There is no doubt that F1 drivers have large egos and plenty of self-esteem. It's necessary for them to do what they do. Stewart's ego was so large that it spilled out into virtually every conversation and interview at the time. And that put a lot of people off.

There were PLENTY of World Champions and Grand Prix winners of that era, also with tremendous egos, who kept them in check and showed a great sense of humility. Champions like Clark, Brabham, Hill, Surtees, and Fittipaldi were humble in their victories. Denny Hulme was especially humble.

I think Jackie got caught up with the growing attention F1 racing was getting, the jet set people it attracted, and the glamour that went with it. And he played it to the limit, believe me.

None of this is to detract what a bloody quick driver and worthy Champion he was. He seems to have mellowed somewhat since his retirement, as most drivers do after their racing career ends.

TO

p.s. Just sayin'.......... ;)

^ I agree Hill and the "old school" were from a different era of gentlemen. But as you say they didn't have the level of exposure that came after them. It's a generational thing, that we see with each generation. More attention, more "me".

All that being said, I could never criticize any driver who strapped himself into such rolling coffins. The drivers in F1 when downforce met shockingly unsafe circuits like in the late 60's and 70's are another category of human competitor. Far above any other sport before or since.
If anything I think he's one of the few in F1 who aren't afraid to get into a row with Bernie Ecclestone over Silverstone or whatever. And I really admired had how Sir Jackie was always near his better half unlike so many professional athletes with Tiger Woods type arrangements.

I never said that. All of the drivers mentioned in my post were Stewart's peers. The "exposure" was the same. Jackie just handled it differently. His ego was more transparent to everyone. Just read his ghost-written book "Faster".

TO

what I'm saying is that Stewart wasn't from that era of Graham Hill, Moss, Surtees and Brabham (guys born a decade earlier or more) who generally handled spotlight with a bit less flash and attention getting vs. the guys who came after. And that's continued to be the case, where guys like Clark may be the exception, each generation of grand prix drivers seem to seek more and more attention and recognition.

Maybe Stewart was the start of it, perhaps but he was also part of much more lethal era of racing than those guys before him. Everyone has different coping mechanisms to deal with such human extremes where death becomes a guarantee every few races, unless you've been in those shoes week in and week out I fail to see how anyone can begrudge a guy for doing things in their own way. If we're talking about a golf player or footballer with a very obvious mountain-sized ego that's one thing but we may never see a sport demand so much of human being as we saw in the late 60's and 70's of F1. Maybe other drivers of his era could judge Stewart as less than gracious but that's a very select group of men that earned it.

Geez PL, all I'm saying is what I originally posted:

This "reality show" is also available in its entirety, for free viewing, on YouTube. More of a Stewart ego trip than anything else, when Jackie was THE driver from 1970 to his retirement in 1973.

If you don't believe me, just ask him.

What's up with the mini-novella posts, where one has to search to find a point, or go through some truncated logic to determine what you're actually saying?

Or is it just that you always have to have the last word?

TO

I don't think it was ego trip movie. In fact, it was a 'behind the scenes' format well ahead of its time.

You think six sentences about the greatest era F1 is too ardous?

Let's make it a photos and videos only forum then!

http://www.espnf1.com/PICTURES/CMS/8100/8142.jpg

Sounds good to me.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01/Emmo1402587095.jpg
Fittipaldi, in the wet at Monaco, 1972.

TO

Just a bump for those who have not yet seen (and those who want to watch it again).....the "1" F1 documentary is on NBCSports network tonight t 9:00 PM EDT. Set your DVRs for the Monaco Grand Prix which is also tomorrow morning.

-T