Mehri is just... an anomaly. I don't know how to describe him other than a treat to watch knowing he's gonna be somewhere in the world of racing at any given time.
The only guy to ever manage doing F1 and Formula Renault at the same time, like wtf. Manor going into that season with him and Will Stevens will forever be one of the funniest driver lineups in F1 history.
Not quite right. There's other relative recent driver that has done that: Jaime Alguersuari. He was racing in the FR 3.5 when he was called by Toro Rosso to replace Sebastien Bourdais in mid seasson, but he continued to race in the FR 3.5 Championship while he was driving for Toro Rosso.
@@Cellsius I didn't know that, thanks. I remember Gasly doing the same with Super Forumula when he was called up to Toro Rosso. But i'd still say starting the season knowing you'll do both is even crazier than that happening through a mid season call up.
Thing with Merhi is that he doesn't only have the money and backing to drive literally anything that's available for money, but also is rather talented, as shown on so many occasions. Guy's good on money and speed. Hope he keeps his stuff up, it's genuinely fascinating!
Earl Bamber has a great story, from commentating to that super final race in Superleague Formula, Ordos 2010, having never sat in the car before Friday practice, helping him to be a cult hero to some fans, a must watch 12 mins for any motorsport fan. (stefmeister2008 for video footage, 40:00 into '2010 Superleague Formula - Round 10 - Ordos (Review)'). A highlight in his varied/random but successful career. But even that doesn't compare to Mehri. All he is missing now is IndyCar, but I wouldn't bet against it.
I mean, he won the Le Mans 24h without all that much Prototype experience and the Nürburgring 24h in what was essentially a privately entered Ferrari competing against an armada of german factory teams this year. Those are 2 very rare achievements.
@michiadams True, but in those races he is sharing the seat. Still unbelievably brilliant, but it all started in Mongolia, and without that weekend, maybe he never gets the chances that came afterwards. Also he did a random Nascar race. Maybe Earl and Roberto share a common trait, their love for racing anything and everything.
@tohruberthon47 I think Linus deserves a drive first. Plus that is too regular for Roberto, he needs Coyne for a few rounds, then ECR and then for Andretti, in NXT.
I really respect this career, seems like a lot of fun, wheres many drivers would feel to big or good to go back to the lower series, he just wanted to drive. Younger drivers im sure can learn a lot from him.
Great video, thanks, I haven't known half of it. Another driver, who simultaneously raced in F1 and in a feeder series, is Jean Alesi back in 1989. He was called in as a midseason replacement for Tyrrell, but Eddie Jordan would not let him out of his F3000 contract, so for him, when clashed, F3000 had a priority over F1! Tyrrell had to find another replacement for 2 rounds. But he won the F3000 title that year, his only championship win. In the same year, he also competed in 2 rounds of the Japanese F3000, Le Mans 24 hours and also an IMSA GT race! What a chaotic season.
Then he went to Ferrari in '91 after contract malarky at Williams, Benetton in '96 and '97, Sauber '98 and '99, Prost GP in '00 to the first half of '01 then Jordan for the other half of 2001
@@dangerdean9066 Yeah, people usually tell his '91 Williams-Ferrari story that he chose Ferrari because of his italian roots but the truth is he was always a B option for Williams. They wanted Senna and then convinced Mansell to reverse his retirement plans instead of him.
This guy's career is about as linear as spaghetti on a dinner plate, but it does seem pretty fun to race in so many types of cars and leagues and in some occasions having sucess in them.
Another random thing in his career: in October 2019 he attended the FIA F3 collective tests in Valencia with Campos, 8 years after winning the Euroseries.
Merhi it's like a real world Gran Turismo player, jumping from category to category when he likes, and doesn't care if he drives a Super GT, open wheel, or a 70s custom car.
Merhis is a Driver. He doesent care if its a Closed Cockpit, a Spec series or the top Flight, if there is a car to drive and someone offers him a seat, hes gonna take it with a smile and drive.
Honestly he is living the dream. Sure, maybe not f1 champion material, but he loved racing and just races whatever he can get. Sounds like a fun lifestyle
He is, for sure, one of the best drivers put there... If only he had some more time to adapt to each car and get the last tenth... That being said, I hope he tries Indycar soon!! I really want to see him fighting against that Dallara...
IIRC Jaime Alguersuari did the same thing mixing F1 and FR3.5 in 2009 after Toro Rosso fired Bourdais. It's a shame that championship is gone, it was a better feeder series than GP2 for a while.
This guy is a once in a lifetime talent not many drivers can say they have pretty much done it all well besides Montoya but yeah not very common for a driver of that caliber to come out and rock
Roberto's career is fascinating, just, he goes anywhere the opportunity arises for him, I mean, I think it's getting to the point where you can't consider yourself a Real Top Level Racing Championship till you have Roberto driving in it (joke, hehe) but honestly, considering how many drivers end up being one and dones (one season) it's nice to see Roberto racing, he's a solid talent who on the right day is one of the best drivers on any grid
9:08 A podium that should have been a win, because he got penalized after finishing 2nd for track limits he hadn't done, then the winner was disqualified, so therefore he would have been the winner!
Roberto mehri just pulled up to the 2015 singapore gp, and since than i never fergot him, but deamn he had an awsome carrere, guess max verstappen is jelous
The answer is he either has a lot of wealth, probably from being born in a rich family, or is able to raise substantial sponsorship dollars that buys him into rides as an A/K/A Pay Driver. There does not have to be rhyme or reason, or some sort of trajectory in his racing travels. It is how much money he brings to the table and who has an open seat for a funded driver.
Mehri has a fascination for open wheels, he jumps on one of them the first opening he sees. Also, maybe he doesn't like to be chained to one specific championship.
I know that Tony Stewart has driven basically anything with four wheels at some point (NASCAR, IRL, USAC, IROC, IMSA, NHRA, just to name a few), and Juan Pablo Montoya has a similar case (CART, IRL, NASCAR, F1, ITCC, IMSA, WEC, again just to name a few).
Kyle Larson (Nascar, IMSA, every type of dirt racing under the sun and Indycar next year) is the closest thing to Stewart nowadays I'd say. And of course Shane Van Gisbergen: V8 Supercars, Toyota Racing Series, WRC, Sprint cars, drifting, several international GT3 series, WEC and IMSA starts and now Nascar Cup and Truck Series. Probably forgetting something.
That guy would probably rival Hamilton had he had the opportunity. But to me it seems like the guy just enjoyed driving things, and just happened to be extremely good at it, unlike many others with the same inclination.
