The most well-known 10 fathers and sons in motorsport

Some interests, such as sports, tend to be passed down from generation to generation within families.

This passing down or inculcation tends to make the beginnings, at the very least, more transparent for the younger apprentices of the house.

It also tends to make things much simpler on many other occasions throughout history.

Due to the fact that this is a topic that generates a great deal of skepticism and is rarely examined in greater detail, in this issue of Motorbli, we are going to take a look at some parents and children who are dedicated (or have been dedicated) to the world of motorsport.

This way, we will be able to determine not only who has surpassed whom but also the extent to which the guidance provided by the parent to the heir in question has been beneficial.

In motorsport, fathers and sons often follow in each other’s footsteps.

After this brief introduction, we will now move on to a discussion of those fathers and sons whose respective athletic careers took a route that was, to a greater or lesser extent, comparable to one another.

Let’s take a look at how the proverb “like father, like son” has been used.

1. Graham Hill and Damon Hill Hill 1.

Throughout its more than 70-year history, Formula 1 has seen many family teams compete.

The Hill family was one of the earliest settlers. Graham and Damon, both of whom are from the United Kingdom, were two of the most talented performers in the Grand Circus during their respective eras.

Before his untimely death in a plane crash, Graham was a successful race car driver in the 1960s and 1970s.

He held the distinction of having won the Triple Crown of Motorsport (1975).

In contrast to his father, Damon won the Formula One world championship in 1996 while driving for the Williams team.

Damon was one of the references during the 1990s.

It’s possible that the fact that he chose to concentrate on winning this championship as opposed to his father, who competed in a variety of endurance races (including the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Indy 500), was the key to his success in reaching this benchmark.

2. Mario Andretti and his brother Michael Andretti

This Italian-American family is also home to a Formula One world champion, who happens to be the father, Mario, who won the title in 1978 while driving for Lotus.

In addition, he achieved glory in the 500 Miles of Indianapolis, the IndyCar event, and the Daytona event.

Michael, for his part, gave the impression of not having a great deal of interest in the most prestigious category of the four wheels, as evidenced by the fact that he only competed in one season (1993) before quitting with three races left to go.

As with his ancestors, he enjoyed great success in the United States, particularly in the 1991 CART PPG Indy Car World Series.

In total, he was victorious in 42 of the competition’s races.

With multiple victories under his belt in IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500, he is now the driver-in-chief of the team that bears his name in both of those competitions.

3. Keke and Nico Rosberg

With all of you, we will be the only family ever to win a championship in Formula One.

Keke and Nico Rosberg can call themselves Grand Circus champions, thanks to their victories in 1982 and 2016. BR.

Even though the circumstances in which they accomplished this feat were very different, Keke did it with Williams, and Nico did it while being accompanied by Mercedes on his way to glory.

That year, which coincided with the World Cup in Spain, was marked by the deaths of Gilles Villeneuve and Ricardo Paletti, the disputes between the FIA and the Constructors Association (FOCA), which led to a boycott during the Grand Prix of South Africa and the cancellation of the one in Argentina.

Additionally, that year saw the deaths of Ricardo Paletti and Gilles Villeneuve.

Even though the tension with Lewis Hamilton was so thick you could cut it with a knife, the atmosphere in 2016 was significantly calmer. Aside from that, there is nothing controversial.

4. The Verstappen brothers, Jos and Max

In the case of Jos and Max Verstappen, both Dutch, it is abundantly clear that the son has been more successful than the father.

After having the opportunity to race on the same Benetton team as Michael Schumacher and finishing on the podium twice while doing so, the progenitor went on to compete for more modest teams such as Arrows, Minardi, and Tyrrell.

He was never even remotely competitive in the championship.

And then there’s “Mad Max,” who has been rubbing shoulders with the greats ever since he joined the first Red Bull team and, in 2021, was crowned world champion.

How many will more titles come after the one celebrated in Abu Dhabi in extremis?

5. Michael and Mick Schumacher

A child in the family of a man is widely considered to be the best Formula One driver of all time.

The Kaiser and his seven world titles won with Benetton, and Ferrari set a very high bar for Nick, who made his debut with Haas in the 2021 season after winning the F2 championship.

