Sure, yet we have to read you stating he makes .... moves and is a .... based on some pretty average video footage that doesn't show any clear contact.
It appears actually raced for position in a race.
If they don't want racing then don't put highly competetive racers on the track and call it a race.
A scorpion wants to cross a river but cannot swim, so it asks a frog to carry it across. The frog hesitates, afraid that the scorpion might sting it, but the scorpion promises not to, pointing out that it would drown if it killed the frog in the middle of the river. The frog considers this argument sensible and agrees to transport the scorpion. Midway across the river, the scorpion stings the frog anyway, dooming them both. The dying frog asks the scorpion why it stung despite knowing the consequence, to which the scorpion replies: "I am sorry, but I couldn't resist the urge. It's my character."
Nice to know I'm not the only one!
People admiring the fact that he drove like a .... doesn't really make sense to me. But anyway, opinions are just that....
Senna has been elevated to mythical status because of of his death and the circumstances surrounding it. He is a martyr, and as a result is seen as one.
Senna's 2 main issues in my opinion was his naivety, he couldn't understand and play the politics of the sport the way those such as Prost did. He was also victim of his latin temperament at times. No one can doubt his raw speed though, in the same vein as Stoner.
He was completed screwed out of at least 1 world title because of Balestre though. I don't blame him for being utterly pissed at the extreme treatment he got in 1989.
Unfortunately Senna will always be on my list for better or worse. He was hardly the first to engage in dirty driving, he was only the one that was focused on by the media. I do recall most of his unsavory moves, while most people point to Suzuka 1990, I always pointed to Estoril 1980 when he put Alain Prost inches away from the pit wall at 190MPH. One of the most genuinely terrifying moments I've ever seen. But I think Michael Schumacher was far worse personally and made dangerous driving part of the sport. Max Verstappen was the final form. I've always made the argument the rise of dangerous driving in F1 had to do with the increase in safety. When the cars stopped being rolling petrol bombs, and chassis integrity became far greater, you saw more and more questionable moves on race day.
1988 for anyone who doesn't know, but I know that was a typo JPS.
Senna has to be on the list, for raw talent alone. No one, to this day, has exhibited such a talent for driving in the wet. Like Martin Brundle said. "He had a god given talent for knowing where the grip was at a corner, before he got there." I have raced at Donington Park and for him to have pulled the move he did in the opening lap of the 1993 race there still defies belief.
Senna was a hard racer, and pushed the limits like Marc does. But Schumcher was a plain old dirty cheater, pure and simple. Senna pushed the limits (and sometimes may have arguably been on/over them by the standards of the day) but Schumacher blatantly crossed them, and often got away with it because of his or Ferrari's stature. Senna never once, parked his car on a circuit to stop a rival beating his lap.
I absolutely agree with you, 100%, about the decline in driving standards correlate with the increase in safety. It's one reason MotoGP riders mostly ride with respect for each other, because they know they can get injured whereas most formula car drivers these days feel invincible. Max Verstappen screwed up big time in Monaco 2015, and had a crash that 10 yrs before would have likely killed him. Then he had the audacity to say he had been brake tested. The problem is today, is they are all just immature kids masquerading as racing drivers.
But my list will always be Jim Clark as number 1. Jimmy was sublime. Clean as a whistle as a driver, a true gentleman, and ungodly fast. Ironically, Senna worshipped Jim Clark.
The irony is, like Stoner, he never understood why he was so fast.
I believe over the last 35-40 years grand prix motorcycle racing has slowly turned into literal war. It really in my opinion started once the Americans showed up in the 500cc world championship. Especially as it relates to Wayne and Kevin since it was pretty much a blood feud. I think though you could also point to the profile of GP racing rising. The more money that has come into the series, the stakes have become higher and higher. Guys only have months to make an impact on a team or face exile out of GP. When you are fighting just to survive you're going to do a lot of stuff you might not ordinarily do. Not justifying it by any means, but I think we have to look at what the series turned into, and why we see what we see now.
Money and politics do that.
MM has raced extremely clean this year though. Even someone like MM has something to prove regardless of championship tally, but he did it about as cleanly as I have ever seen from him in spite of a factory seat being on the line. He has to be respected for that if nothing else. Racing is brutal business. So is the business on the track now. When MM is gone from racing, we'll see someone else take up the mantle eventually for better or worse. Also it needs to be acknowledged MM does not complain about others racing him hard. He gives as good as he receives which is more than I could say for a lot of riders.
This is the thing for me. The greats never do. He never moaned when people used him for a tow, accepting it was part of the game. The very same people who called Iannone 'Smart, Cunning and more' for towing Marquez, are the very same people who now criticise Marquez for doing it. This is what I cannot stand. Argue your position, not the person. I am a Marc fan, but have criticised him AND OTHERS for not slowing under yellows for example. I try, always, to make my observation based on my position, and not if the athlete involved is one I like or not.
I literally almost posted this…or at least made a reference to it…yesterday. Marc is the scorpion. He cannot help himself. Many greats are this way. They say Michael Jordan wanted to bury you no matter what. If you played checkers with him, he wanted to crush you. This is how the great ones are wired.
