There are many famous names in F1, some of these names appear throughout multiple generations which has got me thinking, does the ability to race in F1 come down to genetics?
The first names that spring to mind are usually the ones where the children emulate the success of their Father, Hill, Villeneuve & potentially Rosberg. All sons of champions & legends in the sport.
Damon & Jacques had their greatest success with a hugely dominating car but have shown that having a winning father meant the racing instinct was passed down through the genes. Rosberg has the speed but again he is driving a dominant machine only time will tell if he was a born racer or just lucky enough to have a father who both had the funds and the connections to make sure Nico got the opportunity to compete with the best.
For the argument against genetics three names spring instantly to mind. Brabham, Piquet & Senna, all multiple World Drivers Champions yet their offspring failed to make the cut when it came to F1, Ayrton Senna famously quoted "If you think I'm fast then you should see my nephew" Where that speed is? No one knows.
The less said about Piquet Jr the better.
Although David Brabham had considerable success away from Formula 1 his results in the top tier of motorsport showed he didn't have that little bit extra that a driver needs to be the best although a lot of that could be down to the machinery he was stuck with.
F1 is dangerous, maybe the reason we don't see more generational racers is that many parents don't want to see their children go through the same risks that they put themselves through for the sport they loved. Emilo de Villota isn't a household name but everyone knows his daughter Maria who died due to complications after crashing while testing an F1 car. Henry Surtees was on the way to follow in his grandfathers footsteps but died in a GP3 race. The latest tragedy is Jules Bianchi, currently fighting for his life after a horrific accident in Japan, racing is in his blood though with both his Grandfather & Great Uncle who both competed & won at the top of their fields.
Finally we need to take a look at the future stars. Kevin Magnussen has certainly shown that he is quicker than his father ever was, if he manages to keep his seat at McLaren then I'm pretty sure he will go on to greater success, one of the great unknowns is Max Verstappen who is hotly tipped to become the next big thing while his father Jos was never spectacular there must be something in the blood as Max's sister is also a racer and is on the path to single seater racing.
And lastly we have Jolyon Palmer, the recent GP2 WDC, Son of another journeyman racer but quick and mature, he deserves his shot in F1 but as always in this most cruel of sports talent alone isn't enough.
The first names that spring to mind are usually the ones where the children emulate the success of their Father, Hill, Villeneuve & potentially Rosberg. All sons of champions & legends in the sport.
Damon & Jacques had their greatest success with a hugely dominating car but have shown that having a winning father meant the racing instinct was passed down through the genes. Rosberg has the speed but again he is driving a dominant machine only time will tell if he was a born racer or just lucky enough to have a father who both had the funds and the connections to make sure Nico got the opportunity to compete with the best.
For the argument against genetics three names spring instantly to mind. Brabham, Piquet & Senna, all multiple World Drivers Champions yet their offspring failed to make the cut when it came to F1, Ayrton Senna famously quoted "If you think I'm fast then you should see my nephew" Where that speed is? No one knows.
The less said about Piquet Jr the better.
Although David Brabham had considerable success away from Formula 1 his results in the top tier of motorsport showed he didn't have that little bit extra that a driver needs to be the best although a lot of that could be down to the machinery he was stuck with.
F1 is dangerous, maybe the reason we don't see more generational racers is that many parents don't want to see their children go through the same risks that they put themselves through for the sport they loved. Emilo de Villota isn't a household name but everyone knows his daughter Maria who died due to complications after crashing while testing an F1 car. Henry Surtees was on the way to follow in his grandfathers footsteps but died in a GP3 race. The latest tragedy is Jules Bianchi, currently fighting for his life after a horrific accident in Japan, racing is in his blood though with both his Grandfather & Great Uncle who both competed & won at the top of their fields.
Finally we need to take a look at the future stars. Kevin Magnussen has certainly shown that he is quicker than his father ever was, if he manages to keep his seat at McLaren then I'm pretty sure he will go on to greater success, one of the great unknowns is Max Verstappen who is hotly tipped to become the next big thing while his father Jos was never spectacular there must be something in the blood as Max's sister is also a racer and is on the path to single seater racing.
And lastly we have Jolyon Palmer, the recent GP2 WDC, Son of another journeyman racer but quick and mature, he deserves his shot in F1 but as always in this most cruel of sports talent alone isn't enough.
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