Rumoured/possible driver moves which did not happen?

Racing events, drivers, cars or anything else from the past.
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Vassago
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#136

Post by Vassago »

Bottom post of the previous page:

Yeah, Lagorce was quite promising but never got more in F1 than a couple of late outings with Ligier in 1994 after they ditched Eric Bernard. Ligier couldn't afford going without pay-drivers after that, first Aguri Suzuki and then Pedro Diniz followed by Shinji Nakano in the Mugen-Honda Prost takeover.

I did an entire thread on Michel Ferte last year, why he never got his chance even when Ligier ditched the Alfa Romeo engines in 1987 yet still kept Ghinzani for the season. Guess they'd have to give the money back if they decided to release him too. The idea of Rene Arnoux wasting everyone's time back then is long documented.

A little less know fact is that Roland Ratzenberger only had funding for five races in 1994 so he'd be gone after Spanish GP anyway and the Simtek muscial chairs would continue regardless of the Imola tragedy. What is even less known is that Ratzenberger tested for Dick Simon Racing in 1991 and was also one of prime candidates for the inaugural Jordan seat in 1991. Ultimately a Japanese sponsor pulled out and Bertrand Gachot had more money and got the drive opposite Andrea de Cesaris (word is Jordan wanted 4m USD for the seat).
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#137

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

Vassago wrote: 2 years ago Yeah, Lagorce was quite promising but never got more in F1 than a couple of late outings with Ligier in 1994 after they ditched Eric Bernard. Ligier couldn't afford going without pay-drivers after that, first Aguri Suzuki and then Pedro Diniz followed by Shinji Nakano in the Mugen-Honda Prost takeover.

I did an entire thread on Michel Ferte last year, why he never got his chance even when Ligier ditched the Alfa Romeo engines in 1987 yet still kept Ghinzani for the season. Guess they'd have to give the money back if they decided to release him too. The idea of Rene Arnoux wasting everyone's time back then is long documented.

A little less know fact is that Roland Ratzenberger only had funding for five races in 1994 so he'd be gone after Spanish GP anyway and the Simtek muscial chairs would continue regardless of the Imola tragedy. What is even less known is that Ratzenberger tested for Dick Simon Racing in 1991 and was also one of prime candidates for the inaugural Jordan seat in 1991. Ultimately a Japanese sponsor pulled out and Bertrand Gachot had more money and got the drive opposite Andrea de Cesaris (word is Jordan wanted 4m USD for the seat).
Cor Euser came close to replacing Bertrand Gachot after his imprisonment and also could have taken the Bettenhausen seat in the 1992 Indycar Season that went to Stefan Johansson.

Indeed, Johansson was also in contention for the Jordan seat, until a certain German got it.
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#138

Post by Cheeveer »

Nononsensecapeesh wrote: 2 years ago
Vassago wrote: 2 years ago Yeah, Lagorce was quite promising but never got more in F1 than a couple of late outings with Ligier in 1994 after they ditched Eric Bernard. Ligier couldn't afford going without pay-drivers after that, first Aguri Suzuki and then Pedro Diniz followed by Shinji Nakano in the Mugen-Honda Prost takeover.

I did an entire thread on Michel Ferte last year, why he never got his chance even when Ligier ditched the Alfa Romeo engines in 1987 yet still kept Ghinzani for the season. Guess they'd have to give the money back if they decided to release him too. The idea of Rene Arnoux wasting everyone's time back then is long documented.

A little less know fact is that Roland Ratzenberger only had funding for five races in 1994 so he'd be gone after Spanish GP anyway and the Simtek muscial chairs would continue regardless of the Imola tragedy. What is even less known is that Ratzenberger tested for Dick Simon Racing in 1991 and was also one of prime candidates for the inaugural Jordan seat in 1991. Ultimately a Japanese sponsor pulled out and Bertrand Gachot had more money and got the drive opposite Andrea de Cesaris (word is Jordan wanted 4m USD for the seat).
Cor Euser came close to replacing Bertrand Gachot after his imprisonment and also could have taken the Bettenhausen seat in the 1992 Indycar Season that went to Stefan Johansson.

