Frentzen & Irvine, Magny Cours 1999

[dustysailor1]

Frentzen was / is agreat driver, Magny cour was a first team Jordan win, first time the car, diver and team won on merit. Not that, through fate conspire, Jordan could have won before but S*** happens, to no more so then the Irish!!ARghhhh

[FM5KR6F2007]

@dustysailor1 Actually try Spa 98 when Damon Hill won on merit. he had a good car on the day and drove really well.

[Bianso]

Ah, the eternal HHF discussion. Still going strong 7 years after the man retired F1. :) Could it be terrible hard to think that he wasn't one of the bests in 1997, but was probably one of them in 1999, and perhaps also after that?

People change, you know...

[Lolzilol123]

I don't see how people can call Frentzen the best, he was totally outclassed by Villeneuve in '97 and I don't think he ever did anything "special" compared to other Grand Prix drivers.

[Killa4Life111]

Yeah did you see his results near the end of the season? He did really well to come 3rd in 1999, drove a car that was 4th best and got many podiums, and what did Hill do for the team? jack all.

Frentzen is up there with the best in the 1990's, I compare him to Alesi, burger who never reached there peak.

[Lolzilol123]

@Killa4Life111 His end-season results weren't really better than the start of the season, which was very good.

I don't think he had the 4th best car. It was only slower than the McLaren and the Ferrari, I think? And I don't think Damon Hill is anything to go by, seeing as he was on his way out of GP racing, and he had a LOT of retirements, I think 9 or so compared to the 3 of Frentzen's? I think Alesi and Berger showed themselves much more competitive than Frentzen, even when they had bad cars.

[Killa4Life111]

The Ferrari and the Mclaren where way ahead of everyone else in 1999. Jordan was 3rd/4th best team that season and Frentzen proved he was an elite driver. I'm talking about the end results for williams season in 1997 actually. He picked up a number of points during sauber years and a podium near the end for them. No need to use the damon hill excuse, as it was obvoius he found the car difficult to use, while Frentzen drove it near its limits.

[Lolzilol123]

I think we just have to disagree on him :)

I just can't think of him as "good" when he had the best car in '97 and did nothing - but I do agree that he did well in '99. We agree on Ferrari and McLaren being 1st and 2nd I think, if Jordan was 4th best, who was 3rd best?

[Killa4Life111]

Well for 3rd/4th position = Jordan, Williams and Stewart, why?

Williams: they had a good, reliable car, Ralf scored all 35 points for them, if he had Trulli and not Zinardi (awful) They could have almost doubled there points.

Stewart: How unlucky were these guys, they were consistant through the year and the rewards never came, very quick, They deserved another 20+ points.

Jordan: They woundn't have ended 3rd on the constructors withought Frentzen, anyone else driving and -20+ points.

[Lolzilol123]

I just think that the Jordan was better than the Williams and the Stewart - the Williams was not as good as the Jordan, and the Stewart was a good qualifier, and Barrichello had his best season in '99, I think. I don't think any of them had the pace over a whole race that the Jordan had.

[Killa4Life111]

The williams was very reliable still, only if they had a same driver of Ralf's skills they would have stole 3rd position off Jordan or very close, well I guess thats ours points put across. Barrichello would have had a good season if his car was abit more reliable and luck was with him, his best years prob after.

[Patmcway]

frentzen was ofc a great driver.. but sadly he never had the best car to win the championship.. well in 1997 he had a chance to win it ... but villeneuve won.

[charlytheo2007]

1999, 1st ever F1 season i watched. Frentzen my favourite out of the rest of the grid.

[Zsombeeking]

I think Frentzen was the best driver on F1.

[LarryKEKE]

Heinz Harald was one hell of a driver

[twr959]

FRENZEN MY HERO