The most up to date list of the best of modern era journeymen racers

[The Black Knight]

Putting Button in that category as a world champion, albeit a very lucky one, is a bit harsh I think.

Rosberg as well, he's definitely a better driver than lots of previous World Champions so I wouldn't begrudge him a title in the future.

Don't know how Maldonado didn't make that list with him being the worst driver on the grid in all. In fact, I think Maldonado should win the title of the worst driver to ever win a F1 race.

The funny thing is that teams still have faith in the fool:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120229

[Mintexmemory]

Rosberg as well, he's definitely a better driver than lots of previous World Champions so I wouldn't begrudge him a title in the future.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120229

Err define 'lots' - more than 3 perhaps? So name 3 drivers who are previous world champions who would have done a worse job than Rosberg in the dominating piece of machinery he is fortunate (by dint of nationality) to be driving in the first place. Hint: do not even attempt to include Hill (father or son), Mansell, Hulme, Hakkinen, in your list.
Scheckter and Villeneuve perhaps though I'm sure you'll get robust arguments in favour of both.

As a matter of fact 'definitely' can't be applied in your assertion as comparisons of different driving eras, often requiring different skill sets, is at best problematic - at worst fallacious.

[gm99]

In fact, I think Maldonado should win the title of the worst driver to ever win a F1 race.

Hard to beat Vittorio Brambilla in that category - who else managed to crash on the slow-down lap of his only GP victory?

[The Black Knight]

Err define 'lots' - more than 3 perhaps? So name 3 drivers who are previous world champions who would have done a worse job than Rosberg in the dominating piece of machinery he is fortunate (by dint of nationality) to be driving in the first place. Hint: do not even attempt to include Hill (father or son), Mansell, Hulme, Hakkinen, in your list.
Scheckter and Villeneuve perhaps though I'm sure you'll get robust arguments in favour of both.

As a matter of fact 'definitely' can't be applied in your assertion as comparisons of different driving eras, often requiring different skill sets, is at best problematic - at worst fallacious.

To imply that Rosberg has done a bad job by saying "worse job" is a bit farcical given that he is up against one of the greatest drivers of his generation and possibly one of the greats of all time (tbd).

Villeneuve, Raikkonen would both have done a worse job and I genuinely think that Rosberg would have taken them to the cleaners. I also think Rosberg would beat Button and, potentially, Vettel in a straight fight. Lets not remember that Rosberg is the only one to beat Michael Schumacher in the same car (albeit an over the hill version). Schumacher was always full of praise praise for how good Rosberg is and so is Hamilton. He's no slouch and I think he's one of the best drivers of this generation. He reminds me of a Mika Hakkinen - one of the best drivers but just missing that little something to keep him from being the absolute best.

I'm unsure why you are so hell bent on excluding Hill, Mansell, Hulme, Hakkinen in the list. Perhaps you could expand?

[The Black Knight]

Hard to beat Vittorio Brambilla in that category - who else managed to crash on the slow-down lap of his only GP victory?

Haha yeah true but I still give it to Maldonado.

[AndyL]

Hard to beat Vittorio Brambilla in that category - who else managed to crash on the slow-down lap of his only GP victory?

Frankly car racers have historically been pretty disappointing in this area. On two wheels it's a different story. At the last British Superbike round at Thruxton, the Superbike race winner crashed on the slowing down lap. In the discussion afterwards, both of Eurosport's expert pundits admitted to doing the same: James Whitham once crashed into a wall I think; and James Haydon threw his Harris Yamaha down the road after finishing 9th in a 500cc Grand Prix race, it caught aflame, burned to the ground and was delivered back to the pits in a bucket. I remember after a Yamaha R6 Cup race (the last of the season) a few years ago, seeing 3 separate crashes on the slowing down lap; there may have been more, I couldn't see the whole circuit!
This is an area F1 drivers really need to work on

[Mia 01]

To imply that Rosberg has done a bad job by saying "worse job" is a bit farcical given that he is up against one of the greatest drivers of his generation and possibly one of the greats of all time (tbd).

Villeneuve, Raikkonen would both have done a worse job and I genuinely think that Rosberg would have taken them to the cleaners. I also think Rosberg would beat Button and, potentially, Vettel in a straight fight. Lets not remember that Rosberg is the only one to beat Michael Schumacher in the same car (albeit an over the hill version). Schumacher was always full of praise praise for how good Rosberg is and so is Hamilton. He's no slouch and I think he's one of the best drivers of this generation. He reminds me of a Mika Hakkinen - one of the best drivers but just missing that little something to keep him from being the absolute best.

I'm unsure why you are so hell bent on excluding Hill, Mansell, Hulme, Hakkinen in the list. Perhaps you could expand?

If Rosberg is that good, how good isn´t Hamilton then. Is that your Point.

[Nitrodaze]

Frankly car racers have historically been pretty disappointing in this area. On two wheels it's a different story. At the last British Superbike round at Thruxton, the Superbike race winner crashed on the slowing down lap. In the discussion afterwards, both of Eurosport's expert pundits admitted to doing the same: James Whitham once crashed into a wall I think; and James Haydon threw his Harris Yamaha down the road after finishing 9th in a 500cc Grand Prix race, it caught aflame, burned to the ground and was delivered back to the pits in a bucket. I remember after a Yamaha R6 Cup race (the last of the season) a few years ago, seeing 3 separate crashes on the slowing down lap; there may have been more, I couldn't see the whole circuit!
This is an area F1 drivers really need to work on

:-) Ha ha

[zako85]

Don't know how Maldonado didn't make that list with him being the worst driver on the grid in all. In fact, I think Maldonado should win the title of the worst driver to ever win a F1 race.

The funny thing is that teams still have faith in the fool:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120229

My personal definition of a journeyman racer is someone who is talented enough (often barely) to progress through the sport for many years without necessarily having to be a pay driver. Maldonado does not fit this criteria IMHO. In 2012, he won a GP, but despite having a car capable of reaching a podium in at least some GPs, he ended the 2012 WDC in 15th place. He has been for four years in F1 now, but his mistakes on track continue on frequent basis. So I don't necessarily disparage the journeymen. They're a lot better than the rest. They're basically very good racers who have to live in the shadows of truly great of all time.

[Nitrodaze]

My personal definition of a journeyman racer is someone who is talented enough (often barely) to progress through the sport for many years without necessarily having to be a pay driver.

I think an important criteria for a journeyman is that they are paid to drive. They are suppose to absorb resources which ought to be expended on other more deserving drivers.

I think drivers that pay to driver do so to have the opportunity to showcase their talent so that they may get an opportunity to driver in a top team. Hence, a paying driver is not automatically a journeyman. However, they become a journeyman if they are not impressing and are very unlikely to progress into a top team. But still somehow manage to generate the funds to occupy a seat in a mid-field team for a number of seasons.

On Maldonado, the jury is out. He is having a frustratingly bad patch at the moment. He is an F1 GP winner. A win that was not by luck but hard earned. Like Romain in 2010 and 2011, who crashed into everyone and was criticized heavily, Maldonado is having his spell which l think is really the man kicking himself for leaving a team on the raise to one finding its feet. He made a silly mistake leaving the Williams which has turned out to be a revelation in 2014, for struggling Lotus and that must really hurt.

As much as one would say he is looking quite ugly on the track at the moment, one must admit that in a car that suits him perfectly, he can win races. It is just darn hard to see the sort of mistakes that he is making at the moment. It just makes me cringe.