Things ... What if?

Olivier

Race Winner
As always f1metrics brings about a topic that has been discussed over the years many many times. What if? In this case the author focuses on drivers that have been killed (or gravely hurt). He starts with the obvious, what if Senna had survived the Imola crash. It’s fairly easy to see that his conclusions make a lot of sense.

There are other what ifs that are intriguing; what if Senna would have been hired after his test with Williams in 83?

What was a surprised to me was the analysis on Tommy Brise, of whom I knew very little but using their math model and over the years he could have fought world titles! In future parts, there’s going to be analysis on Kubika and Stefan Bellof.

I know some think this is a futile exercise but for me it’s fun and takes away the boredom of the summer days.

Enjoy!

Historical hypotheticals: Part I
 
Well i still believe kubica wouldve been a world champion when he drove for ferrari in 2012 (which listening to these F1 interviews i feel for massa as he seemly got that drive as a last resort) as the things he did with 2010 renault made alonsos overachievements look tame. That monaco qualifying when he put it on the front row. 1.4 secs quicker than his team mate. & for a guy with 1 race win you ask any of the top guys they all rate kubica in the top 3

But the big one for me is Senna, what if he had completed that san marino gp. Because i was never able to watch live too young. But he was 34 & when you think what Button Alonso Kimi can still do at 36 - 39. He could easily have gone on til 1998-1999. You'd think he couldve easily got another world championship. But even then there was so many fallouts from that no David Coulthard, Damon Hill or Jaques Villenueuve might not have been world champion. Rumours of Senna in 1996 ferrari not Schumacher
 
Which would mean that Newey wouldn't have had a falling out with the team over Hill and Renault may very well have not pulled out causing Williams to slump.
 
So Schumacher to Williams in 1996 then? Scary.

but didnt damon hill have a contract in 1996 & surely after the incident 12 months prior he would never be teammate espically considering how he still hates Schumacher for Adelaide 24yrs later, never mind 12 months
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I know & forgive if this sound disrespectful but in doctor who terms it almost like senna death in 1994 was almost a fixed point in time, that cant be changed. because the world of F1 would be so weird if he had carried on. because as I say would coulthard or villenueve ever made in to F1. would the McLaren been competitive with Mercedes but no newey, would hakkinen been a world champion. would Ferrari have carried in the same vein as 92 - 95 as if senna not Schumacher made F1 that would be no brawn or byrne to transform them, I doubt Hill would've been a world champion. think in 2000 if Williams were in mclarens position with newey would Button ever have got an opportunity in F1 like he did in 2000.& then all the lifes that senna has saved because of the huge advances in safety

F1 world that we know would be unrecognisable.
 
It is amazing how one small change can ripple out and have such an effect on the world around us, be it in F1 or anything else really.

Schumacher to Williams instead of Ferrari, hmm I can't see he would have won as many titles and him and Damon would never have worked out as team mates that's for sure. I used to think Schumacher drove into Hill a lot but then I had one of those videos about crashes in F1 bought for me and it turned out a lot of the times they crashed it was actually Hill's fault. Not the Adelaide incident of course, that was totally Schumacher's fault in my opinion.
 
F1Brits_90 - F1 remains unchanged because The (46th) Doctor is busy in MotoGP.

I speculate that in the Senna verse:

1994: Senna/Hill, Schumacher/[Lehto/Verstappen/Herbert], Alesi/Berger, Hakkinen/Brundle

WDC: Schumacher (he was a long way ahead coming out of Imola, and I doubt he'd have had all the show-penalties...)
WCC: Williams

1995:
Senna/Hill, Schumacher/Herbert, Alesi/Berger, Hakkinen/Blundell

WDC: Senna
WCC: Williams

1996:
Schumacher/Villeneuve, Senna/Irvine, Alesi/Berger, Hakkinen/Herbert

WDC: Schumacher
WCC: Williams

1997:
Schumacher/Villeneuve, Senna/Irvine, Hakkinen/Herbert, Alesi/[Berger/Wurz]
WDC: Senna
WCC: Williams

1998:
Senna/Frentzen, Hakkinen/Villeneuve, Schumacher/Fisichella, Hill/Ralf
WDC: Senna
WCC: Ferrari

Senna, six-time World Champion, promptly retires to spend time making vaguely philosophical statements. I conjecture from here that Schumi goes back to Ferrari. If you're wondering, David Coulthard finally got into F1 at Sauber in 1996 before leaving for Arrows in 1997 alongside Pedro Diniz. He joined Alex Wurz at Benetton in 1998...

Anyone want to carry on my uneducated guesswork?


 
Coulthard wouldnt have made F1. Because if i remember correctly from a interview he had no budget in 1994. Just barely scraping by to compete in f3000. Though that it was highly likely he would go back to family business. Thinking i couldnt have done anymore. Which its why its the great unsaid in any coulthard interview. Yes everyone was devastated at his death brazil & F1 mourned his passing like we mourned princess diana. But career part the selfish part of his brain. Was thinking yes this has saved my career & ill get a shot in F1. I would never get otherwise

He might have been a btcc driver. As it much cheaper but its about it
 
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