Formula One is one sport which is loved by millions across the globe because of its high speed nature, technical brilliance and living on knifes edge nature. We have seen over the years that there is no shortage of talent in this field and drivers have managed to stamp their authority from the first season. However, there are some previous or current drivers who have lacked on the performance sheet despite being immensely talented. Here is the list of such four drivers.
Felipe Massa
This Brazilian driver started his F1 career with Sauber before joining Ferrari as a test driver in 2003. He returned to his former team in 2004 and 2005 before rejoining Ferrari where he won two races in 2006. There was a time when he was compared to legendary drivers of the sport and was tipped to win championships. His move to Ferrari didn’t help him either as he was given second hand treatment by the team because of Michael Schumacher’s presence in the line-up. Massa showed glimpse of his talent in the red machine and even won few races but this was not enough to land him in the first position. He is currently part of Williams and there is no possibility of him finishing as number one in the leadership board. Felipe Massa has won 11 races and has attained podium finish on 41 occasions.
Ralf Schumacher
He is a former German racing driver and younger brother of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher and they are the only siblings to have won races in Formula One history. Ralf Schumacher first drove in the sport for Jordan in 1997 and then moved to Williams in 1999. Having stayed there for few years, his next destination was Toyota in 2005 where he enjoyed his time till 2007. After departing from Toyota, he failed to secure a racing in any of the teams despite testing for them. Being a brother of all-time great, he was expected to be a performer from the start of his career. His main disadvantage was the choice of teams who couldn’t challenge big fishes like Ferrari and McLaren. Moreover, his brother Michael was in great touch and didn’t allow anyone to settle down in front of him. Ralf could only win six races and had to content himself with 27 podium finishes.
Rubens Barrichello
He is a Brazilian racing driver who competed in the sport from 1993 till 2011. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from 2000 to 2005 as Michael Schumacher’s teammate, finishing as championship runner-up in 2002 and 2004. He also finished third in 2001. During his six years with Ferrari, Rubens was forced to stay behind his illustrious teammate Michael Schumacher on many occasions. Despite leading races from the start, he was asked to give Michael a space in order to help him in winning the championship. This man even registered his displeasure to his team but was not heard. He could have won championships if he was part of some other team in his fruitless years but destiny had other plans for him. He even drove for Jordan, Stewart, Honda, Brawn and Williams. Rubens had 11 triumphs to his name while finished his career with 68 podium landings.
Juan Pablo Montoya
He was signed by Williams to partner Ralf Schumacher in 2001. During the first half of his F1 career, he consolidated his position as a fast and clever driver. Montoya became a title challenger in 2003 but his hopes of fighting for the title gradually faded as his cars lacked pace and technical maneuver to win the championship. This Colombian star was part of McLaren from 2005 till 2006. It proved to be a disaster for him as his form dipped considerably and he couldn’t justify his signing by the high profile team. He was also repeatedly let down by the engine failures and his inconsistent form. He left F1 to join NASCAR after not enjoying his time in the sport. Juan Pablo Montoya won seven races and had thirty podium finishes to his name.