For both manufacturers and drivers alike, making it onto the grid of a major motorsport championship is a triumph of talent and perseverance, and that is true whether a driver starts in pole position or 26th on the grid.
Therefore, every driver, including the least capable on the highest stage, is to be credited as a phenomenal talent, and every car, even those that never had a hope of competing, should be commended for the effort and hard work put into the gearbox, the engine and the aerodynamics.
A great example of why people with poor results in motorsport should still be commended for their efforts can be found in the infamously unlucky story of Perry McCarthy, who many have argued is the unluckiest racing driver ever.
Already in his early 30s by the time he entered Formula One, Mr McCarthy’s career started with some rather unusual good fortune, having impressed with tests for both Footwork Arrows and Williams.
He was signed by Andrea Moda, a team run by enigmatic shoe magnate Andrea Sassetti, and even managed to get an FIA Super Licence he perhaps was not eligible for.
After finally getting it, the car he had was several years old, fitted with broken parts and was outright farcical to the point of being dangerous. His debut in Spain lasted a grand total of 18 metres before the car’s engine failed.
Meanwhile, he would drive around Silverstone on wet tyres when the track was completely dry, whilst in Hungary he would only have 45 seconds to set a lap time, a literally impossible feat since he wouldn’t have a chance to set a flying lap.
In Belgium, a flexing and broken steering column nearly led to a horrific crash at the Radillion curve at the Belgian Grand Prix.
After this, Andrea Moda themselves were banned from Formula One for bringing the sport into disrepute. However, he would have some success as an after-dinner speaker and would notably be the first Stig on the revival of Top Gear, setting lap times anonymously as a “tame racing driver”.