Indeed, Johansson was also in contention for the Jordan seat, until a certain German got it.
I've actually asked Johansson about that! He just laughed, that he was in consideration for the Jordan seat is just something that Eddie Jordan made up some time after, to add some spice to that story. Stefan never had any discussions with the team, but have in mind that Eddie and Stefan have been buddies since the 70's.
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#139

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

Well, one drive that Stefan Johansson WAS in contention for was Toleman in 1985, he and John Watson were the team's original intended drivers.
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#140

Post by Vassago »

Few other random bits that came to my mind:

The test shootout for the 2000 Williams seat came down to Jenson Button & Bruno Junqueira but Jason Watt would have also been invited if not for his motorcycle accident after 1999 F3000 season ended. There's every chance Watt would have been faster than Button due to his vast experience so he would have raced in 2000.

The much-forgotten (and ultimately rejected) 2010 Lola Cars F1 comeback would have featured Adam Carroll as one of the drivers. Carroll then came up short trying to raise 4 million Euros to secure one of the 2010 Virgin seats which went to Lucas di Grassi (Timo Glock signed for the team when it was still called Manor).
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#141

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

Vassago wrote: 2 years ago Few other random bits that came to my mind:

The test shootout for the 2000 Williams seat came down to Jenson Button & Bruno Junqueira but Jason Watt would have also been invited if not for his motorcycle accident after 1999 F3000 season ended. There's every chance Watt would have been faster than Button due to his vast experience so he would have raced in 2000.

The much-forgotten (and ultimately rejected) 2010 Lola Cars F1 comeback would have featured Adam Carroll as one of the drivers. Carroll then came up short trying to raise 4 million Euros to secure one of the 2010 Virgin seats which went to Lucas di Grassi (Timo Glock signed for the team when it was still called Manor).
Warren Hughes was due to test for Williams - https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.autosp ... 28020/amp/
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#142

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

The other Gareth Howell entered the 1999 BTCC with his own Atford Racing Ford Mondeo but never raced as the car proved really slow in testing.
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#143

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

Andy Rouse built a Peugeot 406 and a Jaguar X-Type as concept cars for his stillborn SCV8 Series. The late Justin Wilson tested the Jaguar in 2003 ahead of the Series' intended 2004 debut.
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#144

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

There was the Ferrari 637 and Lotus 96T Indycar concepts of the mid 1980s that never raced.

Not to mention the infamous Eagle Aircraft Flyer Special that Ken Hamilton tried and failed to qualify for the 1982 Indy 500 with.
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#145

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The Norma M6 that entered the 1990 Le Mans 24 Hours, never fired up, consequently DNQ'ed all because of the MGN W12 that proved even worse than its Life counterpart. The AGS F1 team dodged a bullet there.
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#146

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Carl Fogarty attempted to revive his World Superbike team as an MV Agusta entry for 2008.
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#147

Post by erwin greven »

I can remember the Peugeot 908 hybrid and the Nissan P35 V10. Both never raced. The absence of the Peugeot 'forced' Toyota to put their entry one year earlier into service to save the LMP1 Hybrid class.
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#148

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

erwin greven wrote: 2 years ago I can remember the Peugeot 908 hybrid and the Nissan P35 V10. Both never raced. The absence of the Peugeot 'forced' Toyota to put their entry one year earlier into service to save the LMP1 Hybrid class.
Peugeot also had a Mark 2 version of the 905, nicknamed the "Supercopter", intended for 1993 but the demise of the World Sportscar Championship meant it never actually raced.
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#149

Post by Nononsensecapeesh »

Derek Warwick was a possibility for Hall/VDS for 1994.
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#150

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NASCAR driver Mark Martin was due to make an appearance for Ford in the 1995 BTCC.
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#151

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Jonathan Palmer tried to launch the Touring 1 Series for 2005.
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