Jr, though for slightly different reasons. It irritated me hugely that he won the first Formula E championship last year. With the exception of one dominant performance (in Russia), at no point throughout the rest of the season did he even look close to being the most talented driver on the grid, yet somehow he still won.

My least favourite in the BTCC is Rob Collard. He's hugely aggressive towards other drivers (not unique in the BTCC), but the second someone nudges him back he whines endlessly.
 
mister dog
Michael Schumacher for me, ever since his rise to the throne using dubious tactics with the dubious Benetton team in '94.
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Also one I've always disliked strongly, due to his extreme arrogance. He knew he was better that everyone else, and he made a point with his body language to prove it. Blech.


FireEmblem10
Marco Andretti

Met him, along with most of the other drivers, during the fan sessions in IndyCar's return to Pocono. Was an ass to me, most of the people I was with, and a number of other fans. Skipped him the two years after the first one, will do so again this year.
Mario, though, he had a smile on his face throughout the entire event (I didn't get to meet him, sadly...)
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He learned all that and more from daddy. Michael Andretti is, pardon my language, the biggest asshole in motorsports, both for his on track and off track behavior. An utterly pompous, cocky douchebag in the most displeasant manner. Met him in Toronto back in 1995, where he refused to sign autographs, hushed fans away from him, yelled at his crew members and hid in his hauler for the rest of the session. He received a nice shower of boo's when he won the race.

Oh, and Robby Gordon too. If you need explanations as to why he's widely disliked, just search for his antics on Youtube.
 
GTP_Ingram
I agree about Piquet Jr, though for slightly different reasons. It irritated me hugely that he won the first Formula E championship last year. With the exception of one dominant performance (in Russia), at no point throughout the rest of the season did he even look close to being the most talented driver on the grid, yet somehow he still won.
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Thing is, I kind think he is talented, he has a knack to do well in a wide variety of cars. But in the F-E season it made me very nautious his quips about Di Grassi on the Monaco race, saying that Di Grassi - the guy is a gentleman - had tried to ruin his lap in the qualifying session.

Man, if I was Di Grassi, I would just say "yeah, I'm the one best known for ruin other people race by crashing on purpose". But Di Grassi is too nice to do this.
 
SagarisGTB
Gilles Villeneuve: In addition to being a reckless dangerous crasher on track, he was a terrible father off it. Well known to have spent his free time on his yacht rather than help raise his children. It's unfortunate how poorly his son Jacques turned out.
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Poorly? Never knew the F1 World Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Jacques has a brother? What happened to that other guy? Is he a drug dealer, a pimp, in prison, or worse, is he posting nonsense in the webs?
 
GTPorsche
Suddenly started winning when the team couldn't give assistance. Now, how does that work?
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You just have to look at Lewis' season (and awful starting line performance) so far to get that answer. Up until the most recent race or two Mercedes has easily had the most dominant car. If it starts ahead of the pack, it tends to stay there in pretty commanding fashion.

Race 1 - Lewis gets an awful launch off the line and is edged off the track by Rosberg, dropping several places and was unable to retake the lead.

Race 2 - Lewis does a crap launch again and gets body-checked by Bottas at turn 1, receives damage and is unable to catch up.

Race 3 - Garbage launch for Lewis again and loses his front wing in the melee caused by, Kvyat, the Ferrari's gone sideways and other cars around him. Pits to replace nose and can only fight back to 7th.

Race 4 - Hamilton starts 10th after an engine failure during qualifying, can only battle his way to 2nd.

Race 5 - Poor launch again and Lewis drives into Rosberg trying to fit his car into a rapidly closing window that was never going to work, Lewis wipes out both cars.

Race 6 - Wins due to Rosberg having brake issues and lets him pass, and Red Bull destroying Ricciardo's lead stranding him for seconds without tires.

Like I said, Rosberg is clearly a capable driver, I just don't think he would be where he is if his car wasn't so dominant. Maybe it's my disposition of already disliking the guy in interviews and hearing his attitude on the radio, but in the previous seasons when he was trailing Lewis I would often hear him angrily and in a whining tone asking his engineers to "tell him how to go faster" or where he should be braking etc for him to beat Lewis.
 

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