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Taki Inoue ... the worst driver in two decades

ESPN Staff
February 8, 2013
One thing after another ... Taki Inoue is hit by a marshal car coming to help him after he retired with a blown engine at the 1985 Hungarian Grand Prix © Press Association
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An informal chat on Autosport over who could rate as the worst Formula One driver of the last two decades was enlivened when one of the candidates, Taki Inoue, weighed in arguing the accolade belonged to him.

Inoue drove 18 races for Simtek and Footwork in 1994 and 1995 but only finished five times. His ESPNF1 profile says he "didn't make a lasting impression on the paddock with his driving skills. He will most likely be remembered for a couple of bizarre incidents involving course cars. One of which saw his Footwork flipped at Monaco while being towed back to the pits and the other ended in him being run over by medical staff. He continued to race in the occasional sports car event but never achieved anything to prove his F1 critics wrong."

Inoue told Autosport : "Hey, mister! You don't need to consider who is the worst F1 driver forever!! It's definitely me Taki Inoue."

After a short debate he got his way and replied: "Dear all my followers and people who voted me as a worst F1 of last 20 years, Thank you very much for your support to make me Worst No.1."

As if to underline the gap between the riches awaiting those who succeed and the life of those who don't make it, he added: "Big celebration is going on. Now I'm a official worst F1 driver of last 20 years. Lewis Hamilton is enjoying his own first jet. I'm sweating to find the cheapest flight date in Easyjet. We both live here in Monaco. Oh dear, I don't think he has experienced drinking an orange juice with plastic cup and cold croissant in his life."

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