The Kaiser and his seven world titles won with Benetton and Ferrari is a very high bar for Nick.

It is doubtful that he will be able to replicate his father’s success with the American team, but one never knows what kind of opportunities a strong performance on the course can bring.

6. Kenny Roberts Sr. and Jr.

On two wheels, the Kenny Roberts father and son duo are indisputable analogs to the Rosbergs; they are the Rosbergs’ equivalents.

The older of the two was also, the more successful, as he was the first person from his nation ever to be crowned world champion in the 500 cubic centimeter category on three separate occasions.

Between the late 1970s and the early 1980s, each used a Yamaha as their instrument of choice.

For his part, Kenny Roberts Junior achieved glory with the turn of the century in 2000, although he did it with Suzuki.

This allowed him to erase the bitter taste of finishing in second place the previous year when he could not defeat Alex Crivillé and his Honda.

After that fantastic moment, he was never quite as competitive again until 2007, when he finally called it quits, but he did finish on the podium five more times.

7. Harri and Kalle Rovanpera

Harri and Kalle Rovanpera, who hail from Finland and compete in the World Rally Championship, appear destined to follow a path similar to that taken by the Verstappen brothers.

When Harri was driving for Peugeot in Rally Sweden in 2001, he took the win and scored his only victory in the world championship.

Harri did this while competing in the event. Additionally, he finished fifth place on that course, his best finish position to date.

For his part, Kalle seems destined to break all records, and one reason for this may be that he made his debut in the world championship with Ford in 2017 while still a minor.

Since 2020, he has been racing for Toyota, the brand with which he won his first race in Estonia (2021), and the brand with which he has the potential to achieve glory very soon despite being only 22 years old.

8. Graziano and Valentino Rossi

In the case of the Rossis, one can observe something strikingly analogous to the drama surrounding Verstappen but play out on four wheels.

Between the late 1970s and the early 1980s, Graziano participated in the motorcycle world championship. His career spanned a decade.

During his time competing in the tournament, 250 and 500 cubic centimeters categories were the most important to him.

During that time, he won three races and finished on the podium seven times.

In 1979, he and Morbidelli came a respectable distance from winning the quarter-liter title, but they could not pull it off.

Quite the polar opposite of his son, the legendary Valentino. Before retiring from the MotoGP world championship in 2021, Il Dottore won nine titles in the competition.

In 1997, he won his first race at 125 cubic centimeters; in 1999, he won his second race at 250 cubic centimeters.

In 2001, he became the last rider to win the 500-cc class and was the first to succeed in the MotoGP era (2002). Unquestionably the most accomplished motorcycle racer of the current period.

9. Angel Nieto Sr. and Angel Nieto Jr., as well as Pablo

Angel Nieto, who won the motorcycle world championship a total of 12 and a half times, has set an impossible standard for his sons.

To emulate their father’s success in the motorcycle world championship, Gelete and Pablo competed in the event.

On the other hand, it is essential to emphasize that the master was able to amass such a large number of titles because the riders could combine their presence in various categories.

Between 1995 and 2001, the eldest of his sons competed in 125 cubic centimeters, but he did not achieve noteworthy results.

Despite this, he did assist Emilio Alzamora in winning the championship in 1999 by allowing him to pass him in the Australian race so that Alzamora could score a point after crashing.

This is an essential fact because he used that to his advantage over Melandri and ultimately won the title.

Pablo achieved better results between 1998 and 2008, when he won one race (at Estoril in 2003) and finished on the podium six other times.

Carlos Sainz Sr. and Carlos Sainz Jr.

One member of the Sainz family has won both the world rally championship and the Dakar rally, and another family member is a potential heir to the Formula One throne.

Within the realm of competitive sport, the father-and-son team has taken a somewhat unique path.

Before leaping the Dakar, where he already has three trophies, the father came within a hair’s breadth of glory in 1990 and 1992 between one stage and the next.

He then fell just short of it several times before leaping.

It would appear that Carlos Jr. is not interested in battle in the desert or the middle of landscapes for the time being.

Instead, it would appear that he is intent on achieving his great dream of becoming the F1 world champion and focusing on the circuits.

He guarantees that he will continue to fight for Ferrari in the years to come.

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