Heinz-Harald Frentzen will be the drivers’ representative on the stewards’ panel for this weekend’s European Grand Prix.
Frentzen raced in F1 from 1994 to 2003, starting 156 races for Sauber, Williams, Jordan (twice), Prost and Arrows.
The German driver entered F1 having been on Mercedes’ young driver programme with Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger.
After F1 he raced in the DTM from 2004 to 2006. His last major competitive outings were two years ago, when he drove an Aston Martin in the Le Mans 24 Hours and drove in the now-defunct Speedcar series.
The other three stewards this weekend are Gerd Enser (board member of the German motor club ADAC), Radovan Novak (FIA World Motor Sports Council member) and Vidal Perucho (Director of the Jarama circuit and member of the FIA commissions for cross country rallying and truck racing).
2010 European Grand Prix
TommyB (@tommyb89)
23rd June 2010, 12:52
Cool, Frentzen was a good driver. Shame he was useless when he got the chance in the 1997 Williams. His performance for Jordan in 1999 was one of the best I’ve seen, if he’d have won in Nurburgring (retired from first place) he could have been a serious title contender.
Alex Bkk
23rd June 2010, 13:18
I always thought it ironic that Hill was dumped for Frentzen (who I considered a waste of space at Williams) and that Hill ended up at Jordan and won the first ever race for Eddie.
I have got to disagree with you on this one Tommy.
TommyB (@tommyb89)
23rd June 2010, 14:48
Hill won in 1998 for Jordan, Frentzen joined Jordan in 1999.
glue (@glue)
23rd June 2010, 14:49
and then Frentzen outpaced Hill at Jordan
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
23rd June 2010, 15:04
More than that, he destroyed him.
Damon Hill in 1999 was one of the most cringeworthy things I’ve ever seen.
miguelF!
23rd June 2010, 15:50
he wasnt motivated
PJA
23rd June 2010, 17:17
Hill never managed to adapt to the four grooved tyres introduced in 1999 and he actually contemplated retiring mid season.
glue (@glue)
23rd June 2010, 17:25
well, lack of motivation is completely understandable for a supposed world champion, right?
Bigbadderboom
24th June 2010, 19:58
Hill was not even in the game, he was demotivated and clearly unhappy, GP had moved on in 1999 and hill had interests elsewhere.
TMFOX
25th June 2010, 16:25
Hill should have been allowed to retire at the end of 1998 like he wanted to.
Todfod
23rd June 2010, 14:28
Well… its good to see another one Schumi’s buddys on the Stewards panel. I really dont see Schumi behaving well in this race either, so it’ll be fun.
jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
23rd June 2010, 20:58
Well if you don’t want Schumi’s so called buddys on the stewards panel then feel free to try and find drivers still alive and coherent who weren’t around when Schumi was driving
James_mc
24th June 2010, 1:39
Ah yes because I’d be BEST BUDS with someone who my girlfriend left me for and then got married to…. ;-)
glue (@glue)
23rd June 2010, 14:50
Schumi’s buddy? you mean the guy who started off in the same ranks as Schumi and ended up miles behind him just because he didn’t get a better opportunity than a Sauber? also the guy whose ex-girlfriend is now Schumi’s wife?
David A
23rd June 2010, 18:38
Also the guy that sturggled to score half the points Villeneuve did in the Willams in 1997.
glue (@glue)
23rd June 2010, 18:50
well, he was giving points away to Schumi to aid his title bid, being buddies and all
David A
23rd June 2010, 19:24
Well, bottom line is he flopped in the fastest car and all! :D
Todfod
23rd June 2010, 23:15
@glue. By saying ‘buddy’, I was being sarcastic. There is quite a bit of bad blood between them on and off the track.
James_mc
24th June 2010, 1:40
Apologies for missing the sarcasm!
glue (@glue)
24th June 2010, 9:38
oh, ok..sorry about that, it’s hard to convey tone in writing
alejandro
23rd June 2010, 16:07
One of the coolest-sounding names in F1
F1withMySon
23rd June 2010, 23:20
That’s what I was going to say – always liked the name.
Calum
23rd June 2010, 16:48
Coolest name in F1 was Elio de Angelis.
glue (@glue)
23rd June 2010, 16:59
what about Schiatarella?
glue (@glue)
23rd June 2010, 17:00
I meant Schiattarella, sorry..but that just proves my point :D
Klon
23rd June 2010, 19:10
And what about Zsolt Baumgartner?
F1withMySon
23rd June 2010, 23:27
Zsolt is good.
How about Manfred Winkelhock, that’s a good name.
Jake Butler
23rd June 2010, 20:01
i always thought Jean-Christophe Boullion, Bill Cheesbourg (indy 500 only)
glue (@glue)
23rd June 2010, 20:32
Boullion indeed..and another ‘ringy’ surname in my very early childhood was Prost, as ‘prost’ means ‘stupid’ our language..to think how much of a kid I was to allow that to amuse me
HounslowBusGarage
23rd June 2010, 20:58
HaHa! What language is that, glue?
glue (@glue)
24th June 2010, 9:40
romanian..it’s not the most sophisticated and I’m not actually proud of using it, but what can I do
Tom L.
24th June 2010, 23:42
Prost also means ‘cheers!’ in German…
glue
25th June 2010, 9:09
that’s better than what we have :D
BasCB
23rd June 2010, 20:07
Frentzen is a pretty nice guy. No champion material but a hard worker and intelligent.
He might get to be a regular in stewarding, as Herbert seems to be (2x GP stewarding and now in DTM). Maybe the FIA and those guys are working at getting a stable team together rotating at events instead of just having a celebrity turn up. I suppose Hill will not be too eager to do another one after the hate mail following Monaco.
HounslowBusGarage
23rd June 2010, 21:01
I hope that’s the case, BasCB. Establishing a proper resource of reliable and knowledgable ex-driver Stewards is infinitely more important than the ‘Special Guest Star’ approach.
Scribe (@scribe)
24th June 2010, 0:36
Fretzen an Herbert are the right kind really, good enough to win in their day but not quite champions, trusted by the majority of the paddock. There’s easily 5 or 6 drivers of that calibure knocking about, great idea, put them on a rotor.
Bleu
24th June 2010, 9:41
Good choice. Frentzen is half-Spanish so he’s good choice for specially this race. So he’s eighth driver to be a steward and we have Mansell next race, which makes it nine. I could imagine that this year may be done with a big group but for next year there will be less drivers doing the job.
Yiech
20th February 2011, 1:19
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